Thread 724949836

>The independent study, conducted by Atomik Research, surveyed 306 industry executives across the UK and USA between May 18 and May 22, 2025.

>75% of respondents were senior managers of C-suite level, with 77% from studios with more than 50 employees.

>The study found that for the majority of studios, Steam accounts for over 75% of revenue.

steam is now under attack even from devs. they really hate that it's not a public company and they can't bully it into submission
we are literally in the golden age of PC gaming because of steam

>>724949836 (OP)
They have a monopoly but nobody really complains because they're doing a good job about it for the most part and there hasn't been any other competitor that could be trusted with doing it better without shitting it up in some form.

>survey conducted by Rokky
>Rokky, a company whose main selling point is "Expand sales of your PC game beyond Steam. Sell game keys to 200+ global storefronts simultaneously with Rokky. Enjoy revenue increases of up to 100%." conducts a survey that results in a whitepaper that states that expanding your sales beyond Steam is beneficial for you.

LMAOOOOOO
ITS ANOTHER FUCKING SHILL

EVERY SINGLE TIME

>>724949836 (OP)
>75% of respondents were senior managers of C-suite level
Data discarded. These niggas are just complaining about middleman costs and looking for excuses to make their own shitty launchers

>>724949836 (OP)
>study
It's not a study, it's a fucking survey.
It holds as much weight as all the pro tranny studies where they say there are happier after cutting off their dick.

It doesn't matter, trannies aren't women, Steam isn't a monopoly. I don't care about what some retards feelings say.

>>724950205
>>724950097
wow what a surprise

>>724949836 (OP)
All that survey shows is that "75% of devs" are retarded.
Steam doesn't have a monopoly at all, they can make their own website and sell things themselves if they want, they can launch their games on EGS if they want.
Sell games through bundle stores
There's plenty of places to sell as an alternative than steam which is why steam is not a monopoly.

What they are crying about is they want to sell their games to million of people with no effort on their end without the cut steam takes.

Not happening, steam spent 20 years gathering that playerbase you now have at your fingertips and for that privalege you agree to the 30% cut.
That's the deal, you are free to fuck off and do your own advertising, payment processing, refunds, customer service and distribution yourself.

>>724950097
well what a coincidence that is

>>724950097
IT'S NOT FAIR I DESERVE A PIECE OF THE PIE THAT VALVE BAKED BY THEMSELVES

>>724950034
This
Is it really that hard to understand?
Steam is fair to the users and the service works fine, that's the only reason they get to be a monopoly
The deal devs get might seem unfair to them, but they also refuse to cut on marketing - Most games today spend as much on development as on ads, so fuck them

>>724950034
Nobody complain until Mary ban the games you want from being sold on Steam and you can't do anything but cry about it.

>>724949836 (OP)
>put game on steam
>put game on not steam
it's literally that easy. What are they complaining about? That they can't all have their own super special launcher? That their sales on GOG or itch or some shit aren't pulling the numbers that steam does? So fucking what?
It's a digital platform. You're not spending time or resources shipping it out to a physical location.
Western game devs are the biggest fucking cry babies, I swear to fucking god

>>724949836 (OP)
Just stop selling on steam if you don't like having 300% extra revenue. Holy shit.
That's 300%, AFTER steams cut.

Honestly? I wish they fucking would. I hate store-fronts, I don't want to have to load 37 store fronts. I don't want to load steam either.

Just let me download what I fucking paid for and fuck off. Digital games need to be treated the same as physical. No launchers no store-fronts no third party nigger logins.
Fuck them all.

>>724949836 (OP)
Not my problem, release stuff on GoG.

>>724950097
Kekaroo

Article discarded

>>724950097
lmao

>https://rokky.com/

Hmmmmmmmm

>>724950325
the problem is every other storefront would probably be even worse with censorship against anime games especially since payment processors force them to.
there's almost no winning in that front unless you attack the source of it

>>724949836 (OP)
>devs all moved to unreal
>suddenly they all hate steam
curious correlation

>>724950468
GOG will sell H9, a game which Steam refised.

>>724950097
Keyed

>>724950097
fucking lmao

>>724950325
you say that but every time a game won't reeked on steam, I just won't buy it. its not a monopoly when its the consumer who's picking the store. like you twits really think I'm going to buy off fucking epic? I was neutral towards epic until they fucked with me, now I won't touch the fucking faggots.

steam has cometitors, hence they aren't a monopoly. it's just people don't want to use them

>>724949836 (OP)
>steam has a monopoly!

>meanwhile every single one of their competitors, be it uplay, origin, Epic or GoG are multi-million companies yet not a SINGLE one of them can make a decent platform

Say what you want about Steam's "monopoly", but 90% of my purchases for games on steam are bought from 3rd party keysellers because of steam's insanely high prices. They haven't had great discounts since around 2015

I will proceed to play any game with it's own launcher on it's own standalone platform if I must, as any game that has a launcher has no need for extra DRM like steam

Honestly, steam is good for mod support, controller support, friendlist, discovery queue and multiplayer support (most of the time when it's not down)
I'd still rather play with no DRM whatsoever, but I will recognize convenience and acknowledge Steam as a superior service provider.
Their competition isn't even competing, and that's saying alot.
Either they are all letting steam win, or they simply don't want to risk trying.

>>724950097
This reminds of 2019 when fucking every journo shat on Steam because of Epic astroturfing.

>>724950728
*released.

auto correct sucks but I can't fucking be bothered to browse 4chan unless its from my phone while shitting.

>>724950097
>>724950449

What the fuck this is literally from a company that fucking resells steam keys

How the fuck would the government interfere if they wanted to break Steams monopoly anyway? Split Valve into 3 companies that each have like what, 20 employees? And then what?

>>724949836 (OP)
Very cool, can I see the list of studios that were surveyed?

>>724949836 (OP)
Just make a better platform. Steam only has a "monopoly" because all the alternatives are literal shit and customers don't want to use them.

>>724950757
Steam is yeah, super convenient and has a ton of support.
Discovering something new is easy, and the UI is actually usable unlike the utter dogshit that is EGS.
The only other one I have used is GOG Galaxy, and not really that much since I only have a handful of games, and I can simply install them without it so.

>>724950468
What's your evidence that they would be worse? None. You're spewing shit because you're this much of a goy or shill that you need to defend your store lol. There is no "it would be worse," your store is already terrible.
Steam censors games by themselves in spite of any payment processors existing and you still perpetuate this misinfo to defend your corpo. Just admit you like censorship.

>>724950034
They just fucked IntiCreates new game dude.

>>724949836 (OP)
If steam was a monopoly, that number would be 100% and not 75%

Offer me a better service with more animu and i will leave steam

>believe
Worthless.
It's clear Steam doesn't have a monopoly as there are other platforms. If the other platforms are garbage or people don't use them for whatever reason, that's their fault.

>>724951047
literally what other mainstream storefront carries porn in the first place? the problem with steam is that they been racist against japanese games but quite literally so has every other carrier like sony, microsoft and even now nintendo when before they werent

>>724950097
>>724950796
Just like those "studies" that showed that piracy affected game sales made by Denuvo themselves.

Fuck dem devs, what do you think about that?

if there wasn't a "monopoly", the stores would routinely shutdown and take your license away with them. they'd do this on purpose to force you to buy new games constantly. that's the real intent of trying to get steam to die

>>724949836 (OP)
>we are literally in the golden age of PC gaming because of steam
The golden age of PC gaming ended roughly a decade ago, when performance stopped realistically coming to meet hardware. This was only coincidentally when Valve stopped actually supporting Steam correctly, and started making dumb-as-shit decisions or letting all of the features rot in disrepair.

People like to argue that Steam has never been better than ever, yet 9 times out of 10, the faggot arguing over it has uploaded something like pic related and then says it doesn't matter that the stream service is the worst functioning service that exists, the in-store browser doesn't even work with some of it's own features (like streaming) so you have to use an external browser anyway, or that its 2025 and there still isn't a filter for the Steam workshop for languages to keep me from having to look at the same mod 19 times but re-re-retranslated into Budanese. God forbid they handle their own support instead of outsourcing it to India.

>>724951078
why would you leave steam
really, the only other store people need is something that sells the DLSite kind of stuff and isn't garbage like Johren with the 3 activations per purchase DRM

>>724949836 (OP)
72% of devs don't know what a monopoly is.

>>724950325
Yea that's one of the bad parts but I can't imagine it'd be any better with any other company in charge
>have to pay 10000$ upfront to have your game on the store page, NSFW is probably banned outright and MOST japanese games are held under scrutiny unlike a few that get the unnecessary ire of some game reviewer at Valve
>almost all the data you give to the company like your wishlist and your chat messages get sold to third parties like Google
>"premium pass" with several tiers and the bulk of sales as well as all sorts of cosmetic stuff are limited behind higher, more expensive tiers ("with the Storefront Diamond Pass you can buy this game for -40% off instead of -30% off")
>discounts forced by the company to never be any lower than a specific threshold because they don't want to shoulder the costs of hosting the game while barely getting any money when games go -75% or -90% off
>say bad word on forums, game library becomes inaccessible
>no item trading because they don't want people to trade for things they want, they want people to buy their stuff instead
>ads everywhere unless you have a premium pass
>"log in with your Google or Facebook account" and other cross-site integration for maximized data harvesting
>monthly download cap because they don't want to spend too much on internet costs
>can only make use of most cosmetic effects if you have a premium pass, otherwise they are deactivated
>a million data leaks and errors because they outsourced its development to save costs to another company that outsourced it to several other companies
>games never get a banner unless they shell out even more money to be marketed in the company's game platform

>>724951305
Competition is a great thing for the consumer, stupid anon.

