Umm...GFWL had everything to do with it, before gfwl died there were a lot of physical pc releases, afterwards there was virtually none, Diablo 3 was before gfwl and it wasn't a real physical release, it was just a key! As in one time use... and GTA V was a late release as you mentioned, so a physical release was always in the plans. After GFWL died, what else was there? Just the very rare enthusiast overpriced releases like Command and Conquer, which again is just a key and not an actual physical game.
How is Steam a monopoly? BRO... Look up the definition of a monopoly
They have 95% share of the PC market
Steam being a good storefront doesn't change the fact that it's still a monopoly.. Valve doesn't need to pay for any exclusivity when they're the default option, ergo proving my point that THEY'RE A MONOPOLY
Sony, Nintendo, and Xbox all have to pay for exclusives, why? Because none of those 3 are a monopoly, Steam doesn't have that problem which is why they don't do it., again case in point
Bro this isn't a physical release
it's just a Steam key
After I use it, I can't lend that copy to my buddy to let him try it out, but I could with my GFWL copy of GTA 4
see what I mean? There are levels to this.
Physical games were pretty special. But I never said GFWL was great or perfect, just that PC gaming was better with it, which is simply a fact.
So I'm a troll because I want Steam to have proper competition?
Maybe if GFWL was still around, I could have a real physical copy of Baldur's Gate 3 instead of a Steam key, maybe Steam would bring back the great flash sales they used to have, and maybe we'd even have Half Life 3 by now? Or Portal 3?
But sadly, people like you and
@flaccidsnake keep cheering on monopolies, so Valve can just rest on their laurels, collect their 30% fee, and not have to do much. And before you say "le Steam Deck!!", that's just to grow their monopoly even more
Of course I'm a proud supporter of Epic, they're our only hope to restore PC gaming back to its former glory.