valve does a lot though. they continue to expand their store and related products, OS, hardware
if they did nothing another company would have leapfrogged them in terms of digital storefronts
Like, you’re not wrong, but even if Steam hadn’t changed in the last 5-10 years, it would probably still be the best digital store front out there.
I think by “do nothing” he means no arbitrary interface changes, new features no one asked for, etc.
That’s the sort of “doing something for the sake of doing something” stuff that Microsoft and Apple often do that people hate.
Yeah I really don’t get why people try to act like Valve doesn’t provide a ton of value to its customers. So much so that their “competitors” have basically said before they aren’t even going to try to compete on features or merit, because it would cost too much/they are too far behind at this point.
I think doing nothing is an overlooked business strategy. Companies always expect change and improvement. There must be a new version, a new redesign, a new functionality, a new hype. It looks good on paper and signals leadership to the investors, even when what the customer really wants is just stability and consistency. We saw it with Windows, where Microsoft’s endless hype-chasing led us to Windows 11. If stagnation is one extreme of business strategies, then whatever these tech companies are doing is the opposite extreme.
Valve knows what to change and, more importantly, what not to change.
Will probably require uPlay/Ubisoft Connect launcher anyway
Exactly. Who cares if it’s on steam if you have to have uplay installed and open anyway
Convenience for Steam Deck and Linux players
And login everytime you want to play, because they’re to incomplete to save a login.
It’s for security! If someone who isn’t you is able to sit down at your computer, bypass your OS login, and launch the game without us asking for your game account password, they’ll be able to do unspeakable damage to your game’s save file! They might even finish the game for you!
Valve cares because now they’ll get a cut
You can buy the code at gamestop or if you don’t care grey market 🐸
Steam does do 2 hour play time return window so that’s something to consider.
But if you are buying it, buy else where.
We can all be using Amazon, Exxon, Verizon and then Pikachu face when all we get is monopolies…
A code for the game on Steam? They still get their cut
I’m no expert in the matter but from what I gather here Steam Keys and in other comments around the web, Valve allows free key “generation” for resale in other stores.
Won’t buy from Ubisoft again so it wouldn’t matter anyways to me. They’ve burnt any good will I initially had for them.
Go nuts, I already set my steam store to ignore any and all ubisoft releases.
Search Ubisoft in the steam store page.
On the right hand side of Ubisofts page you will see a gear icon. Click ignore to take out the trash.
as an illustration of our player-centric approach
Or in other words: We lots loads of money when people didn’t flock to our exclusive platform like we wanted and it seems they don’t like being squeezed for every penny they have.
hmm ubisoft trying to be atleast somewhat decent, next they should get rid of their launcher
That’s nice but,
- Ubisoft games are ass
- Day 1 on Steam doesn’t matter if I have to install a Ubisoft client and like 4 DRM software’s to play the game anyway
- It would take a lot more for a long time for Ubisoft to repair the damage it’s done to it’s reputation over the last decade or more
Were they not launching day 1 on steam? I don’t keep up with games I can’t afford lol.
From 2019, they stopped releasing their games on Steam and exclusively released them on their own launcher and Epic Games Store. From 2022, they slowly began putting their games back on Steam (not as day one releases), and now it seems like they are giving up on exclusivity… EA tried same tactic, failed and back on Steam.
Steam is the best game management software that happens to be funded by the game store …
They do earn their keep tho JFC but centralizing like that will be down fall of it once Gabe dies or sells.
Start hedging
Steam is in a rightly deserved position of good reputation.
I am amazed that they have not entered the “squeeze every dollar out of the good reputation and brand we built” phase that so many companies have gone through in the past decade. I hope Newell can keep it this way for a long time.
They aren’t beholden to Wall Street thus don’t have the artificial Sharks Keep Moving mentality that is the animating force to most enshittification spirals.
It’s this neat trick called “being privately owned”
Of course, that’s not always the case (See: Elon Musk), but it is a lot of the time. (Valve, Arizona Ice Tea, and LEGO(to some extent))
But seriously tho, unless Gabe has a succession plan in place, im afraid Valve is done for once he’s gone.