>>724950034
4chan has a monopoly on image boards
it accts for 75% of the shill articles

>>724950325
I don't think Mary even exists I think its steam trying to not get in trouble with Visa or Mastercard.

>>724950986
STOP HARASSING ME!

>tv/movie streaming has no true dominating service
>tv shows and movies you "bought" on these services are now routinely being force removed from your library because the service itself doesn't have the license for them anymore
>this is now happening all the time
This is what they want, by the way.

>>724949836 (OP)
>72% of devs
it should be 100%

>>724949836 (OP)
>senior managers of C-suite level
And into the trash it goes.

>>724951429
competition doesn't steal the thing you bought when their store goes bankrupt but that is what happens with digital stores

>>724951192
So you admit they would be equally bad, why do you need to frame it as "Steam is the better"? All it does is sound like you're a shill for them. You literally. can't simply not shill for them like a goy for a single second.
Google play, browser and GOG are better btw.
>storefront carries porn
They now have problems with ecchi or... swimsuits. No swimsuits.

>>724951462
/thread

>>724951429
the entire rest of the industry has proven time and time again that they are either unable or unwilling to actually compete with Steam on a purely technical level
EGS was probably the most serious attempt but even that needed actual years to add basic features like a shopping cart or reviews and they also quickly gave up on curating games allowed on the store and now sell crypto and NFT games

So the only other way competition with Steam can be created is by trying to tear it down and I don't think that any consumer would benefit from that.

I do agree about the random anime game bans being gay as fuck, many games were robbed for no reason.

>>724951329
Better than the so far 100% of anons who doesn't know.

>>724949836 (OP)
>hey where does your majority profits on PC come from?
>Obviously Steam
>STEAM MONOPOLY AND WHY DEVS HATE IT

Steam doesn't have a monopoly. GoG and EGS exist and publishers can and do make and run their own digital storefronts. Simply having a majority market share does not a monopoly make, there must also be anti-competitive forces at play.

>>724951395
You forgot the most imporant one
>Game is removed from your library after a couple of years because of [insert corporat excuse here]

>pls stop using steam pls pls
So my entire library of games gets deleted when Steam dies and I have to rebuy the same games again just like they want with remasters? No.

>>724949836 (OP)
I use steam because it's convenient, I see no reason to be loyal to it. I don't care about Valve.

>>724950097
>>724950449
>Expand sales of your PC game beyond Steam
>Sell game keys to 200+ global storefronts simultaneously with Rokky
But those game keys can only be used on Steam so Steam wins again? And very few game devs have their own website with their own keys.

>>724951395
>literally have to make up imaginary scenarios to make Steam look like a good platform
grim. Steam could do anything and you'll find elaborate convoluted ways to defend it out of brand loyalty lol.

it's kinda funny. in the past you could sell your game via god damn mail order. no need to pay for the middle man.
now customers demand that you'll pay for the middle man so they can add the game to some store library.
in ways steam regressed things

>>724951698
Steam is generally better but I would 100% buy more from a store that respected japanese and porn devs.

>>724952291
DLsite is basically that but Ive heard that behind the scenes theyre pretty scummy too

>>724952263
They've earned the brand loyalty though, and they didn't even do much. Can't say the same for most companies out there.

>>724949836 (OP)
>Steam has a monopoly on PC games

>>724952384
Being loyal to a brand means you're an idiot.

>>724949836 (OP)
I don't give a single shit about what devs have to say, my comfort comes first, every single dev alive could die and my backlog would still last me a lifetime, I don't care about these crybabies

>>724950097
Every "survey" and "study" is like this btw

>>724952445
How? And it's not really the brand as much as it is the company.

>>724952282
>no need to pay for the middle man.
So the disks, envelops, ads and postage were free back then? That's amazing

Anyone notice the uptick in these generic steam is le BAD! threads? Its always the same fucking 4 OP images too.

>>724950097
we've been had boys SCATTER!

>>724952726
The latest Fortnite season was a flop and Timmy is running damage control.

>>724950097
THE GOYIM KNOW
SHUT. IT. DOWN.

>>724951754
Nah, I think GOG was a serious attempt but their philosophy of No DRM was simply unacceptable to western publishers who ardently demand DRM.
EGS was shit and Tim would rather hire pajeets to do anti-Steam shilling than to actually improve his storefront. Not having a Shopping Cart was the banner of the problem because there's not any digital storefronts that don't have a fucking shopping cart. What the hell is Tim's problem? Imagine if Amazon didn't have a shopping cart and they just told you you didn't need one.

>>724949836 (OP)
>72% of devs noticed
I'm saddened that it isn't higher. The only people that disagree are Steam cultists.

>>724950097
kek
every time without fail

>>724950985
your first mistake was thinking the government breaks monopolies anymore. we love megacorps now

>>724949836 (OP)
>Industry "executives"
>"Senior managers"

Great "study". Basically an attempt to besmirch Value because they want to have their cake and eat it too. They also did a similar thing saying the up front fee for putting your game on Steam caused pricing to be higher even though the dev control pricing and just wanted an excuse to get it removed so they could have the consumer foot the bill and pocket it as extra cash.

Jews aren't happy they can't jew consumers because Value tells them to fuck off and is privately owned and controls the dominant share. Seethe more kikes.

>>724950985
we need to force valve to make steam worse so other companies can keep up. Or alternatively the government needs to subsidize other companies to be able to keep up with steam's criminal monopoly.

>>724949836 (OP)
They just say that because of the 30% cut. If Steam controlled 100% of the market, but only took a 10% cut, you wouldn't hear a peep out of them.

>>724951429
every time somebody tries to compete with steam, they do it by engaging in anti-competitive practices like exclusivity deals
GOG is the only other storefront that is even remotely successful and it's because they are actually offering services that steam does not

>>724950097
they do not learn

>>724949836 (OP)
does it have a monopoly? no
does not releasing your game on steam impact its broad market appeal? massively

just look how any timed exclusive (neo-twewy, darkest dungeon 2) bombed completely by not being on steam during the hype window

>>724950034
They don't have a monopoly.
A monoply: Majority control of a market and taking explicit actions to keep competitors out of the space (i.e., forbidding developers from publishing on other platforms).
Valve don't do that. You're free to publish your shit elsewhere and on Steam simultaneously - the main thing they prohibit is attempting to sidestep their cut (i.e., generating keys and selling them directly to people for cheaper).

There are three core camps that keep trying to tear Valve/Steam down, and all of them are rooted in fallacies.
>A) Small-time developers who want full access to Steam's infrastructure and customer-base for nothing.
These people are entitled and think that the most popular LUXURY SERVICE should be run as if it were a public utility of some kind. Why? Some arbitrary delusion of sorts.
>B) Rival companies who are too incompetent and greedy to compete with Steam.
These people are just jealous they're not the ones holding the reins. This includes companies like Epic, EA, Microsoft, and so-on.
>C) People who hate the platform for other personal reasons but are latching on to the "monopoly" arguement as a scapegoat.
This camp includes people mad about specific games getting removed/forbidden from the platform, people with misc. performance issues, and so on. Their complaints, valid or not, have nothing to do with the discussion.

Valve is the only company I will jump to the defense of particularly because of Camp B above. People don't realize how much worse things could be.
I could very easily see a company like Epic or EA using a majority market position to strongarm developers into signing over exclusive publishing rights, or some other shit like that.
Or them bolting on some kind of tiered subscription into the core functionality of the platform (i.e., pay $12.99 for "free games" + the ability to automatically update games in your library, as well as other features we take for granted).

>>724949836 (OP)
>even from devs
c-suite execs are not devs

>>724954207
Darkest dungeon 2 flopped because it was an inferior game, nothing to do not being on steam.

In fact it not being on steam likely protected it.

>>724952407
>your pic
sure is, just need to be a liar like claiming that management sitting around collecting corporate welfare are the same as the actual developers who actually work

>>724950097
OH NONONONONO
SHILLBROS... DISBAND!

>>724954346
>the main thing they prohibit is attempting to sidestep their cut (i.e., generating keys and selling them directly to people for cheaper).
The joke is that they do allow you to sidestep it by selling the keys that developer can obtain free of charge, just not undercut the prices on Steam permanently.

>>724949836 (OP)
>75% of respondents were senior managers of C-suite level
Literal retards then?

>>724949836 (OP)
>>724950034
>>724950097
>>724953643
>>724952726
>Dev:Monopoly
>Gamers:Monopoly
Government:Monopoly
It’s a monopoly anon, time to stop promoting the monopoly. Stop supporting the criminal corporate agenda hated refunds for Australia. Stop helping Valve Corporation that lied in German for ownership. They are part of the GEO-EU land lock that was illegal. You should not be ok with them stealing patents from small businesses in the USA.

