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Forget the ‘big 3’ — it’s just big Steam (www.digitaltrends.com)
submitted 2 years ago by [M] to c/games@sh.itjust.works
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[+] -24 points 2 years ago (4 children)

what about Microsoft? don't they make games too? and a whole console? and the os that most pc gamers use? don't they own like a whole bunch of game studios? why are they not included? why does it have to be 3? is it because of the weebs? we don't need the weebs to tell us what to do.

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  • [–] 7 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (1 child)

    This article talks about how it used to be that gaming was split into two markets. There was consoles, dominated by three corps (Nintendo, MS, Sony) and PC.

    This article talks about how the markets are becoming less and less distinct and how Valve is seizing an emerging opportunity to dominate all forms of gaming with Valve's Steam Deck and SteamOS.

    The Deck basically validated the handheld industry that was previously very niche, underpowered, and kinda jank with a first-party, fully supported system with robust hardware under the hood. It also gave Valve a predictable hardware platform to build SteamOS as a replacement for Windows as a low level OS. The only problem being that SteamOS was still very dependent on being run on Deck hardware. Now though, they're taking the first steps to letting it work anywhere, starting with other handhelds.

    By pushing SteamOS adoption on handhelds, it targets Nintendo's hardware niche. Nintendo is somewhat secure though since their first party titles are what move their systems.

    By slowly replacing Windows, it erodes Microsoft's OS monopoly, which threatens the Windows Store as an alternative marketplace. At a time when Microsoft is already a decade into a dying Xbox brand, and one that is also constantly on the back foot (only company without a handheld and very dodgy support for existing handhelds) And a Microsoft that acquires studios, only to shut them down.

    Sony is the least affected since PS5 is the winner of the 9th gen of consoles + they already sell some of their games on Steam. And also, Sony is Japanese, so Sony gets all the japanese titles, once again, unlike Xbox.

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  • [–] 3 points 2 years ago (1 child)

    The Deck basically validated the handheld industry

    I feel like the Nintendo Switch did that more, since it collapsed its console and portable lines into a single product. A Steam Deck doesn't look that much different than a Nintendo Switch in its portable form.

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  • [–] 1 point 2 years ago

    I was referring to the niche served by small brands like AYA NEO and GPD. They made (imo) zany but ambitious Windows handhelds before AMD had their mobile APUs / SoCs ready and before Valve's Proton & SteamOS endeavors were production-ready.

    So they ran Intel SoCs (slow, pricey, and hot) on a basically vanilla Windows 10 image, sometimes with a proprietary interface that let you kinda use the device without touch and/or without a wireless kb+m. Hmm, getting deja vu with ASUS, MSI, and Lenovo right now 🤪

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  • [–] 2 points 2 years ago

    To address other points, Microsoft has used Xbox as a trojan house into console gaming, using its PC gaming development to subsidize Xbox development as Sony used its hardware division to subsidize PlayStation development.

    The strategic deployment of Xbox on the PC is probably the largest strategic threat to Valve and Steam, which is why Valve developed a way to play Steam games on a self controlled OS.

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