I don't really understand the antitrust argument here. There are a literal ton of other market places to sell PC games on, such as Humble Bundle which apparently Wolfire started. You could also sell directly to consumers if you wanted without going through a marketplace at all.
Just move to a shitty store like EGS.
Their store is to shitty? Pay the 30%.
Either way, never heard of this publisher. I'll just know not to buy their games anymore.
They kind of had their store. Wolfire games created Humble Bundle, then it became its own company and now belongs to IGN.
If they kept going for the initial spirit of HB instead of letting it become just another way to buy on Steam, maybe they'd be that competition.
If I remember correctly, at the time Valve justified the 30% by pointing out that Apple was charging the same for music and video content. And Valve immediately started building value-added services like forums, updaters, multiplayer support, achievements, etc. to justify the price.
If you compare what Valve was doing to the physical media distribution methods of the period, it was a MASSIVE improvement. Back then, you could sell 10000 units to Ingram Micro or PC Mall, or whatever, and you only got paid if they sold. And any unsold inventory would be destroyed and the reseller would never pay for it. And if you actually wanted anything other than a single-line entry in their catalogs, you paid a promotional fee. Those video games featured with a standup display or a poster in the window at the computer store? None of that was free; the developer was nickeled and dimed for every moment their game was featured in any premium store space.
Is there a way to read without the invasive trackers? I’m fine with ads, just not the cookies.
You browse the internet without adblock in 2023? What the fucking wrong with you?
FYI, you're on a Beehaw community right now. This type of needless aggression may be acceptable elsewhere, but not on Beehaw.
Fuck this company, I'm glad they've made their name known so I won't buy any games they have anything to do with.
steam is one of the good guys. maybe instead of suing they should just make better games
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Ah yes, because rich == bad
It's possible to be successful and have a good influence on the industry. Valve is the perfect example of that.
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It's a private company. They don't have shareholders to report to, so they're not remotely as scummy. Fuck the rich, but choose your battles and go after the ones who are really the problem.
Uhm, I'm Not against your argument, but have you informed yourself in any manner before making this Statement.
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Just from a quick search about the case, it seems to hold very little water.
Hell, it's already been dismissed once.
Why does the title say Valve v. Wolfire when it's Wolfire that sued Valve? Or does the order of versus not actually matter for titles?
I don't get wolfire's point here. Yes steam takes a hefty 30% cut but game developers are free to sell directly if they want to. Unlike apple who have completely locked down the iOS app ecosystem or Google who allow sideloading but scares and warns people against downloading apps from non Play Store sources, steam does nothing to hinder games not sold through it. If there was a competitor who was as good as steam but took a smaller cut, then that competitor would have been the market leader in place of steam.
What's that about price parity? I've often bought games from 3rd party sellers like Fanatical, to name one, specifically because their prices were lower than Steam's. What am I missing?
Remember, if Valve actually lost this suit, which they almost certainly won't, it won't improve the videogame ecosystem. It will possibly make it worse.
I see a lot of covid misinformation going on around this story which is extremely worrying. Just because the human race not currently at risk of imminent extinction from it doesn't mean it's not still a serious illness. Some people get long term complications from it. Some people are extra vulnerable to it. Some people are still dying from it.
"Just get the vaccine" is the worst kind of uninformed handwaving response to the concerns and worries of other humans, it's upsetting it is becoming the norm.
These are some heavy accusations for Gabe
Wait that lawsuit is still going on???
Judge: I further order you to complete Half Life 3
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