Game Developer sums up why Steam is the best digital storefront for PC games - and it's not even close.
- Thread starter Polyh3dron
- Start date
It's not even close, Valve is far ahead of all competitors when it comes to digital storefront. They also go out of their way to support things like Linux gaming.
This forum has many Valve/Steam haters but the reason is obvious, fanboysm.
Consoles still have some big advantages for consumers, physical games and unique exclusive games(going forward only true for Nintendo).
This forum has many Valve/Steam haters but the reason is obvious, fanboysm.
Consoles still have some big advantages for consumers, physical games and unique exclusive games(going forward only true for Nintendo).
What I like about buying PC games is that you can easily buy PC games for Steam from sites that sell keys, eg CDKeys at low prices. And until, for example, PlayStation doesn't allow the sale of keys for PS games outside the PS Store. PC games are always cheaper than console games.
Yeah, console gaming is much easier to approach and my desired way but Steams storefront and platform are very nice. Play a few games there and have slowly just added games that have gotten ungodly cheap to the library in the event of doomsday event of consoles or Ps in particular
Valve isn’t only the best place to play games on PC with Steam evolving & now having there own console w the Steamdeck as they continue to grow there console Steamdeck audience & there PC storefront continues to grow they’ll become a serious threat to any hardware platform holder.
You look at it now Steam has PC, Valve/Steam, Xbox & PS games under 1 storefront which you can also play in the Steam handheld at the price of other competitors console ($500) the only thing that Valve is missing which they should push is physical by having a Steamdeck that’s digital aswell as having a Steamdeck w a physical disc drive that’s optional like the way PS made the PS5 disc drive attachable. Honestly if I was Valve I would push physical & make a optional disc drive for the Steamdeck that acts as a dock & partner w 3rd party devs & indies (with indies they can fund physical) to have a physical disc that can only be read under a Steam hardware (Steamdeck) funneling PC gamers to Steam even more by giving them option for physical Steam discs.
PS future is looking grim. Nintendo future is looking bright with massive growth not only in gaming but media, parks, toys/merchandise as long as they double down on Nintendo games, Nintendo IP & there permanent exclusive I can see Nintendo console hitting 170+ w more 3rd party support & Xbox & PS no longer having exclusive. I can see Steam become a bigger player in the future aswell as someone like Meta, Apple, Android getting in the gaming hardware business creating there own hybrid handheld w exclusive (permanent exclusive) content that pushes Xbox & PS further out.
Edit: The only thing that kept PS alive in the PS3 generation was exclusive games not 3rd party. What kept Nintendo alive in the wiiu generation was exclusive games (permanent exclusive) not time exclusive. At the end the only thing these platform holder PS, Nintendo, Apple, Netflix & Disney have that keeps there platform/storefront strong is exclusive (permanent) that allows them to expand, bolster itself or take hits to survive bad decisions
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I think cards make a lot more sense for Steam. I can think of many ways for phisycal games to work on console-like PCs.
Could they not have a dock like Switch or take the route of PS5 optional attachment that acts as a disc drive by connecting it your Steamdeck?
https://images.app.goo.gl/GvMPSeyRFRxgporS8
PC disc are the same as console? I don’t se how it would be a problem. I think the biggest obstacle is getting 3rd party to support. I can see Steam PC disc as high value collectibles as something more rare
I get why digital codes thrives PC but with Steam having its own hardware I can see why Valve would push hard for physical disc. Ig long term it wouldn’t matter since PS & Xbox are heading more digital but I think PS will ultimately have it optional by making future PS console have a optional attachable disc drive so I don’t see why Steam would have it for Steamdeck. Again I think the biggest obstacle is getting 3rd party aboard maybe it Valve can sell Steam disc through its website that way 3rd party wouldn’t have to over produced many disc idk
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If you are already digital then it doesn't make sense to implement physical. Physical ( regardless of its superiority) is on life support and people should accept it.
True and PlayStation need to start looking at one of the benefits steam has and offering them to their console gamers before customers really find out how they stand to benefit if they move away from console.
Steams refund policy, sales and launch prices are just much much better.
Steams refund policy, sales and launch prices are just much much better.