Time to stop.

>>724953870
Steam also does exclusive sales, you can not get buy those games outside the Steam ecosystem. The sales are often illegal in certain countries because of their high usually in a year. You can’t buy it outside the Steam marketplace because Steam keys only work on Steam. It’s a monopoly anon.

>>724950097
>there are still people that aren't completely retarded that can actually analyze articles on /v/
minor hope restoration

i still can't get over how bad every other services review system is
>recent reviews are good
>looking at older reviews with long hours are positive
>looking at older reviews with a small amount of hours are negaitve
>oh its because the game was bugged from the start but they recently fixed it for good
>or maybe it's negative x country but positive Y country because they fucked up the translation
VS
>4/5 THIS GAME HAS AN AMAZING COMMUNITY
>it's a fucking singleplayer game

>>724949836 (OP)
And that's a good thing

>>724954346
Steam 100% keeps competitors out: you can't discount a game on another storefront without doing the same on Steam. So if anyone else is giving you bigger revenue share you cannot pass the savings to the consumer on the other platform. Devs are too poor to sue Steam for market manipulation.

At this point the only thing who can challenge Steam is some chink/Saudi state-run storefront who can afford to give Steam the finger and undercut them for 10+ years

>>724954814
>Steam also does exclusive sales, you can not get buy those games outside the Steam ecosystem.
I think what you're talking about is the steam policy where they say you can't set your prices lower on storefronts that aren't steam. I do agree that practice is bad. But you're not properly explaining it. There's no steam policy that says you can't sell your game elsewhere, just that you can't sell it for cheaper elsewhere, while effectively using steam as an advertising platform.
Also, your english is very bad.

>>724950034
This. I don't care if they have a monopoly if the alternative is that I need 30 fucking launchers for all of my games.
If these cunts didn't put drm on every single game then we'd be able to have a million launchers and you could choose whatever you like. But as it is consumers want one (1) launcher and steam does the job. Epic trannies get the rope.

>>724954890
What is wrong with the Chinese?

>>724949836 (OP)
They do, but it's not the kind that gets trust busting. Frankly EGS trying to get Valve to drop its cut was an attempt to get antitrust on Steam.

>>724955103
>you can't discount a game on another storefront without doing the same on Steam

>>724955103
this argument is such bullshit when countless key selling sites exist that keep a completely separate schedule
There's also games on sale on EGS right now that are not on sale on Steam

>>724950097
Simply epic

>>724950097
Any time anyone uses the whole "muh steam monopoly" bullshit, it's always a shill post.

I'm not loading down my machine with 12 malware launchers just to play a game. The users have a choice, and they made it, loudly and clearly.

>>724955103
>Steam 100% keeps competitors out: you can't discount a game on another storefront without doing the same on Steam.
You absolutely can. You have a fundemental misunderstanding of how things work.

i.e:
>You make a game and sell it for $10 on Steam's store. Valve sees 30% of this. Or $3.
>You generate keys for Steam copies (for free, as is your privilege as a developer) and sell them directly to people from your personal website for $8.
>Valve sees $0 from every copy sold from your website even though your customers are using their infrastructure to access the game.
This is what Valve does not allow.

You can work out agreements and sell keys in bulk to other parties on other storefronts, as long as Valve are seeing their cut in some way. This is how "legitimate" keyselling sites like Humble Bundle and Greenman Gaming work.

>>724955103
This has to be a bot, right?
Every single thread about this topic has this exact same lie except worded slightly different every time.

>>724955808
It's a shill thread, so absolutely expect bots.

>>724949836 (OP)
It's only a monopoly because nobody else is doing it better.
Not even timbo with his unlimited chinkbux bothered to do anything better than free candy to bring the boys to the yard, and they wouldn't even stick around after.

>>724949836 (OP)
72% of devs are also retarded faggots

>>724955808
it was revealed in court that tim sweeney paid influencers to talk negatively about steam.

the majority of these threads spammed here on /v/ come from 3rd worlders (probably indians) getting paid pennies to spam negative PR about steam.
(((((Some people))))) hate that steam is a private company without shareholders that has a consumer first mentality and is a dominate force in the market

>>724955772
>You have a fundemental misunderstanding of how things work.
~Uno Reverse~

You can learn the truth with a simple Google search buddy.
Steam enforces price parity, and they've even been assholes about the "temporary sale" exception.

>>724950359
One big appeal to factorio and starsector is because they sold their game directly.

>>724950034
Nah bro
Just go sell your game on EGS
Timmy says you get a larger cut of the sales. Pass the savings on to your players.

>>724956460
Yep, I bought Factorio before steam. Then they gave me a steam key anyway. Fucking lads.

>>724956442
>With some exceptions for temporary sales
At least fucking read your own evidence before using it to prove yourself wrong.

>>724950034
>They have a monopoly
Retarded.

>>724949836 (OP)
>72% of devs believe Steam has a monopoly on PC games
Key words "believe". I don't care what some people"believe ". I want facts and stats.
Also What is Epic, Gog?

Will YOU be getting the SteamChip to play Half-Life 3 in fully immersive virtual reality? You'll actually be able to taste the sweat on Alyx's skin as you two fight the Combine together

>>724949836 (OP)
>we are literally in the golden age of PC gaming because of steam !? !
Gaming has never been worse

>>724954814
Ok but none of what they've done so far seems to go against me, the customer, the one part that is actually important. The words "monopoly" and "crime" are just words until you've proven how they affect me and not the poor corporations and bodies of government..

>>724956618
Do you know what price parity means? You can't offer the same product at a lower price (a permanent discount) on other platforms, dumbshit.

Whether or not it generates Steam keys, you can't sell it for less than the price on Steam unless the sale is **temporary**. And, like I said, they've even been assholes about the temporary sales exception.

Did that wake your little brown brain up?
Got blood flowing up there now or are you still shitting yourself like a retard?

>>724950097
The jew fears an actual good service

>>724956863
>I'm not selling it for less on other platforms
>It's just on a permanent discount 100% of the time
This is the logic of a 5 year old.

>>724956442
>gives a wrong aislop answer
l
m
a
o

>>724950097
DELETE THIS

>>724956442
>don't believe your lying eyes, believe what I tell you
Tim isn't sending his best

>>724949836 (OP)
>OP clearly written by chinkpic lackey
yawn

>>724956784
>Gabe is a recluse who lives on his yachts to avoid the plague ravaging the mainland while managing his fleet of research submarines
Tell me that's not the pitch for a horror setting

>>724950325
that would be a non-issue if DL-Site hadn't been hit by the credit kikes
nothing is stopping kiketivision, EA, or ubishit from making a decent alternative. they just DON'T WANT TO because things that are good for the goyim are bad for business (e.g. review systems where the devs can't have shit struck, forums for bug reports and contact with devs, decent controller support, guide sections, voice chat with friends, multi-language support (including JP), regional pricing)

>>724955262
how long do you got?

Users will develop brand loyalty because unlike a physical store, they can't move their games from Steam to somewhere else.
Some also use Steam as social media so if they move away they lose the ability to play with friends.

>>724957843
loyalty would imply that there's a single alternative worth a damn

>>724950097
Based.

>>724951538
Mary predates credit card companies getting uppity

>>724954346
if I wasnt on mobile id properly screencap this and post it every time antisteam third worlders get uppity

>>724957895
Piracy, MMOs and games that don't require a launcher, GOG.

I'm going to redeem this card

>>724952919
I don’t know what they were thinking with a fucking Simpsons event.

>>724958558
I am sure all the dads who watched it when they where kids loved it.

>>724950034
That’s like saying McDonald’s has a monopoly (no pun intended) because they get more business than Wendy’s

>>724949836 (OP)
>industry executives

>>724950097
Classic. Fuck Timmy Tencent.

>>724950097
spbp

>Industry executives
Can you think of any group of people that know less about games than these idiots?

>>724949836 (OP)
>72% of devs are too retarded to understand something taught in HS
no wonder the industry sucks so much dick now.

>>724949836 (OP)
>>724950034
Don't forget Machi Koro
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1969860/MACHI_KORO_With_Everyone/

>>724955342
That's just another Monopoly

>>724950097
like being able to tell the ending just from the cover of a book

Steam and GOG are the only storefronts worth using from a consumer's POV. There's really no reason to use EGS. Devs love it because it gives them a better cut of the profits but it's incredibly jank, has less games than Steam/GOG, and has worse sales. It gives out games for free every so often, I guess.

>>724955148
>the steam policy where they say you can't set your prices lower on storefronts that aren't steam
I'm not OP but wtf I didn't even know that. That is textbook monopoly behavior. The thing that bugs me about Steam (other than the occasional game censorship for China and trannies) is that they take a 30% cut from a game's sale. That means developers are losing a third of their income to Steam. By comparison, Epic Games only takes like a 13% cut. I don't even like Epic btw, but that's objectively better for the developers.
>>724950358
Steam forbids devs from setting lower prices on other platforms. No matter whether they put it on GOG or Epic or whatever, Steam will always have the best price and has an unfair advantage.

