Steam - The Definitive Gaming Platform1603727
Gaming has redefined itself continuously over the years, pushing boundaries by no means believed possible - Not just technically, but socially, economically and even spiritually.
Pc gaming has always been at the forefront of such advancement, although lately our beloved platform of choice has been often overlooked in favour of a more casual gaming audience - That of the typical Console owner. Don't get me incorrect, consoles are fantastic in what they can achieve and also have their fair share of enthusiast titles. The underlining issue is that the core gaming market is made primarily of casual gamers or the media's perception of what defines a core gamer. Nintendo's wii is a testament to how popular casual gaming has turn out to be.
Blizzard have been able to capitalise on the Pc as the premier MMORPG platform for its WOW franchise. Making full use of a PC's capability to establish multiple social networking services to compliment a game has definitely helped make WOW a huge achievement. Real Time Strategy and to some extent, First Person Shooters are nonetheless each premier Computer gaming examples, though the advantage the Pc Gamer has in these locations is slowly evaporating.
Taking MMORPG's out of the image, the state of Pc gaming is at a bit of a crossroads. Console Port following port, Infinite versions of The Sims, Poor retail sales for large Pc Franchises, It all appears rather ominous. Or does it?
Valve on many occasions have publicly embraced the Computer as their platform of choice. Pushing the boundaries of modern gaming and gaining acceptance in the enthusiast community has not usually been an simple task.* Early implementations of Steam had been met with fierce opposition. People by their very nature do not like change, I am just glad Valve were persistent, pushing previous the various bugs, bad press and competitors, making the Steam platform as it is today.
First we need to establish what Steam is in the first location. Valve defines Steam as the Nexus of Pc Gaming, and they are probably correct. Absolutely nothing comes close in terms of functionality, appeal and usefulness to Pc gamers.
Simply place, Steam is an sophisticated digital distribution platform which allows gamers to download games, play on-line, create and participate in numerous distinctive gaming communities all with the capability to auto update itself and any Steam supported game you have.
The seminal update capability and the way it has been implemented by Valve is most likely the most unique and evolutionary aspect of the Steam platform. The Supply engine has been able to continually evolve, powering games such as Team Fortress 2: A ideal example of how a game can be influenced by the gaming neighborhood and continue to grow beyond the original implementation. This is all thanks to the Steam concept and the hardware it runs on.
