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  • Locked There is an idea running in this and other sites that feeds the Steam hate.
There is an idea running in this and other sites that feeds the Steam hate.
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orochi_kyo Feb 7, 2021
https://www.gamingonlinux.com/2021/02/valve-abusing-the-market-power-of-steam-on-game-pricing-according-to-a-lawsuit

We have read this ridiculous lawsuit thing against Valve, filled by a bunch of people who I guess have not realized what some of you have not realized too.

STEAM IS NOT A MONOPOLY.

Sorry for the caps, but I can not believe that there are people here acting as if we were in a closed environment in which we are forced to run a single digital store. You know what I mean: Consoles.

This is PC and this is a LINUX forum, an OS that is based on the concept of freedom to choose. Aside from the Steam OS, I don't know about any single distro that Steam comes preinstalled.

It is ridiculous that someone has to point this, in Windows, there are plenty of stores from where to buy games:
Origin, Windows Store(Xbox Live), Epic, GOG, UPLAY, Stadia, even PSN with PSN remote play.
Also aside from CHINA, most of these stores are available to sell their games, despite all of these lacks local coin except ponds, euros and US dollars which is a rip to anyone who doesn't live in the "first world"

Steam is powerful, can you blame Valve? what is the competition doing to get a bigger bit from the PC market?
EPIC games exclusive games at 60$ despite it was told to us that lower cuts, lower prices for customers.
Origin, exclusive games at 60$ and THEY DONT EVEN NEED A CUT, those are their OWN GAMES, for God sake.
GOG...
UPLAY, same as ORIGIN needs no cuts, still 60$ every time they copy/paste Assassins Creed.
STADIA, games at 60$, despite they are just streaming games, you don't need to download huge DLCs or huge updates on every single computer, one update to one client, and they are done.

At this moment the argument "Steam higher cuts are harming customers because this causes expensive prices" sounds like a cheap political campaign promise, a straight lie just to win some votes.

Valve is doing what any other retailer will do in the same situation, asking manufacturers to sell at the same price, which seems fair because, in the end, the competition is about service. In a situation that any store gets a lower price this damage not only Steam but your beloved GOG, ORIGIN, even Console stores which I'm pretty sure to ask the same to devs, not selling the game cheaper on PC.

It is quite obvious this is aiming to damage Valve image as every other store(except for GOG which is desperate to get games) is doing the same, even worst as EPIC has not let some games into their store because they didn't accept exclusivity deal.
https://kotaku.com/indie-developer-explains-why-he-rejected-epic-store-s-e-1837448809

So in the end, PC gaming is a free market and if some devs do not agree with Valve Agreement the best they can do is to reach other stores and even sell their game directly on their website. It worked for Minecraft. Who f/ck/ng needs Steam? if your game is good, people will come. Steam haters are giving Steam god powers when in reality it is just another store in the PC market.

Last edited by orochi_kyo on 7 February 2021 at 4:21 am UTC
PublicNuisance Feb 7, 2021
Quoting: orochi_kyoThis is PC and this is a LINUX forum, an OS that is based on the concept of freedom to choose. Aside from the Steam OS, I don't know about any single distro that Steam comes preinstalled.

Steam comes preinstalled on Manjaro. Signed: someone who is typing this from a Manjaro system in which Steam came preinstalled. Does this matter ? Not really aside from you being wrong on a specific point.
damarrin Feb 7, 2021
Well, it’s the only store that officially supports Linux, surely helped by their market dominance and over abundance of cash they can spend on follies like that.

I’m not going to comment on the lawsuit, I just don’t have enough info. I’ve seen it mentioned Valve’s stance on price parity pertains solely to Steam keys, not the games themselves, which seems reasonable if true. Once again, not enough info, but of course that doesn’t make for a catchy headline.

Last edited by damarrin on 7 February 2021 at 4:41 pm UTC
GustyGhost Feb 7, 2021
Don't you worry. I hate all peddlers of DRM equally.