>>724960259
>muh steam takes 30%
30% is literally industry standard. brick and mortar stores would charge more before digital distribution became mainstream.
>can’t pricecut
which is so developers cant freely use steam to advertise their product on valve’s storefront while also avoiding giving valve their cut for allowing you to use their storefront for transactions and visibility and downloads. its not a public utility.
>epic only takes 13%
ok timmy, as if the developers will pass any of those savings on to consumers and not line their own pockets. I could give a fuck less if the developer gets 17% more

>>724960259
Good morning sir

>>724950097
Out. Fucking. Skilled.

>>724949836 (OP)
>>724950097
Why shit like this is allowed?
>scientists conducted a study and the conclusion is that consuming [thing] is actually really bad
>experiment funded by [thing]'s biggest competitor

>>724961229
ROFLMAO

Hey Epic shills why don't you faggots ever bitch about Sony, Nintendo and Microsoft taking 30%?

>>724961345
because the dogshit storefronts of those companies aren’t nearly as successful

>>724961345
When that whole shitshow began, Timmy's Chink-overlords took 55% and more on their won store depending on how well your game sold.
You never heard him complain about that.

>>724961160
It's a complete lack of integrity. You can tell the truth or you can make money, same as journalism. Tell too much truth and you end up like Gary Webb. "Science" is for sale.

>>724961160
American Jews.

>>724956442
Just jumping in an hour later to call you a subhuman retard who doesn't research what he talks about because AI slop has crippled your critical thinking ability. At least one other anon called you out on that which I'm glad about.

https://partner.steamgames.com/doc/features/keys#3

>You should use Steam Keys to sell your game on other stores in a similar way to how you sell your game on Steam. It is important that you don’t give Steam customers a worse deal than Steam Key purchasers.

>It's OK to run a discount for Steam Keys on different stores at different times as long as you plan to give a comparable offer to Steam customers within a reasonable amount of time.

>If you request an extreme number of keys and you are not offering Steam customers a comparable deal, or if your sole business is selling Steam Keys and not offering value to Steam customers, your request may be denied and you may lose the privilege to request keys.

tl;dr: You can do whatever the fuck you want as long as you don't try to circumvent giving Steam the agreed-upon cut at the point-of-sale.
It says nothing about the games themselves. Just the STEAM KEYS.

>>724950097
Every time without fail.

>>724950034
What is a monopoly
If I sell pudding with sausages tomorrow then I have a monopoly or what?

Does Steam force anyone to use their service, pay for exclusivity of the products offered there?
Nintendo, Xbox, Sony, Epic do

>>724955148
>>724960259
>>724960621
>Devs can't sell games cheaper than they're selling them on steam
This is incorrect. The actual condition is that you cannot sell the Steam Game for less than it is on Steam (Outside of special case sales). This is largely just about steam keys, because those are just the game on steam. If it doesn't go through steam for the download though, you're able to sell at lower prices.

>>724961160
>scientists
It's a survey anon. You don't need academics for that, just send an email and you can always just make shit up because who's going to check lmao

>>724961623
He also doesn't bitch about the consoles cut (and even defended it) since it turned out to be 80% of Fortnites revenue.

>>724961980
It is not about steam keys though, it is about not being able to sell independently of valve for cheaper, be it on different storefronts entirely or on your own shitty website. This is a biggest monopoly talking point out of them all if we disregard marketshare and captive audience that comes with it.

>>724962372
You literally can tho and that post explains it too. Is this a bot?

>>724961160
>Why shit like this is allowed?

>>724962372
>It is not about steam keys though, it is about not being able to sell independently of valve for cheaper, be it on different storefronts entirely or on your own shitty website.

Anon, you can literaly do just this.
What you cannot do is expect to give out STEAM COPIES (which means that both you and customers are making use of Valve's infrastructure, the bandwidth for downloading, etc.) and not pay Valve their cut.

You can make two separate versions of the game and sell your non-Steam-intergrated one for cheaper if you want. Nobody is stopping you. Valve are absolutely okay wtih this.

>>724962372
It is explicitly about steam keys though. There's nothing in there about explicitly selling the game itself for cheaper outside the steam store, just about selling Steam Keys for cheaper because those ultimately are the same item on Steam.
The fact that you can sell Steam Keys at all is generous because Valve doesn't make any earnings from those.

>>724949836 (OP)
>The independent study
See, I read the first three words and I know you're full of shit

>>724951429
it legitimately isnt.
videogames only got worse since microsoft entered the race.

>>724949836 (OP)
>Devs set the price

Devs are just mad that user reviews are prominent on the store page.

>>724951429
>competition was a great thing when epic was buying exclusives and kept them in a shitty state just so that people couldnt access them on steam
>competition was great when microsoft spread paid online cancer and dogshit american AAA turd games
>competition was great when everybody wanted to get a piece of the streaming pie so that you need ten different subscriptions to access all the new show content that comes out

>>724962562
>>724962585
Yet nobody did it, funny that. I dare you to find a single somewhat popular game that was priced cheaper off steam disregarding sales.

>>724961767
>Gary webb?
>Claimed crack cocaine trade [...] may have acted with the knowledge and protection of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).
>[...] He died by suicide
What a coincidence.
>"although the story was correct on many important points, there were shortcomings in the writing, editing, and production of the series"
>Uhhh we can't prove it's wrong, but it's shit

>>724950034
It's a stretch to even define it as a monopoly, and even if it is they don't participate in anticompetitive tactics at all. You are free to install games from anywhere even on their own devices. Their 30% cut is scummy but also an opportunity for competition to undermine them, something they regularly do with no success because their platforms all suck ass in comparison.

>>724949836 (OP)
"devs" are faggots who will remain unhappy as long as steam doesn't market their game on the front page
>steam's greenlight is so unfair, you shouldn't leave it to public vote
>steam's greenlight is unfair, there's too many other games being approved
>steam's front page is so unfair, there's too many other games and not mine there

>"Steam has a monopoly on selling games!"
>"Why dont you sell your game on GoG?"
>*meltdown*

>>724953029
The lack of shopping cart was a feature, not a flaw.
If you have a shopping cart, it tells you the sum you're about to spend at checkout.
If you don't, you just buy independant priced bundles and rack up a total sum you don't realize.
The absence of a shopping cart does two things: 1) It reduces the steps between the thought and the purchase by removing confirm, checkout steps 2) It obfuscates irresponsible spending
This is why every single "micro transaction" in game shops with 10, 30, 50 dollar bundles (especially prevalent, as you can imagine, in gacha games) ALL don't have a shopping cart.

>>724963291
The problem is that "monopoly" was inflated to include when businesses don't engage in anticompetitive behavior which is basically the sole distinction between an actual monopoly and literally any successful business venture.
By Socialist/Communist dickheads who are quite literally only mad that X thing isn't a monopoly they control (which has been defined to not be a monopoly because nuh-uh)

>>724950097
You just saved me a thread, thanks.

>>724962452
>Angel Cop
BASED

>>724963291
Marketshare alone makes it monopoly, valve don't really enforce it but when not putting your game on steam means you lost about 90% of potential audience that ceases to be a choice.

>>724963129
Again, AI slop has damaged your reading comprehension and critical thinking skills.

>It's OK to run a discount for Steam Keys on different stores at different times as long as you plan to give a comparable offer to Steam customers within a reasonable amount of time.

In other words: don't sell your Steam Keys for 20% cheaper on another storefront without also making it 20% off on Steam.

People don't make "Steam-free" versions most of the time because it's not worth the time and effort for -most- serious game developers.
This again loops back to the "small-time developers are being entitled little shits". Because releasing on Steam gives you access to shit like no-effort file hosting and distribution, automatic patching, frameworks for online play, modding and achievements (if applicable), and various other implicit benefits of being on the platform like Remote Play, Steam Inventory/Market intergration, and more.

If you don't release on Steam you have to figure out all that logistical shit yourself.

>>724954814
Monopoly is not illegal if you are not preventing competitors from entering the marketplace. Steam does have a monopoly. It has one by virtue of being the first to the market and continuing to build on the product they made. At no point has Valve ever prevented another company from running their own storefront or even taking games off of Steam entirely to sell on their own storefront. Every competitor has failed purely because customers don't want to use their platforms. You want to attempt to force customers to use other platforms because you have some weird idea that natural monopolies cannot or should not ever exist. This is irrational and stupid.

>>724950097
It just keeps happening.

>>724951302
Steam is the best we'll get because no matter who you switch over to, it's going to be worse. Steam is bad. Oh Steam is fucking terrible. It's run by Californian dipshit liberals who outsource all their actual work to pajeets and the fact that the entire thing goes without erupting into flames on an hourly basis is a miracle to say the least. But I can't see the current industry offering anything better. You can hate Steam. It's logical to do so, but also understand that without Steam we're all royally fucked.

>>724963129
Telltale's early seasons.

>>724963947
>Monopoly is not illegal if you are not preventing competitors
Then it's not a monopoly.

>>724949836 (OP)
>75% of respondents were senior managers of C-suite level,
Study asks stupid people and gets stupid responses.
Truly a shocking result.

PC Gayniggas be like
>CONSOLES ARE LOCKED DOWN WALLED GARDENS FOR PLEBS
>*uses Windows*
>*buys on Steam*

>>724964110
>>*buys on Steam*
hm?

>>724964040
It's called a natural monopoly.

