• @Buffalox
      link
      English
      46
      edit-2
      10 months ago

      Does it? Steam does not monopolize a platform, or demand exclusivity. With Steam you are 100% free to sell through other channels, and even be able to still use Steam. Also there are actual services on Steam, and there are possibilities for lower rates.

      • @[email protected]
        link
        fedilink
        English
        210 months ago

        IIRC there are still rules regarding pricing in other platforms if you want to be on steam.

        • @Buffalox
          link
          English
          4
          edit-2
          10 months ago

          AFAIK that’s only if the games purchased on that platform have Steam keys. Otherwise you are free to have sales or cheaper prices on other platforms.
          Earlier you could sell cheaper on other platforms and still have Steam keys, for instance Humble Indie Bundle had that.
          If you go to GOG, you can see they often have games that are also available on Steam, but at lower prices.

          https://www.gog.com/en/game/tomb_raider_underworld

          Sold here (Denmark) for DKK 8,70 = $1.30 USD.

          https://store.steampowered.com/app/8140/Tomb_Raider_Underworld/

          Sold here for €8.99 = $9.80 USD

          This example is 7.8 times more expensive on Steam at this moment.

      • Aatube
        link
        fedilink
        -1410 months ago

        Well, they’ve become ubiquitous, but I get your point.

        • @Buffalox
          link
          English
          17
          edit-2
          10 months ago

          Well not really, AFAIK they sell only about 20-50% of games sold for PC, depending on source. Not at all comparable to Apple that has maintained 100% for iPhone.
          Also Steam is an independent alternative to Microsoft store on Windows now. So again quite the opposite of the Apple monopoly control of their platform.

          • OsaErisXero
            link
            fedilink
            510 months ago

            I don’t know where you got that 20% statistic, but everything I’ve read and can find on short notice has it up around 70%.

            • @Buffalox
              link
              English
              710 months ago

              I just checked up on it, because it’s a number I remember reading earlier. What I have noticed is that when the 75% market share is mentioned, it’s downloads, that’s a pretty meaningless number. The only number I could find was 18% SALES from 2013. No doubt that has increased in 11 years. I corrected the number to 20-50% since there is no way it can be 75% with several of the biggest game developers like Microsoft, EA, Epyc and others almost completely avoiding Steam. Together with independent sales, and Epic and Microsoft store, and smaller outlets like GOG and Humble Bundle.

              • @Bgugi
                link
                English
                510 months ago

                Yeah, percent downloads is particularly difficult to extrapolate for steam: they host a number of extremely popular “free” games, and are notorious for their sale pricing. In addition, they have (IMO) very generous policy for providing devs keys for use on their platform.

    • @isles
      link
      English
      2810 months ago

      Steam and AppStore are not equivalent in many important ways, though

    • @elshandra
      link
      English
      2110 months ago

      I don’t need steam to install your app on my pc, unless you choose it to be that way.

    • Midnight Wolf
      link
      English
      810 months ago

      Replace steam with console and your statement has a fighting chance

      • Aatube
        link
        fedilink
        0
        edit-2
        10 months ago

        Maybe, but on the other hand, fuck console WiFi subscriptions, so I think the fighting chance is 100% and thus that conclusion is assumed.