Well, that's certainly an article title isn't it. But I mean it. Microsoft, don't you dare touch Valve. You're fat enough already and too big as it is, especially with the Activision purchase clearly about to happen.
"Liam, what's got you all like this?!", I hear you all asking. Well, remember that recent Microsoft leak that showed off a bunch of potential game releases? There was a lot more to the leak overall you see, and some of it a little disturbing for the industry. In an email from Phil Spencer spotted by The Verge, there was talk about their plans including wanting to buy up the likes of Nintendo and even Valve with Spencer noting "But our BoD has seen the full writeup on Nintendo (and Valve) and they are fully supportive on either if opportunity arises as am I" (BoD being Board of Directors).
Pictured - Leaked 2020 email, credit to The Verge
Could you imagine the disaster it would be if Microsoft acquired Valve? There's just so many ways that would become incredibly problematic and wow — what a monopoly that would make huh? Not that Valve has any need at all to sell, they pretty much print money thanks to their 30% cut from most developers on Steam. Valve is also privately owned, so they can do whatever the heck they want. Valve are far from perfect, but competition is good and necessary and them joining together would really mess the industry up.
You might remember that "Microsoft Loves Linux", but the reality is they like Linux when it makes them money. If the above ever were to happen, it's not really likely they would continue all of Valve's big investments into Linux given how even with the Steam Deck the market is small. After all, Valve put all these resources into Linux because they don't want to be entirely at the whims of Microsoft for their store, and Valve clearly want their own platform so Linux with Proton + Steam Deck is key to that. And maybe even more when we find out what the heck Galileo and Sephiroth are.
So, Microsoft, please continue to keep your filthy hands off Valve (but keep putting your games on Steam okay? thanks).
Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
Mountain Man Sep 24, 2023
Kuduzkehpan Sep 24, 2023
so yes to capitalism yes to chaos in any kind in any aspect of life. and also this is what makes linux and community much more important to me. Linux is a kind of Stalingrad. Yet we are slowly moving to Berlin Reichtag();
and beyond all these valve is a company and belong someone who have total rights about it.
but i dont see any meaning of selling valve to monopoly even tho Gaben was part of MS and he decided to choose his own path for humankind on perspective of freedom. Amin to that. No worries.
Quoting: RealChrisThe Problem.. They Are Buying The Politicians Off To Look The Other Way For Years, Still Are, Its All Corrupted We Have Laws For Monopolies But.. What Good Are Laws When Your So Big You Can Buy Agencies Off.Yeah it is unfortunate that with enough money, you essentially become unstoppable.
Quoting: Kuduzkehpanhe decided to choose his own path for humankind on perspective of freedom.Absolutely. For humankind he decided to create a DRM platform! Freedom to the people to not run their games. What a disaster it would be if I could decide when & where I'm allowed to start games!
Quoting: finaldestValve saved PC gaming when retailers gave us the 2 fingers in favour of consoles. At least prior generations had the advantage of physical media allowing game ownership. Now they want to kill the physical games media market also.Valve was the company which killed physical media & took ownership away. Prior Steam you owned a copy you could lend or sell. With Steam you only received the license attached with additional constraints.
Quoting: poiuzValve was the company which killed physical media & took ownership away. Prior Steam you owned a copy you could lend or sell. With Steam you only received the license attached with additional constraints.
You can still have your physical media and ownership... many games on Steam are DRM-free, and don't require online access, so if you lose your account you keep those games.
You can burn them to a physical disc if you want a hard copy. After that you could lend it to someone else, but keep in mind that selling or distributing your physical copy is a loss for the developer. It may not mean much for a big company, but indie teams need that revenue to stay afloat. Just food for thought.
And as valve are trying to push there own hardware, Linux and it’s on eco system, I find it really hard for Microsoft to buy valve, valve is already an infinite money machine and want to get away from windows anyways. Steam os came to life cause valve was afraid of Microsoft not allowing them to install the valve client on windows without the user using Microsoft store. judging from windows 11 we sloooowly are getting there. But who knows, there is always a chance ofc, that Microsoft buys valve.
Last edited by Zelox on 24 September 2023 at 12:21 pm UTC
Quoting: wytrabbitYou can still have your physical media and ownership... many games on Steam are DRM-free, and don't require online access, so if you lose your account you keep those games.Steam always enforces it's DRM, it doesn't matter if the game is DRM free or contains third party DRM. You can work around it if the game is DRM free. But then why use an "anti consumer" service like Steam in the first place? And the workaround works really poorly on the Steam Deck.
Quoting: wytrabbitYou can burn them to a physical disc if you want a hard copy. After that you could lend it to someone else, but keep in mind that selling or distributing your physical copy is a loss for the developer. It may not mean much for a big company, but indie teams need that revenue to stay afloat. Just food for thought.I don't see the relevance of this information. Copying & lending is not allowed by the EULA (maybe it's even disallowed to run the games outside of Steam). The point about revenue would be true for physical releases, too.
Obviously a digital store can be good from a consumer stand point, it simplifies distribution. But this works very well without Steam's DRM (even if a game itself requires [Steam] DRM).
The point is: Valve actively restricts users, I don't see how freedom was ever an important concern of Valve.
Quoting: poiuzQuoting: wytrabbitYou can still have your physical media and ownership... many games on Steam are DRM-free, and don't require online access, so if you lose your account you keep those games.Steam always enforces it's DRM, it doesn't matter if the game is DRM free or contains third party DRM. You can work around it if the game is DRM free. But then why use an "anti consumer" service like Steam in the first place? And the workaround works really poorly on the Steam Deck.
Quoting: wytrabbitYou can burn them to a physical disc if you want a hard copy. After that you could lend it to someone else, but keep in mind that selling or distributing your physical copy is a loss for the developer. It may not mean much for a big company, but indie teams need that revenue to stay afloat. Just food for thought.I don't see the relevance of this information. Copying & lending is not allowed by the EULA (maybe it's even disallowed to run the games outside of Steam). The point about revenue would be true for physical releases, too.
Obviously a digital store can be good from a consumer stand point, it simplifies distribution. But this works very well without Steam's DRM (even if a game itself requires [Steam] DRM).
The point is: Valve actively restricts users, I don't see how freedom was ever an important concern of Valve.
I guess you're unaware that DRM free games that don't require any Steam services, can be launched outside of Steam... it's not illegal
Quoting: wytrabbitI guess you're unaware that DRM free games that don't require any Steam services, can be launched outside of Steam... it's not illegalEven if that's true: That's not thanks to Valve. What does this change about Valve's
Besides: It's still a huge PITA to do this on the Steam Deck, you have to work around the whole system.
Last edited by poiuz on 24 September 2023 at 7:24 pm UTC
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