>>724964110
I haven't even had a windows installed in half a decade.
I used to buy from GoG more but then cyberpunk happened and I completely stopped caring.

>>724963163
>[...] He died by suicide
ackshually

>Webb was found dead in his Carmichael home on December 10, 2004, with two gunshot wounds to the head. His death was ruled a suicide

>>724950097
NOOOOO YOU'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO NOTICE THIS STUFF

>>724964212
It's called you're an idiot.

i truly believe game devs are the stupidest people i am forced to interact with

>>724956283
It's interesting that you started talking about indians out of the blue when Steam support dropped telephone communication as an option long ago and now all you can do is exchange emails with indians. Oh well, guess you find that one acceptable because you like them.

I don't find it acceptable. I want to talk to people who speak my language, not get fed canned answers from a 5-cent-per-hour interpreter who can't understand half of the words in my issues.

>>724964286
How do you claim two gunshots to the head is a suicide?

>>724954346
>A) Small-time developers who want full access to Steam's infrastructure and customer-base for nothing.
It's not just that, they think Steam is more than just a storefront, but an outright publisher, and thus should do all their marketing for them. Thus they seethe when they learn that they have to actually market their game themselves if they want anyone to buy it.

>>724963993
It's run out of Washington not California you fucking retard.

>Epic laid off hundreds of developers yet apparently the shill paychecks are still coming through
lmao

Looks like steam no only has 1 monopoly but 150 monopolies

>>724964604
it can happen. if for instance you press the barrel against the underside of your jaw and blow your jaw off without killing yourself on the first shot. really depends on where the shots are and circumstances of the scene

>>724949836 (OP)
>we are literally in the golden age of PC gaming because of steam
the golden age of pc gaming was when you could walk into a store and by a PC game on a cd rom

isn't the whole spergout about selling cheaper games on other storefronts ackshually about cheaper Steam KEYS on other marketplaces? I remember just buying shit like Mankind Divided for 85% over on GOG instead of Steam because it was full priced there

>>724964604
I saw some guy do it with an automatic and after the first shot his dead body weighed down the trigger and unloaded the entire mag into his head / ceiling

>>724964998
Yeah, it's basically just Steam saying don't scam us which is apparently a bad thing for some reason.

>>724963129
>Hammer 2 Reloaded, 2.99 on Itch, 4.99 on Steam
Next you'll say it's too small a game to prove it, giving up the fact that actual policy applies to all games irrespective of popularity. A better way, show me proof of a developer getting in trouble for selling their game (Actual game, not steam key) for cheaper outside of the Steam Store. Surely that'll be easy, right?

>>724964998
Yup, it's always been about developer/publishers whining about not being able to freeboot steam features off site.

>>724949836 (OP)
HOW DARE THEY
JUST PAY 30% OF YOUR INCOME TO THE FAT FUCK PROVIDING YOU WITH 1 WEBPAGE
JUST DO IT WHY IS THAT SO HARD
DON'T WANT TO? I REFUSE TO BUY YOUR GAME

>>724949836 (OP)
>we are literally in the golden age of PC gaming because of steam
haha, oh man if people think this we really are screwed

>>724964110
You dont have to use windows
You dont have to buy on steam
On consoles you are forced to have your shitter raped by whatever corpo you spread it for

>>724964907
iirc both shots were on the back of his head, (((wikipedia))) and the (((news))) says otherwise

>>724965024
he used a .38 revolver

>>724963314
The Green light crying was so fucking funny
>Steam is too exclusive, you need to be more open
>WAIT STOP I DIDN'T MEAN OPEN TO EVERYONE, YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO JUST LET ME IN AND THEN SLAM IT BACK SHUT

>>724949836 (OP)
stop sucking gabins dick you fucking retard, you are too dumb to know why a monopoly is bad for the consumer but then complain about games costing to much

>>724961160
No criminal charges for conflict of interest.

>>724965184
You don't have to but Gabe cultists will not buy your game if it's not on Steam. In fact they even refuse to download standalone launchers for free games, just had a lot of people stinking up Duet Night Abyss threads because the game is standalone instead of being released on steam and apparently the cultists refuse to download .exe files unless Gabe give those to them.

>>724963818
The term you want is market leader

>>724965390
as a consumer under a supposed monopoly i’m having a great time

>>724965453
that makes sense

I get the novelty of physical games, but I am so glad that digital games are a thing because fuck dealing with tons of disks and any other troubles relating to physical media. Steam is amazing because I can download any game I own at any time. Plus with the existence of DRM-free games I don't have to worry about those being taken away randomly, similar to physical games (but a game being physical doesn't instantly make it DRM-free either, there are plenty boxed versions of games that have just as much DRM as a downloaded copy).

>>724965390
The games cost the same no matter who sells them.

>>724965390
>complain about games costing to much
>price hikes happen to games outside of Steam before becoming the new standard

>>724965575
I can't show off my achievements or let it run overnight to rack up a huge playtime stat if its not on steam.

>surely with this thread I'll finally make gamers turn on Steam
You would think several years of failure these people would learn.

>>724963291
>scummy
lol it was actually a massive undercut of all the actually scummy publishers and retailers who're now whining about them.
Many of their competitors used to engage in Hollywood accounting where you got NOTHING until they had made their money back, and then like 70% after that.

>other platforms might have slight inconveniences you could easily get around
>THEREFORE STEAM IS INFINITELY SUPERIOR AND THE ONLY POSSIBLE VIABLE OPTION
Why are corporate dickriders like this?

>surely with this thread I'll finally make gamers turn on Steam
You would think after several years of failure these people would learn.

>>724965793
yeah, community stuff is one reason. my primary one would be cloud saves so i can bounce between my home pc, my steam deck, and my computer at work

>>724965070
Also Buckshot Roulette started on itch and got a steam release as well, even states they're both different versions with different features

>>724964312
Thank you for the concession.

>>724965905
why would i use a platform that i know is going to require me to work around friction points? are you stupid?

>GoG exists
>Ebin Gay Store exists
>Itchy-O exists
>M$ Store exists
>uhhhhhhhhhhm Steam has le monopoly althoughbeit

>>724965905
>corporate dickriders
You could also ask why do normies give zero shits about other storefronts

>>724966171
>only release on steam sells, every other storefront have double digits sales if even that
Steam is monopoly.

>>724950097
lmao

>>724966348
a monopoly on what?

>>724950097
Still agree with them, dilate

>>724965914
>>724965815
samefag

>muh Steam monopoly
>doesn't just release the game for purchase/download from their website without some storefront or third party client
ayy lmao

>>724950097
A truly independent non-biased study.

>>724966348
just make a better store bro

>>724950097
Shills are working overtime in this thread to try and flood out this post, lmao

>>724962223
dont forget devs can also do regional pricing on steam and just make the game cheaper in other places.

>they have a monopoly!
oh wow, a monopoly on video games seems pretty onerous
>uh, no, actually they get handily outsold by all the consoles
oh, well, i guess a monopoly on all non-console video games is still pretty big
>well, i mean, obviously on phones the app stores sell way more games
so just, like, pc games then?
>except for macs
we must end the tyrannical monopoly of steam on all pc games published on windows and some versions of linux!

>>724966012
Why not? There's no reason to exclusively use Steam

>>724966779
the reason, according to your posts, is that the other platforms suck and you have to work around their flaws
for what possible purpose would i ever do that?

>>724964681
Ooh. Like such a huge difference.

>>724966470
>BUT IF I RELEASE IT THERE I DONT GET MONEY! STEAM OWES ME MONEY!!

>>724949836 (OP)
72% of devs are retarded.

>>724966470
Dev here
I have my game on itch, humble and epic alongside steam.
Steam sales are 99% the rest combined barely gets to 1%.

>anything that gets popular because its a good service that customers actually like is a "monopoly"
>any service that doesn't market something only i made above all else is a "monopoly"
>customers should not be allowed to use tools given to then to find things they want, the service should only show my products most of the time, any service that doesn't do this is a "monpoly"
>all other services that offer the same products that have since failed to gain a loyal customer base because they don't have customer interests in mind don't count and only the popular service that has worked to gain a significant customer base is a "monopoly"
>all other services in the same sector of product delivery that charge the same markup don't count, and only the very popular service that charges the same markup is a "monopoly"
same story for the past 8 years of store wars threads

>>724967330
remember anon, if consumers like it that means you have to destroy it. this is for their own good

I mean I used to buy on itch because steam censored stuff but then they started doing it too so I just went back to steam

>>724950358
its more than just crying
its jewing
they are trying to use "shill" articles that look all official so at a glance some stupid normie packs the message into his subconscious that steam is a big bad monopoly

when really the goal is to shift public opinion so that they can twist the arm of some uninformed 80 year old senator into passing legislation that would benefit them making money if it worked

it what %99 of "articles" (propaganda btw) are trying to accomplish, not just about video games but essentially every outlet on the internet that isnt a forum user posting anonymously

its just been the way of life in this country for 15 years and its not slowing down

>>724950034
Devs and editors are the only ones screeching in blind rage because steam take a 30% cut from them. As long as they don't bother customers steam is eternal.