What makes the various abuses by all of these vendors even possible? It is the fact that DRM and proprietary technology enables them to hold the sword of Damocles over ones head. The whole debate over which slavemaster is the most merciful becomes irrelevant once one determines to reject games encumbered by these things.
Jared Feb 7, 2021
Quoting: damarrinWell, it’s the only store that officially supports Linux, surely helped by their market dominance and over abundance of cash they can spend on follies like that.

I’m not going to comment on the lawsuit, I just don’t have enough info. I’ve seen it mentioned Valve’s stance on price parity pertains solely to Steam keys, not the games themselves, which seems reasonable if true. Once again, not enough info, but of course that doesn’t make for a catchy headline.

GOG, Itch.io and GameJolt also support Linux through their storefront, as some games have native Linux ports. From those, Itch.io and GameJolt both have native official open source launchers on Linux. Itch.io recently added a function where it would automatically install wine (vanilla) on games that does not have a native port already.
PublicNuisance Feb 7, 2021
Quoting: Jared
Quoting: damarrinWell, it’s the only store that officially supports Linux, surely helped by their market dominance and over abundance of cash they can spend on follies like that.

I’m not going to comment on the lawsuit, I just don’t have enough info. I’ve seen it mentioned Valve’s stance on price parity pertains solely to Steam keys, not the games themselves, which seems reasonable if true. Once again, not enough info, but of course that doesn’t make for a catchy headline.

GOG, Itch.io and GameJolt also support Linux through their storefront, as some games have native Linux ports. From those, Itch.io and GameJolt both have native official open source launchers on Linux. Itch.io recently added a function where it would automatically install wine (vanilla) on games that does not have a native port already.

Couldn't have said it better myself. People act as if there was no Linux gaming before Valve came on the scene and that there is nothing but them. I don't know if they are just ignorant or fan boys.
Liam Dawe Feb 7, 2021
Quoting: PublicNuisanceCouldn't have said it better myself. People act as if there was no Linux gaming before Valve came on the scene and that there is nothing but them. I don't know if they are just ignorant or fan boys.
A lot of it, much like the OP here, are falling into the trap of being rampant fanboys and it's getting a little gross. Valve support Linux, have done a lot but that doesn't mean they are "good". They are a company, they want profit. Always remember that.
damarrin Feb 7, 2021
Well, there’s support and support. Valve actually put the effort and money into it.

And companies, much like individuals, can do both positive and negative things from any given perspective. Like Google having a vile business model but making some great open source projects, GOG fighting against DRM but hating Linux, that sort of thing. It doesn’t often happen that one may class some entity as purely evil or good.
Salvatos Feb 7, 2021
Quoting: orochi_kyoSTADIA, games at 60$, despite they are just streaming games, you don't need to download huge DLCs or huge updates on every single computer, one update to one client, and they are done.
Did rendering and streaming HD video stop using massive amounts of bandwidth while I wasn’t looking?
CatKiller Feb 7, 2021
Quoting: Liam Dawerampant fanboys
Wow. You really ought to take a break, or do whatever other thing helps you de-stress and get your head on right. This is a really terrible path for you to go down.
Dennis_Payne Feb 7, 2021
Quoting: orochi_kyoValve is doing what any other retailer will do in the same situation, asking manufacturers to sell at the same price, which seems fair because, in the end, the competition is about service. In a situation that any store gets a lower price this damage not only Steam but your beloved GOG, ORIGIN, even Console stores which I'm pretty sure to ask the same to devs, not selling the game cheaper on PC.
No. That is not what Valve is doing. Valve does not buy product for $X and sell it to the consumer for $X+Y. Valve is selling it for $X+Y, where $X is the developer profit and $Y is their profit. If the developer wants to sell it on another site that has lower site cost ($Y), they are required to sell it for the same price on steam and just take less profit. If Steam changes their model so that they decrease their profit instead of the developer's to match sales on other sites then I would see no reason to argue with the clause. That would be the retail equivalent. Both stores bought the product for $X, store 1 charged $X+5 while store 2 has a sale price of $X+2. Store 1 can match the price if they want. (In reality that's not quite true bigger stores can have better deals from suppliers than the small stores.)

As for Steam not being a monopoly, you don't have to have no competitors to be an effective monopoly and abuse that position. That's why Microsoft and Intel have both gotten in trouble in the past.
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