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.
Quoting: poiuzI mean I doubt Valve actually likes DRM, it is more so the industry that requires/likes it, just like iirc HDMI won over DP because it implemented DRM/Copy Protection (and at that time) DP did not, unfortunately, to stay on top, you need to bend to the will and demands of greedy game companies as look at GOG, I love their approach but they are definitely not the top store nor has as many games as Steam because they only sell DRM-free games and even though I am speaking to brick wall, companies, whenever you add DRM, you are absolutely, unequivocally giving a pirate better value and/or experience than a legal buyer, that should **never** be the case if you want less people to pirate, you **must** make the experience worse or unbearable for the pirate (or at the very least both should have the same experience but definitely not how it currently is.)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 absolute Pro-DRM stance? It's not about what's legal or not but their intentions & actions. They do actively restrict the access to the user's games.
Quoting: poiuzNormally with people with an absolute Pro-DRM stance, you can't use whatever without the DRM stuff happening. But if I open a Steam game with the internet off, it whines but does not stop me. Note that something Steam-related is happening, and it would be easy enough for that something to be instead claiming I wasn't allowed to play my game without properly phoning home--but it doesn't. I could probably use a workaround to stop it from even whining, but the fact is that without doing anything I can still run my games without Steam.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 absolute Pro-DRM stance?
That seems like a rather pallid Pro-DRM stance. Not an absolute one.
Last edited by Purple Library Guy on 24 September 2023 at 5:25 pm UTC
Quoting: JordanPlayz158I mean I doubt Valve actually likes DRM, it is more so the industry that requires/likes it, just like iirc HDMI won over DP because it implemented DRM/Copy Protection (and at that time) DP did not, unfortunately, to stay on top, you need to bend to the will and demands of greedy game companies […]Valve introduced Steam for DRM. All other functions would've worked without the DRM.
And I don't see how there's demand to restrict access to games when there are many DRM free games. The restriction comes solely from Valve. Besides: Steam is too important, all the big publisher returned after leaving. Valve could enforce the user's freedom.
Quoting: Purple Library Guy[…]I replaced "absolute" with "definitive/clear/unmistakable" for a better understanding.
Last edited by poiuz on 24 September 2023 at 7:25 pm UTC
Patreon
PayPal
See more from me