>>724966927
Minor inconveniences aren't massive flaws that require extreme amounts effort to overcome, specially since most of the times these "points of friction" don't even come up during daily use.
There's literally zero reason to act like steam is the only viable option of all and there's even less reason to exclusively stick to it.

>>724967561
>reddit image

>>724967773
>Do extra annoying work for zero personally benefit
I'm good. Same reason I'm not a linux tranny.

>>724967773
you're not answering my question
why would i use other platforms if they have any flaws at all? why would i do that? why wouldn't i use steam for everything if it doesn't have the flaws they have? you are making some kind of assumption that i should want to use a platform other than steam and it's just the incorrect perception of difficulty that prevents switching, and i have no idea why you are assuming that. i have absolutely no reason to use more than one good store

>>724967819
heres a fuckin reddit image for ya

>>724961160
society is built first and foremost around servicing the wealthy

I know the horrors of rockstar online and all the rest but I will never understand steam cultists. You have all your eggs in one basket with the insane belief it is held by your benevolent father figure instead of a corporate entity completely devoid of emotion that would do anything possible to take your money and leave you with nothing, and one day will.
If it requires an internet connection you don't own it and it will be taken from you eventually.

>>724950097
aieeeeee!

>>724968067
i can literally just pirate if things go awry, who cares

>>724968067
my bet is if I lose access to my steam library then there are probably bigger things to worry about

>>724950097
Of course it is, if you hate steam your skin must be a shade of brown. This is just science.

>>724949836 (OP)
>>724950034
Being the market leader does not mean you are a monop-
>>724950097
LMAO of course.

>>724949836 (OP)
it's impressive how many executives don't know what a monopoly is
no, your failed, cynical attempt at a steam clone doesn't mean steam is itself monopolistic

>>724950097
lol that's perfect

>>724949836 (OP)
God bless steam. When Gabe leaves the helm I certainly hope the sucessor has the same amount of balls.

>>724967561
Yeah, this. Also being mad because Steam isn't a publicly traded company.

>>724968067
Why is it just steam cultists in these arguments when it's clear most people just don't give a fuck about other storefronts?

>>724968067
I agree but steam has never given me any reason to boycott them. Cite one.

>>724968067
cool
still not installing epic, Tim

>>724967939
ADVERTISER-SAMA GET DOWN!!

>>724968794
Randomly banning random games for credit card reasons.

>>724969017
>a bunch of slop porn games I never held any interest in
im thinking thats one for steam not against it

>be vidya game megacorp
>buy up every successful startup you can
>introduce extremely anti consumer into market
>"you don't own the game you own a license"
>it becomes ubiquitous and everyone does it
>nobody owns their games anymore
>make everyone buy your games on your online "store"
>shut down your store
>effectively stole everyone's money
>this strategy becomes ubiquitous and everyone does it
>act surprised when the consumer chooses stability

Like, are they incapable of introspective thought?

>>724969017
>random games
You perfectly know this isn't true.

>>724969112
anti consumer practices*

>>724967682
gabe read the tea leaves very well when he pushed for the creation of steam
nothing prevents another company from doing the same

>>724969017
>those games dindu nuffin, they was turning they life around! need mo money fo dem software programs

>>724968067
i used (other service) but i don't understand why you like (popular service) because (situation that only exists in my mind) could happen. i'm not going to mention (things that people enjoy about popular service) because after, who even uses (things that people enjoy about popular service that i don't want to bother trying to include or improve upon) anyway?? Nobody does that's who! That's why everyone should use (other service that offers less)!
lmfao

>>724969230
Then why are some loli hentai games allowed while others aren't? A new one just came out today.

>>724969273
>nothing prevents another company from doing the same
Epic with its billions tried and failed miserably.
Steam has such a ridiculous edge on everyone else I don't see it happening any time soon.

>>724969428
obscurity is security

>>724969478
epic game store fucking sucked, money can't buy taste

>>724969478
>tried
Is spending $0 over 8 years on improving your store really trying?

>>724969478
>I spent all this money holding games hostage and nobody cared!

>>724969017
nigger that effects ALL storefronts not just steam

>>724969478
It took Epic 3 years to add a fucking shopping cart.

>>724950097
>literally every claim of steam being a monopoly turns out to be a shill post
I mean, I always suspected, but still.

>>724949836 (OP)
You didn't need to make 3 threads about the same shit with the same image.

>>724949836 (OP)
time to remove 72% of the games on steam gabe

>>724962372
holy fuck, read the posts you reply to

>>724969945
>But everyone else is doing it
That doesn't make me hate Steam any less for bowing down to this bullshit.

>>724969478
yeah dont pretend that epic didn’t have a disastrous launch and PR record when it hit the consumerbase and still has an awful record
>no shopping cart
>directly trying to compete with steam in a hostile manner by using infinite money to try and hold games hostage on its store front
>brings exclusives wars from consoles to PC
>gives out mountains of shovelware and free garbage to try and coax users to stay
>runs like shit
>constant telemetry back to hong kong
>”timmy tencent only takes a 13% cut unlike evil gabe who takes 30%! this means all games are at least 17% cheaper on EGS because developers will pass the savings on!” -and other utterly deranged lies you can tell yourself

>>724959796
do you know what MONOpoly means?

>>724969478
epic didn't do a single thing to improve the user experience compared to steam, they just paid devs a bunch of money for a year of exclusivity

>>724970243
as opposed to what? dying? visa is literally worth almost 100x what steam is, there's no bargaining power here other than ginning up outrage by being very public about what you're being made to do

>>724967906
Steam has flaws and you use it all the same.
The client is dogshit at browsing its own store, the lobby system is badly integrated instead of being universal, the big picture UI is beyond fucked and the game page in the library buries patch notes under other bullshit, just to name a few
You claim steam is the only viable store front because you're used to it. It's convenient for you to pretend the others are utter garbage so you can act like Steam is the only option that counts.

>>724950097
Every fucking time.

>>724970243
>you should commit suicide because it will make me feel better

>>724950097

PUT ME.IN THE SCREENCAP

>>724970428
you are the dumbest motherfucker alive and it's genuinely starting to make me angry
i have never, ever, ever, ever, ever said steam is without flaws. i am speaking in hypotheticals based on your fucking posts, you retarded monkey fucker. read my posts again, feel the appropriate amount of shame, and then fucking kill yourself

>>724969478
No one tries to compete with Steam, they keep making new storefronts without even a fifth of what Steam has, see >>724969951 for example.

Why would I use any other storefront that gives me a worse experience on purpose?
It's like they're trying to be different from Steam by just making it worse, they're trying to reinvent the wheel to be triangular when everyone is already using the wheel, it's not like any of Steam's features are a secret.

>>724969478
Epic is a fucking garbage company in the PC space led by an absolute cretin, I won't even create an account to redeem the free games they are constantly offering. That's how little I like them. Steam couldn't build this level of hatred if they tried, Gabe simply doesn't post enough on twitter.

Not posting on twitter or being destructive to PC gaming isn't a particularly high bar, but Epic and its leadership failed to meet even that low bar. It ain't about the money.

GabeN worked at Microsoft and he designed the first few windows versions for Microsoft. If he was any other dude, Steam would've been fucked up the asshole because basically Valve are nothing without Windows aka Microsoft.

Valve and GabeN are basically spiritual arms of Microsoft, I'm sure GabeN is like good friends with Bill Gates and the whole OG Windows dev team, he knows where the ship is going, sure he wants Proton and Steam OS to be a thing but he knows that Windows is here to stay and should stay.

It's not a Monopoly if you own the whole game nigga

>>724970421
>being very public about what you're being made to do
So do that. They aren't though.

>>724970741
>sure he wants Proton and Steam OS to be a thing but he knows that Windows is here to stay and should stay.
That's a contradictory statement.

>>724970770
>they're not being public about it
do you think newspapers are private or something?

>>724950097
BASED Emilicoposter

>>724970889
So what is their excuse for all the other random games they refuse?

>>724950097
Fucking hell they almost got me. Thanks anon, you are a saviour.

>>724971030
you have a teeny tiny brain and are unable to follow a five post conversation

>>724970741
>It's not a Monopoly if you own the whole game nigga
that's it
that's the most retarded statement i've read all year in /v/

>>724949836 (OP)
>Steam constantly encourages others stores to open up
>Never made a fuss about the EA store, Epic or any others
>Removed the games they were asked to by the devs because they wanted to get a bigger cut
>When they found that they weren't making as much, they come crawling back to Steam
HMMMM. Doesn't sound like a monopoly to me, sounds more like the system is working correctly and devs are just greedy bastards who can't stand that they are making 30% less then they could. Doesn't steam reduce the cut they take for games that have been out for a while as well? If these devs were really so concerned over this, why don't they all just band together to make their own store? They were mighty quick to try Epic, especially when Epic was literally paying them to do so. Why did they lose confidence in Epic's store to compete with Steam?

>>724969478
How's the exclusivity budget coming along tim?

>>724971110
>They made this 1 post in 2025, that makes it OK to ban random shit for years and years

>>724965453
obviously I'm not installing 20 different launchers for playing games
are you retarded anon?

>>724951429
Nobody is preventing other storefronts from competing, but they don't actually seem to want to do that. Instead they just cry and whine and demand that Steam must be taken down so that they won't HAVE TO compete and can instead just destroy the ones who put in the work.

