Basically nvidia shadowplay for linux
This is why Steam is as popular as it is, they just release features that people like. Sure GOG doesn’t have DRM and Epic Games gives a bigger share to developers but Steam gives players what they actually want.
Steams custom controller profiles alone used on Steam Deck are killers for me. Nothing else amounts.
Steaminput is a massive deal, it supports gyro, remapping, profiles, and extensive customization. XInput can’t compare and the epic games store relies on developers for everything. That’s the reason why I will always pick a Steam Controller over an Xbox controller.
XInput can’t compare
XInput is X11 API and SteamInput can be used through SDL or directly.
GOG has DRM for many titles: see Galaxy. As I understand it, it isn’t as pervasive as Steam, but is necessary if you want multiplayer on many titles or care about extras like achievements.
Cloud sync also requires the drm, but the advantage that gog and itch have over steam is that for most games you just get the executables and you’re good to go.
Tbf to cloud sync, nothing is stopping you from using your own backup/restore service with your drm-free titles compared to the other features that Galaxy offers.
Achievements or multiplayer matching not being implemented in the game itself isn’t on GOG. They still allow you to download and launch any game you’ve bought, without even requiring galaxy.
Also lesser known is the fact that there are DRM-free games on steam. Download them once, you can play without having steam running or even installed. Using a client to download isn’t inherently DRM either.
not just features for the average consumer, but also a plethora of tools for developers. But then you’ll see some airhead keep saying about the 30% cut that steam takes.
It’s hilarious to me that Epic will never introduce features like this, and also complain Steam has a monopoly, as if they’re at all comparable
The fact that Epic Game Store exists at all is proof that Steam isn’t a monopoly. A monopoly means they’re the only option. Steam is not the only option. It is simply the best option.
But how does the EGS exist?
Because they are able to subsidize it with investor as well as Fortnite money. I doubt it’s turned a profit for them.
Wouldn’t exactly call that “viable competition”
That’s the thing that gets me. Undercutting is the quintessential anticompetitive practice, and it’s Epic’s entire business model. They give away games for free because they are trying to siphon some of Steam’s customers. They make exclusive release deals with publishers because they want to force people to use their platform. They are trying to compete with Steam using their resources from the success of Fortnite and Unreal rather than compete with the storefront by actually having a better storefront.
EGS is the Fortnite launcher. Fortnite’s player base is insanely huge. Those people have EGS installed, they just choose not to buy anything else on that platform, except maybe V Bucks.
PS: The installed base of the Microsoft Store and Xbox apps are even bigger because Microsoft is allowed to bundle those with Windows.
No it doesn’t
A company can be a monopoly when they include so many features that new competition can’t compete
Monopoly: 1. the exclusive possession or control of the supply of or trade in a commodity or service.
- A board game
Why can’t anyone develop said features? Should the competitor worsen themselves just because no one is able to develop the same features? As far as I remember, valve doesn’t patent something ridiculous like regional pricing or family sharing, so anyone is welcome to develop it themselves. They even make proton open source but apparently Epic doesn’t like the idea of them on the linux market.
Steam does have a monopoly though. They don’t do anything anti-competitive with it, so there is not much Epic can do about it (other than make their platform better for the people using it).
Steam does not have a monopoly by any actual definition of monopoly, though. A) Mobile gaming makes up the most of all video gaming revenue. B) On PC the most revenue is made by games that aren’t even on Steam in the first place (Minecraft, Fortnite, Roblox). Steam’s 2023 revenue has been estimated to be around 8.6bn USD out of 45bn USD of PC gaming revenue. That’s barely a 5th of the market power. By no account this can be actually considered to be a monopoly.
I love this graphic because it’s a reminder to self-proclaimed “gamers” that mobile gaming has been doing laps around “real” gaming for over half a decade now, with no indication of the trend changing. Yes, mobile games are typically lower quality and more predatory, but it’s undeniable that the average person who plays video games now is just a regular person with a phone.
What is “handheld” here? It doesn’t seem like the Switch counts, and I doubt Steam Deck does, so is this this the old handheld-exclusive consoles like 3DS?
Also, it’s sad arcade is so small now, I loved arcades as a kid.
Just for the sake of being fair, Steam does do one thing which is anticompetitive; they require publishers don’t sell their games for less than they do on Steam.
If you think about this for a moment you’ll realise it’s in the publisher’s best interest to agree to this.
Not quite true - they require that you not sell Steam keys for less than you do on Steam. They still don’t even stop you from doing giveaways or participating in bundles. It’s just that your typical prices on independent Steam key sales, for which they don’t even take a cut, can’t be lower than Steam prices. Also the seller sets all of these prices.
Given they’re footing the bill for indefinitely hosting the games supplied via those keys, that’s an entirely reasonable restriction.
This is coming from someone who is against capitalism and all IP law. The big problem with Steam imho is that Gabe Newell won’t live forever and when he’s gone the company could go public or go to some fail son who will tank it. I’m not even saying Gabe Newell is a great guy or an ethical billionaire, but he’s been remarkably consistent in keeping Steam’s business model running well.
This is awesome. Steam continues to release great stuff
This is pretty great! I’m interested to see how the quality will compare with my OBS replay buffer settings. One of the best things is that it’s coming to Steam Deck! Mostly excited to see how well this works on Linux.
If my screen recorder software doesn’t put an “UNREGISTERED HYPERCAM 2” watermark at the top left corner, then I’m completely uninterested, smh
