I really hope that's false? I mean, you are kidding right?

I don't say this lightly and I am not joking at all but, if MS were to purchase Valve, then I would never buy from Steam again nor would I use the store, I would return to piracy without question.

There's just too much bad blood between me and MS for me to choose give them money at this point.

I don't think they are kidding. Spencer always had very nasty ideas and I think DirectX lock-in existence can be attributed to him directly.

All I can say is let's hope Valve (Gabe, really) can see sense in rejecting their offers, should they place one.

It is worth remembering that Gabe once worked for Microsoft, so without a doubt he knows their tactics and motivations. Let's hope he sees sense based on his past experience over finance. Although, also remember that one of the key reasons Valve chose to support Linux was to avoid a potential Microsoft lock-in with the Microsoft Store (it was a whole windows 8 thing, past history now, but it never happened in the end).

So it would be odd to say the least if Valve was to suddenly say "Yeah, sure. We'll give you everything Microsoft!".

Last edited by BlackBloodRum on 21 September 2023 at 12:09 am UTC

Yeah, I don't think there is a direct risk of that in the short term. But it just indicates what MS is scheming about.

That's true, it could be one of those "here's an idea" that never materialises (we can hope!).

Businesses plan all sorts of things that they never execute. Let's hope this is one of them! .

It is a scary prospect though. Valve being one of the key drivers for Linux gaming adoption and all.

(Which leads to another question... has Linux gaming become too dependant on a single entity? If valve were to pull the plug tomorrow, how would we fair?)

Last edited by BlackBloodRum on 21 September 2023 at 12:23 am UTC

Consider the source... one of those self appointed tech gurus on youtube. Just because somebody is pontificating, it doesn't mean it's a serious consideration.

Even if it is Microsoft's wet dream, no regulator is going to allow them to control the PC with the operating system, gaming with their technology frameworks further leveraged, AND the storefronts that sell the games. This would give them too much power to leverage for their Xbox platform too.

Also, I don't think Newell would even give that a serious frown. An answer to such a proposal would include mockery. Valve is a private company and as such, there is no threat of pressure from shareholders or takeover. It's probably pretty safe to say it's not happening.

Finally, if this were a serious offer that was made, we'll be hearing about it, with outrage.

Consider the source...

The source are quite official leaks from FTC, that even FTC acknowledged. So I don't think there is any doubt about the validity.

You can check the whole video for more context.

Also, Gamers Nexus are quite good at fact checking and quality reporting. So I think you misjudge them.

Last edited by Shmerl on 21 September 2023 at 12:40 am UTC

Even if it is Microsoft's wet dream, no regulator is going to allow them

Normally I would agree here, except we're talking about Microsoft. Bending regulations and lining the pockets of those who make the regulations is pretty much Microsoft's game.

They're still aiming to buy Nintendo, as well, and though I'm no longer a fan personally after they went off in a direction that I no longer enjoyed and made a bunch of decisions I don't agree with, I can certainly acknowledge the massive risk to the games market from such a thing (especially since Phil Spencer's statement that "[Nintendo's future] exists off their own hardware" is, as far as I understand it, an accurate claim - with how gaming is these days, I'm not interested in owning a second machine just for one company's games, and I don't imagine I'm alone in that) - and I think that that one's more likely to happen than Microsoft buying Valve (indeed, I wouldn't be surprised if the Activision buyout was testing the waters for this).

After all, Nintendo has spent several years allowing the content and balancing of one of their own games to be used to subtly (or, to someone like me, not-so-subtly) send the message that their content is inferior to that of Microsoft and several other companies, by way of Nintendo paying licensing fees to them to include and promote and prioritise their content in that game.

Back when I was a Nintendo customer, this was a factor that made it appear to me that they were preparing to be bought out, and, combined with them ceasing to make games that I enjoyed, gave me cold feet about the future viability of supporting their hardware. This only confirms my thinking of five years ago, now.

Additionally, Microsoft purchasing Nintendo would aid something touched on in this article about using Minetest in an educational setting instead of Minecraft - namely that it's logical that Microsoft would want to increase their marketing reach to get more of the younger age-groups dependent on their software earlier in life.

So, yeah, from a market perspective, I think that Valve is under less of a direct threat than Nintendo is right now - and I agree with Grogan that I don't think that a Valve buyout would be allowed to slide like the Activision one has been.

I guess it isn't incredible anyways, they'd certainly try. I'm still going with it not happening due to the end point obstacle. Valve themselves.

Firstly I'm sorry that I had that Gamers Nexus guy mixed up with somebody else. (I'll get to that)

I didn't watch any of the video, I was just assuming that the data point was something like a leaked email with some exec pontificating that they were going to buy out Valve next.