>>724971264
>2025 was 18 years ago

>>724950279
>Refunds
HAHAHAHA I guarantee that is another thing they complain about
>What do you mean we have to comply with EU law and can't fuck consumers over? That's bullshit! We should be able to trick people into giving us money.

>>724949836 (OP)
Other storefronts exist, they just don't want to use them.

>>724971393
They are currently all crying that their entire business will be shut down if they have to tell people what things cost instead of obfuscating it behind 5 layers of currencies.

>>724949836 (OP)
>>724950034
lmao

>>724950359
I would say yes to this, if I didn't know what those fuckers would do.
>Every single game has poorly implemented denuvo or some kind of rootkit kernel level anti cheat
Spend millions to make pennies, every single fucking time.

>>724955686
I wouldn't mind as much if they weren't so fucking shit. I also use heroic launcher because it lets me install gog games and free gibs from epic without having to bother with their god awful launchers.

>>724971197
C doesn't have fallacies. C has the most reason to hate Valve and want them to be chastised for their misbehavior.

>>724972019
the fallacy is "because valve is on the bad side of my situation, they're on the bad side of every situation"

>>724960259
>Steam forbids devs from setting lower prices on other platforms
This is a lie. Steam forbids people from selling steam keys to their own game on other platforms for a lower price. Which is already insanely generous, because it means you can sell steam keys of your game on marketplaces where you can get 100% of the sale profits, bypassing their 30% cut, and they'll still host the game on their store and give the buyer all the benefits of it being on steam.

>makes an inferior service
>wuahhh why do most costumers prefer the superior service this a monopoly

>>724950205
It's insane for Steam to take the same cut as publishers that used to provide technical support, quality control, physical production and the ridiculous complexity of distribution logistics.

fuck these digital storefronts, we need to retvrn to limited CD-key installs and GFWL because that's what I grew up with and I'm pretty sure that's why the games back then were good and not GAY

>>724950589
>keyed
What is this? I vaguely remember it being related to something from /tv/ but that's it.

>>724972349
apparently not since people willingly pay it

>>724972349
Sure. As soon as they also stop taking 30%, I am sure Steam will follow.

>>724972383
old forced meme that was pushed to try replacing "based" and "cringe"

>>724972383
literally a forced meme

>>724972494
>>724972517
thanks

>>724949836 (OP)
GOG exists

>>724951302
still using steam

>>724970245
If Timmy's lie that games would be cheaper on epic due to their store taking a lower cut actually ended up being true people wouldn't shit on him as hard, but lo and behold it was all smoke and mirrors.

>>724949836 (OP)
>99% of developers are retards that don't know what a monopoly is.

>>724973016
Well the sad part is he believes it would lead to cheaper prices, trikle down shit, but seems to forget the type of companies publishing games will just pocket the cash instead of lowering prices.

>>724949836 (OP)
It's factually impossible for Steam, or any other online store to have a monopoly. Just release a physical big box like in the good old days

>>724973719
how's the nursing home treating you?

>>724949836 (OP)
> i am a huge faggot please rape my face

>>724973894
We lost the technology, huh?

>>724972349
Publishers took way more than 30%. Steam also provides a ton of services that are handy for small developers that can't afford the infrastructure Valve has. Achievements, statistics, APIs, access to their entire redundant internet etc

>>724973961
we ascended beyond it

>>724971189
Because gaben knows that he has captive audience and other stores literally can't do shit to compete. GOG should have walked all over steam for being the most consumer first storefront on the market, yet it barely keeps itself alive and everyone prefer buying games on steam.

>>724949836 (OP)
proton alone is enough for me to justify never using another storefront. what does any other competitor have that i should care about in any way?
>hardmode: i dont really get bent out of shape with steam being a form of drm

>>724963818
You have a low IQ and don't understand words.

>>724974030
GOGs best policy (no DRM) is an allergy to big publishers sadly so when the big game people want releases it often doesn't release on GOG so people get it on Steam.
It's unfortunate since I like GOG.

>>724950034
It's because they're private and the other corpos cant manipulate them that consumers win out under steam.
Even now they're trying to add features to cut out middlemen and serve games directly to people better which is incredibly based.
They earn their cut and are the only reason pc gaming isnt an abusive shitshow more than gaming is in general.

>>724949836 (OP)
They can go to epic or gog anytime. They don't because they will sell fewer copies and make less money there. That is their choice, not a monopoly. Also not my problem.

>>724974030
>they have a captive audience
>caused by having decent consumer ease of use

>>724974435
you are being held captive by an unlocked door!

>>724949836 (OP)
Yeah, but how about they just make better games then, huh? How about that???

>>724956442
>actually I asked a large language model & it gave me a definitive answer on this complex answer and I trust it completely because it's never wrong
you people are so fucking cooked lol

>>724949836 (OP)
as is any of those liberal arts degree "developers" can even define a monopoly or name specific things that create one.

>>724952445
They've legitamately done well by their consumers to this point. I'm sorry, but Steam is the exceedingly rare exception... for now
All things sour, but as long as they stay private and true to their consumers, not corpo interests or shareholders, then they're the one company that actually does it right.

>>724969478
What is Steam's edge? What do they prevent other stores from doing and taking their market share?

>>724974561
i am at this point entirely in favor of legally restricting access to AI to a small subset of the population, the average person is legit too stupid for it

>>724950097

Spbp
I dont need to read this shit anymore

>>724969428
I was looking for Etrian Oddysey information and steam has it locked behind login for 18+, nudity. There is no nudity, nothing sexual, no relationships or flirting of any kind, no harpy or medusa enemy or anything like that. It's just anime style so it gets fucked over.

>>724974435
Yes actually, it is most convenient storefront for plethora of reason, which captivates consumerbase. Freedom and convenience are in fact entirely antagonistic and people don't actually want freedom, they want nicely packaged convenience that makes them feel like they did have a choice.

>>724971393
Refunds must be given for 30 days from purchase in north america.

>>724950097
Nooooooooooo you don't understand gamers don't know what they're doing, Steam is abusing them with convenient services and reasonable prices! You HAVE to buy from EGS or it isn't fair!

>>724963464
They curate

>>724963464
Because nobody buys games on gog.

>>724972465
because steam is effectively a monopoly

>>724975686
Alright, then competition should endeavor to create better convenience.

>>724951698
Steam is equal in this one way, and superior in basically every other way. Thus, Steam is superior overall.

>>724952282
Games also used to fit on discs, you fucking retard. How exactly do you propose delivering 100 GB of installation files to people without a middleman or your own servers?

>>724950097
THIS IS ANOTAH SHOAH
SHUT IT DOWN

>>724976818
There is literally no convenience that could be made which will make you consider switching from you 1000+ steam library longterm, people are throwing hissy fit if they need to install standalone launchers for mmos nowdays, let alone storefronts.

it's called a free market, libtard

If Steam has a monopoly how come I buy games on gog and itch too?

>>724951395
Don't forget that they'd lock all the useful features like steam input, workshop, guides and basically anything that isn't directly related to buying and launching games behind the premium pass.

>>724977029
Cause they all suck ass

>>724949836 (OP)
So the government couldn't take out steam, then the credit card companies failed, now we have this psyops going on.

Does the steam forums really scare them tbat much?

>>724977029
Banning T rated JP games was enough for me to jump ship back in the day.
Fun fact, this was also what caused the otaku exodus off the PS4/vita and made them not buy the PiS5, causing kikestation's demise in less than 5 years flat.

>>724957574
>that would be a non-issue if DL-Site hadn't been hit by the credit kikes
Learn to use a JP VPN and point cards instead of being a good goy not fighting the system.

>>724977029
I thought convenience robbed me of my freedom and free will? Convenience killed the mom and pop store, convenience killed brick and mortar with the people you know and love and whose presence was a lifelong routine, convenience can absolutely kill steam. Just make it better, retard.

>>724951395
>>have to pay 10000$ upfront to have your game on the store page, NSFW is probably banned outright and MOST japanese games are held under scrutiny unlike a few that get the unnecessary ire of some game reviewer at Valve
This is already a thing on steam.
>>say bad word on forums, game library becomes inaccessible
Halfway there, you can already get perma'd off forums, and also they are starting to regionlock them too.
>>"log in with your Google or Facebook account" and other cross-site integration for maximized data harvesting
Also halfway there, last I checked a few years ago before ditching steam, you needed to give them a phone number to play dota 2 ranked.

>>724949836 (OP)
>On the switch, playstation and xbox there's only a single store and have much higher costs attached to selling the game
>But somehow they all only have an issue with steam
Why, tho?

>>724976631
monopoly does not mean "a service that performs better than others"

I will laugh when gabe dies and the company is forced to go public and/or the heir does a bunch of stupid shit and shits up the service in less than a year.

>>724977029
yeah, no gamer owns digital games from more than one storefront, least of all on more than one physical hardware device

>>724978473
why would you laugh about the ruin of a good thing? are you dumb?

>>724978473
>I will laugh when the best service becomes worse
Why?

>>724978557
>>724978573
Don't put all eggs in the same basket.

