this post was submitted on 14 Mar 2024
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Steam

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Steam is a video game digital distribution service by Valve.

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[–] warm@kbin.earth 215 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) (3 children)

Valve could reduce their cut honestly, perhaps some program for independent developers to help them get on their feet. I don't think the top games or big publishers should be getting cut reductions.

Either way, Valve haven't been buying out studios for exclusive games, so Epic and Sweeney can go fuck themselves, they are scum.

[–] stardust@lemmy.ca 78 points 8 months ago

At the same time it's not like Valve is not making use of the extra money to use it only for taking in profits. It might of been what made it possible to try entering the hardware market with VR and the Steam Deck and putting resources in trying to make Linux gaming for accessible for regular people. Might of been what allowed them to not be deterred after the failure of the Steam machine and Steam Controller.

[–] KingThrillgore@lemmy.ml 22 points 8 months ago (4 children)

I do think Valve could drop it to 25% and not lose much sleep over their coffers.

[–] Johanno@feddit.de 27 points 8 months ago

I mean I don't know how much money steam is banking, but they provide quite a good service for their share.

Max download rates at all times (almost).

Amazing steam overlay. Online gaming. Online saves. Workshop. Linux support.

And many more. Some of that epic has too but in comparison epic launcher is shit.

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[–] Safipok@lemmy.ml 20 points 8 months ago (1 children)

The reason big studios get better rate is because they have leverage. Just as Amazon has leverage against apple in app store

[–] warm@kbin.earth 8 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago)

Its based off revenue, obviously more revenue made overall gives Valve more money with less cut than small revenue at a larger cut.

[–] shiveyarbles 80 points 8 months ago (2 children)

People hated Steam and were very skeptical initially. Respect was earned over time

[–] Honytawk@lemmy.zip 5 points 8 months ago

They were literally selling physical game boxes with a code and an installer for Steam in it instead of the game.

Steams initial tactics are as scummy as Epic's. The reason they don't need them anymore is because of their semi monopoly.

[–] iamjackflack@lemm.ee 5 points 8 months ago (1 children)

I miss Won network and kali…

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[–] mr_MADAFAKA@lemmy.ml 64 points 8 months ago (3 children)
[–] catloaf@lemm.ee 72 points 8 months ago

Human rights principles? Tim needs to quit sniffing his own farts. He's trying to sell digital video games on iPhones, not end human trafficking.

[–] WarmSoda@lemm.ee 12 points 8 months ago (2 children)
[–] snooggums@midwest.social 14 points 8 months ago (4 children)

If the percentage was the most important part, why isn't every game on Epic?

[–] Dudewitbow@lemmy.zip 14 points 8 months ago (2 children)

discord i believe when they sold games only took like 10% cut. turns out, thats not all it takes to sell games, and its not like no one uses discord, so you couldn't even say people were avoiding the software as it is a popular platform.

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[–] Midnitte 11 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago)

12% of 0 is still 0.

Also wouldn't be surprised if to get such a low rate requires exclusivity...

[–] WarmSoda@lemm.ee 11 points 8 months ago

That's probably a big part of why Tim is angry

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[–] ursakhiin 13 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Yes. Since nobody else seems to want to answer. Also, they waive the Unreal Engine revenue share from sales on the Epic Store.

I appreciate Epics pro developer stance, but the need a better consumer experience and innovation in that space if they want to be serious about the store.

Valve has spen't much of the last 25 years pushing the industry forwards in distribution. That's why there's so much loyalty to them.

[–] JustEnoughDucks@feddit.nl 7 points 8 months ago

They are only pro developer because they aren't breaking into the market well at all.

I guarantee that if they ever have a breakthrough and start approaching 40% sales or more, they will double their cut for sure.

Their cut is literally only to draw in developers and operate at a loss, subsidized by other income or investors, to gain as much market share as possible before jacking up prices.

It is the exact scummy playbook that amazon went by to drown their competition with their bare hands. The only difference is that Epic doesn't understand the market at all and won't commit resources to improving their store.

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[–] ylai@lemmy.ml 20 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago)

The “you mad bro” is found among internal Valve communication (Valve COO Scott Lynch to Erik Johnson and Newell, i.e. in the sense Johnson/Newell being “mad”, not Sweeney). It was particularly not sent out as a response to Sweeney. Another outlet already got tripped over this and had to make a correction: https://www.gamingonlinux.com/2024/03/valve-coo-on-epics-tim-sweeney-you-mad-bro-when-launching-the-epic-store/

This is not quite as sensational as some people are framing it.

[–] CaptainBasculin@lemmy.ml 17 points 8 months ago (1 children)
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[–] aport@programming.dev 12 points 8 months ago (2 children)

Sweeney is a third-rate Carmack

[–] Caligvla@lemmy.dbzer0.com 10 points 8 months ago

That's insulting to Carmarck considering how intelligent and talented the man is. Sweeney is a mediocre programmer and a hack businessman at best.

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Lmao common steam W

[–] hannes3120@feddit.de 6 points 8 months ago (4 children)

Steam is just perfect at keeping the gamers behind them as they are only assholes behind doors to the Devs on their platform.

30% is an absurd cut for a store that has such a monopoly that if you don't release there your game is pretty much cancelled even if you release at your own store without DRM and with additional goodies (Looking at GOG and The Witcher - they released the Gwent standalone like a year later on steam because it didn't sell at all on GOG and then it apparently outsold the GOG version without a week)

People are just too lazy and Steam is keeping them happy enough to not bother looking another way.

Epic isn't a good guy in any case but the exclusive deals on AAA Games they do is probably the only way to get someone to buy the game there instead of Steam

[–] CoconutPetesPaella@lemmy.one 26 points 8 months ago

Correct! Minecraft would never have been successful if not for Steam!

[–] Overspark@feddit.nl 18 points 8 months ago

30% is the cut only if the sale happens on Steam itself. Devs can sell keys through other means and Valve gets 0%.

[–] snooggums@midwest.social 14 points 8 months ago

People are just too lazy and Steam is keeping them happy enough to not bother looking another way.

You say that like we are making any kind of sacrifice by using steam. I used Epic and Xbox Gamepass or whatever on PC for like a year or two but stopped using either because the steam experience is just better and the exclusives weren't worth changing.

[–] warm@kbin.earth 13 points 8 months ago

I will buy from other storefronts if the deal is good, I have bought plenty from GOG. Epic are just anti-consumer and I refuse to support that store.

Steam just offers peace of mind with refunds and the feature set they provide is next to none, I haven't been given a reason to look elsewhere primarily.

[–] some_guy@lemmy.sdf.org 5 points 8 months ago (2 children)

Sweeney really comes off as an angry guy who sees only enemies. Apple (justified, even though I'm an Apple nerd), Valve… let's find some more persecution-complex targets. Can we be mad at Steam? Let's go!

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[–] Kusimulkku@lemm.ee 5 points 8 months ago

Their criticism of Steam seems pretty valid

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