Since then, I went and read a little about it. The Aug. 2020 email (in the data submitted to the FTC) was just discussing the chances of acquiring/merging with Nintendo, and Valve was a side note. This wasn't any sort of deal in the works with Valve or Nintendo, it's just Microsoft execs (Spencer and friends) paving the way with their board of directors in the event that it could be made to happen.

--------------------------

Now, I saw that Gamers Nexus guy's face in the still image, and had him mixed up with some other youtube clown he made a video about, that made a video about him etc. My memory of it is vague. I wouldn't have said that, because yes he is one of the better ones out there.

I also do not have a lot of time for these youtube gurus in general. I'm sure you've seen the like, that I'm stereotyping :-)

OK, I had to go and find the video. This is what I'm talking about. You don't have to waste all your time, jump through it or just see the still image and read the description ('nuff said?)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FGW3TPytTjc

I had him mixed up with that other clown. I remembered it correctly a while later. (brain must have bad sectors... read retries lol)

I also do not have a lot of time for these youtube gurus in general.

I'm not watching/following seriously any of them too... (be in English or my native language).
But from what I know, can we agree that Louis Rossmann is one of the best (or the one?) ?
(yeah they don't play in the same category...)

Last edited by Cyril on 21 September 2023 at 3:38 am UTC

If Gaben has enough % so it depends on him, unless he wants to buy something he already is able to buy, that includes love, I don't think this gonna happen, but everything is possible as senseless it might be.

Mixing a quote from the social network with my blabbering "You know what's better than 1 billion thousand trillions? Having a brain". Suckerberg, Ellon Musk, don't have, but by the 2 articles I've read about Gaven, it seems he does.

As long as I can keep my steam games or keep using BitTorrent, let them play.

Well... he's kept the company private all this time, so that nobody could destroy what he built. While it's true you can't predict what humans will do with certainty, I doubt he's going to hand it to Microsoft.

For some people, it's not just about being proud of a successful business and having all the money you'll ever want... money is POWER. I don't think he's one of those people (by the way the company has been run)

If Gaben has enough % so it depends on him, unless he wants to buy something he already is able to buy, that includes love, I don't think this gonna happen, but everything is possible as senseless it might be.

Love can't be bought, one of the few things capitalism can't touch.

This would be absolutely terrifying. It kind of reminds me of Microsoft buying into Corel and Corel Linux soon disappearing, along with their financial contributions to Wine.

It also kind of reminds me of Microsoft talking to every hardware manufacturer that considered dual-booting Haiku and telling them that Haiku adding a "Boot into Haiku" button to the Start menu was a violation of the license, convincing them not to do it. I guess it reminds me of Microsoft discovering Apple's Quicktime and then creating Video For Windows using the same copyrighted code and somehow infringing on patents (?).

Yeah, I've been looking into history lately.

Any takers as to what would be the first order of business if Microsoft was at the helm of Valve..?

If Gaben has enough % so it depends on him, unless he wants to buy something he already is able to buy, that includes love, I don't think this gonna happen, but everything is possible as senseless it might be.

Love can't be bought, one of the few things capitalism can't touch.

Bingo, that's my point

Its not a monopoly if you let them keep the name. I think any company "owned by" (not limited to miCrotter, Mars, Nestlé or others) should be legally required to post the owners name together with their brand/label/logo on every instance anywhere at all time so as not to confuse the public in the first place. miCrotter is buying the world but in the video (unless i missed it i just rose from the mists and im still half disintegrated and spanning several dimensions at once, more than the usual 27, .. the vid says nothing about acquisition, only that "they have their eye on it" but they have their eye on everything that turns a profit since they dont seem capable of coming up with anything but version numbers for Bill Gates' USA-DOS.

So if they can they will they recently made DOS open source ( https://github.com/microsoft/MS-DOS ) , which means they confirmed that they wont make another 5 cents out of it.

Valve is one of the last pillars thats not controlled so obvious they want it, Nintendo is japanese, im not so sure they want to be owned by joe-land.

Question remains here : now the word is out id like to see official confirmation before i buy another game. I dont have a windows install since months anymore and i havent missed it once, if this were to happen i might even considering selling off the account.

Gabe would never sell off Valve. For his successor tho, whoever it might be - all bets are off. I hope that they don't sell Valve to anyone, and that they keep it a private company.

edit:

Gabe seems like a wise man, so hopefully he chooses the right person.

Last edited by DoctorJunglist on 21 May 2024 at 8:23 pm UTC

I really hope that's false? I mean, you are kidding right?

I don't say this lightly and I am not joking at all but, if MS were to purchase Valve, then I would never buy from Steam again nor would I use the store, I would return to piracy without question.

There's just too much bad blood between me and MS for me to choose give them money at this point.

I'm not a Steam user. I have tried it a few times but it's not for me. If MS bought Valve or not piracy is just the best option unless the DEVs have a DRM-Free copy on GOG, itch.io or directly from the dev itself.