Steam has:
>fast download speeds
>convenient storefront and update system
>good sales
EGS has:
>a free game every once in a while
>ads

>>724978240
Putting up a game on eShop is free, though obviously you need a developers kit

>>724978639
>i got called out for saying something retarded so i'll respond with a non-sequitur
yeah, you're dumb

>>724978639
Okay? I won't. But also celebrating the one good basket suddenly descending to the standard of the dozen terrible baskets is retarded. I want another good basket.

>>724978573
Best service? Goy, I can't buy the JP games I want there anymore thanks to steam banning them, they are useless to me.
I will laugh when the kikes you're defending betray you like they always do.

>>724978901
if it doesn't go to shit until after gaben dies, then we're not exactly being betrayed are we? kind of a stupid comment

>>724978679
>though obviously you need a developers kit
And paying 30% of the sale price and paying for server capacity for user matching, plus, players need to pay to have online capabilities.
Steam does the latter two for free for all, and has lower cut than any of the consoles at revenue numbers most AAA companies operate.

>>724949836 (OP)
>Service that's cares for its customers
>Devs "UM NO YOU CAN'T DO THAT!!!"
Knew it was coming. They're waiting for Gabe to retire to tear Steam apart with lawsuits

>>724979005
I will never understand how console kiddies let platform holders getting away with making them paying to use their own internet, fucking lmao.

>>724949836 (OP)
>72% of the devs in sillicon valley btw

>>724969273
>nothing prevents another company from doing the same
There is actually. Steam is privately owned, it's competition by and large is not. Publicly owned companies simply cannot compete with Steam because shareholder obligations force them to inevitably start nickel and diming the everloving shit out of everything. Steam has no shareholder obligations so they're free to more or less coast on their success and make whatever improvements they want whenever they want, for better or worse.

>>724978901
Nowhere else stocks them either. That still makes it the best.

>>724979315
shareholder obligations absolutely do not require you to be retarded, the shareholders just vote for retarded CEOs. there are competently run public companies

>>724979424
i can play majogami from even the NoA eshop but i cant from steam anon

>>724979493
Shareholder obligations require you to continue increasing shareholder payouts each quarter. This is literally law thanks for Dodge v Ford. To an extent it does require you to be retarded because you're required to do whatever it takes to make this quarter look good even it completely skullfucks the company in the long term.

>>724950097
lol
lmao even

>>724979603
you are just 100% wrong, that isn't true

>>724979005
30% is standard anywhere that isn't Itch or EGS and they don't offer the features that Nintendo or Steam do. I think Nintendo offers some online crap like leaderboard hosting for free but don't quote me on that

>>724955686
You are downloading 12 launchers with Steam you idiot. EA, Ubisoft, Unity, UE, Sega, Konami, Capcon, Valve, Rock Star, Mettel, Hoyoverse and Bandai all require you to download their launcher, their DRM and their own login. So shut up about the stupid “muh launcher” when you people cause the problem.

>>724978678
>ads
You can't be serious.

>>724980191
this dude buys EA games

>>724950234
>videogame board
>videogame thread
>can't go more than one sentence without whining about trannies
Rent free.

>>724951302
Delusional faggot. 10 years ago was merely 2 years into games no longer being made for 2005 garbage hardware and instead being made for less-garbage 2013 hardware. I'm tired of entitled zoomers acting like being able to run every single 7th gen console port on a 2nd gen i5 and a 750ti with a single hard drive means games are "no longer optimized" when their 8 year old ewaste can't run a brand new game.

>>724978901
non gooners are unaffected by that
and anyways you got DLSite

>>724980842
kikestation said the same around the vita era
jeetsoft said the same jumping to the xbone
sega said the same jumping to the dreamcast
surely valve isn't thinking fourth time is the charm

>>724981098
you've got so many slurs in there its literally not readable

>release physical game
>cheaper than steam
and i will buy your not-shit games

>>724968067
All you're saying is that I should diversify the hands that have my balls in a vice grip. Why bother?

>>724980191
i played little nightmares 2 not so long ago and i didn't need to download shit
>rock star
>mettel
what the fuck is that
>buying ubusift and ass creed games
i dont remember any game that forces me to download epic launcher for using unreal engine

>>724950097
Noticed.

>>724949836 (OP)
Every one of these absolute nigger devs want to install invasive launchers with tracking so they can sell your data.

>>724950097
Haha

>>724950097
this is almost as funny as when activision made research on their own skill based match making and "oddly" found no issues with the way it forced people a 51% win rate

>we examined ourselves and found no wrong doings!

>>724962212
>If I sell pudding with sausages tomorrow then I have a monopoly or what?
Only if there is demand for pudding with sausages and you're either the sole distributor or the distributor that comes out largely on top for one reason or another.
Can't really have a monopoly over something with no demand.

>>724978678
Let's go even further, shall we?

Steam has:

>workshop
>steam deck, steam on the go
>vr support
>big picture mode when i want that console experience
>community forums
>community reviews
>notes
>guides
>profile customizations
>steam-based keybinding
>shitloads of sales
>steam overlay
>customizable steam os
>support for every controller with customizable/community binds/actions
>remote play
>family library
>only platform with a store that isn't fucking garbage
>developer/publisher news
>an actual, functional shopping cart (it took half a decade before egs could master this one)

EGS has:
>free games on a platform that nobody wants to use
>ads
>chinese tactics attempting to strongarm devs and customers by stripping them of agency

Daily reminder that EGS was cobbled together by a joint agreement between Epic and Tencent in an attempt to beat Steam's China client to release.

Tim tried really hard to intercept that Chinkoid money, even though Xi famously hates video games. Now the EGS shop is filled with Chinkoid titles, NFT scam games and asset flip slop while struggling to enforce exclusives on a platform that is antithetical to them.

tl;dr Tim is a failed chink and his failed Fortnite launcher repeatedly shits the bed. Turns out that trying to buy your customer base doesn't work out the same way that earning them does, which is the main difference here.

Buying a customer base is fleeting and artificial, while earning one is a long-term investment that garners loyalty as a result. Get fucked, Tim. I hope you livestream your suicide, you continuous, lawsuit-losing faggot.

>webm unrelated, this stupid thing just pops up in my mind from time to time and it always makes me laugh every time

Have a good day, bros.

>>724950097
>every single post from OP after this is NO SAAAR STEAM IS MONOPOLY SAAAR!
The best thing about this post is how it countered the shitskins before they had any time to samefag themselves to set up a narrative
good work anon

>>724972383
keyed and locked

>>724949836 (OP)
Thats because everything that tries to compete with it just has to do some stupid bullshit like exclusives or only exists to implement horseshit like paid mods.

Literally all you would have to do is have a game hosting platform that JUST HOSTS GAMES and you would have an easy competitor.

PC gamers became PC gamers because they didnt want to fuck with the bullshit that was console exclusives and also because they enjoy modding games. If you dont fuck with THESE TWO THINGS you will be golden. Apparently, thats fucking impossible though.

>>724980191
>ea, ubishit, ue, hoyoverse, etc.
sounds like a you problem
I never required Konami nor Bandai to play Master Duel

>>724985674
Yes

>>724985674
For me I don't because

1. I'm a poor zoomer and I only have $350-$400 a month to eat and pay my phone bill on with my shitty doordash salary I do part time one and a half shift a week.
If I had a real job paying $40/hr that was worth my time maybe i'd buy all my games on steam because I could affort to eat and spend money on virtual licenses games.

2. Copying files can never be theft legally. It's not stealing someones original property or work. It's not harming anyone because you cant steal something, sales or otherwise that doesn't exist. You can't steal potential. People who are going to pirate were always going to due to circumstances like above, usually people who have money spend it. As for enforcement...
It's similar to why the US government doesnt care about legal state weed despite it being federally illegal, same with copyright infringement if you aren't selling it on a mass scale.

>>724986261
make a wishlist and wait for the big sales season in winter and summer
And it's less about stealing 60 bucks to a giant like EA, you take care of your system, don't run pozed cracked exes and have it nice and tidy in a platform.
For the time being good luck making a better life bro

>>724949836 (OP)
I kneel before this absolute king. May God keep him strong

>>724985324
People also forget that Steam was the first into this. Before Steam, we had to go through the hell of patching through garbage sites like FilePlanet and their whole web of cancer. When Steam first launched, it was absolute dogshit that was hated by everybody, and it took like five years before it started shaping up into something decent. They've made a LOT of mistakes on the way, with every solution to those mistakes being heavily documented. So even if someone made a launcher/storefront today, it's not like they'd have to re-invent the wheel, Steam literally has the how-to instruction manual right there, on what to do and what not to do.

Except of course, everyone that made their own launcher outside of GOG, clearly referred to the instructions on how NOT to make a launcher, and yet they act entitled and indignant when nobody wants to install their garbage launchers when a superior version has existed for decades.

>>724979639
It's not literal law. But it set dangerous legal precedent.
If a company does not operate with the express purpose of "making line go up" above all else, they open themselves to being sued or having their leadership ousted.
A common occurance is the latter, where some jackoff CEO comes in, effectively burns the company to the ground in exchange for a short-term boost in financials, then leaves to do the same thing at a different company before the long-term consequences of their decisions manifest - leaving some other poor schmuck holding the bag.