Port it to Xbox? Where to draw the line? Is Valve not a competitor to Sony? Rhetorical question, it's btw...
And I'm not talking about a PC I can build myself (which btw doesn't make the biggest difference to the argument at hand). Obviously talking about a manufactured Valve console/PC on a retail shelf next to a PS5 and Series. In other words, the box has a Valve logo on it, like say, the Steamdeck, marketed in direct competition to such. But it's just a little rant of what is possible, not what is current. The only thing that keeps Valve from being seen in the public space as a direct competitor instead of an indirect competitor is how a computer box is manufactured and marketed - food for thought cause that's the argument you guys are making. As if there is some sort of invisible, unspoken red line Valve must know it must not cross otherwise it will "piss off" the two stooges Jim Ryan, Herman Hulst.... otherwise the "deal" is OFF! Newsflash, there is no fucking deal. Valve already crossed that "line" with Nintendo with the Steamdeck, except Nintendo wasn't a sucker as to sell their exclusives on Steam. When you identify your competitors clearly, you don't do stupid shit for a buck or two - props to Nintendo. If consumers are consuming the same type of burgers, with the same sort of taste, the same recipes (third party titles), the same ingredients at a different shop, that shop is your competitor. McDonalds vs. Burger King vs. Wendy's. It's as simple as that - that gamers make this shit convoluted to the ninth degree is crazy but hey.... when inundated with so much bullshit from the press and marketing depts. whose profession is to bullshit for a living your normal average joe can hardly tell a lie from a truth - all by design. Today you end up with a burger joint agreeing to sell their marquee burgers on the competitor's shop provided they get a royalty of every sale
. Ooops! wrong industry, it's premium gaming. Like walking to a Burger King and asking for a Big Mac - which somehow helps McDonalds be great. The mind job bro... Maybe those in the fast food industry and gazillion other industries are not as enlightened as Jim Ryan and Herman Hulst. Maybe that's the reason. Those in other industries haven't seen what these two see.... it's the genius inside these career climbers. "But but... the Burger King consumers are not the same as McDonalds! consumers" "Even tho they have extremely similar tastes and spending habits, and like to eat the Big Mac, they're not the same" "Not the same god dammit"
You could draw a list of competition to Sony's PlayStation in the gaming space, and it will be quite big. From the direct (Xbox), to the less indirect, say mobile phones (Apple/Google's Android). Contrary to whatever warped logic some folks at Sony right now may be employing in their drive for profit maximization - with the fanboys adopting whatever comes out of their mouth for lack of self critical thinking/tribal association - Valve is actually quite high in the competitors list and just a drop below Nintendo, which is below Xbox, so you could safely say #3 in line. MS warchest aside, I would actually even go as far to say that Valve is more dangerous than either Nintendo or Xbox - cause contrary to those two, Valve has a strong monopoly like hold on its consumer base. In other words it has been extremely resilient to competition on PC and is #1 in their realm - untouchable in their turf. Nintendo has its up and down swings, and Sony was able to carve out a good share of the handheld market with the PSP/Vita when it tried... while Xbox bleeds and needs to be constantly propped up to compete with Sony. By comparison Valve is super clean in its finances, operation and with a firm hold of its base. It's not necessarily something that's debatable at this point imo, it has just become a who gives a shit issue after Sony's long break with precedent following Phil Spencer footsteps in the PC push (which actually benefits MS greatly as the owner of Windows/pushing Gamepass - but not Sony). In the long strategic war, Sony blinked at the height of success.
In a post truth society, it's all about narratives, you believe whatever the fuck you want to believe I guess. But if folks only understand the emotional punches I will posit this: has Valve announced that it will port/launch Half-Life VR on PSVR2 (the best VR headset on the market spec wise) for launch window? We all know they refused to do it on PSVR 1 - with fanboys making the case for Valve, free of charge PR, that it was due to specs. It's a marquee VR title that would benefit greatly from expanding to new audiences - so, if we follow the bullshit correctly, not only will gamers benefit, but Valve will make sweet money. We all win right? Right? "When we all play, we all win™" "Kumbaya". After all, Sony has been extremely generous propping up Steam's reputation as the go-to Storefront on PC with Sony exclusives. Not only that Sony is even helping Valve compete with Nintendo. Maybe if that's what gets your head going... you should look at that. Not only does Steam has a monopoly like hold on premium PC gaming software distribution, it also has a VR push, and even a handheld push. Geniuses at Sony are in command so.. and hey the money is good too - best ever! PS5's fly off the shelves, record revenues, from strength to strength™. The "exclusives**" are great too....it's all great baby!... there is nothing to worry about! Fucking doomers I swear!.... in other words, what the enlightened decree is the "truth" - proof in the pudding bud! It's just Xbox! Xbox is the enemy! Not that the whole basis of the argument rests solely on a decision by Valve to reciprocate goodwill by releasing a piece of software on PSVR2, as that could happen overnight ("throw a bone will ya!") but it's just an illustration for the willfully naive. Props to Valve for creating this perception of an inoffensive industry player when surrounded by bigger cats - Sun Tzusian like. Its gotten them far. Snake hiss..
This business has no place for suckers and its of my opinion you have two big suckers at the highest positions at SIE. Time will tell of course, the damage is likely to materialize long after they pass the torch but it's they who planted the seed. You usually want to spot the cancer cells early to provide corrective care as soon as possible not when it's beyond saving. This is just the beginning. Anyway the more questions you ask, the better. Down the rabbit hole.
