Steam - The Definitive Gaming Platform3025593
Gaming has redefined itself constantly over the years, pushing boundaries by no means thought possible - Not just technically, but socially, economically and even spiritually.
Computer gaming has usually been at the forefront of such advancement, although lately our beloved platform of option has been often overlooked in favour of a much 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 become.
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 certainly helped make WOW a huge achievement. Real Time Strategy and to some extent, First Person Shooters are still each premier Pc gaming examples, although the advantage the Computer Gamer has in these locations is slowly evaporating.
Taking MMORPG's out of the image, the state of Computer gaming is at a bit of a crossroads. Console Port following port, Infinite versions of The Sims, Poor retail sales for big Computer Franchises, It all seems rather ominous. Or does it?
Valve on many occasions have publicly embraced the Computer as their platform of option. Pushing the boundaries of modern gaming and gaining acceptance in the enthusiast neighborhood has not always been an easy job.* Early implementations of Steam had been met with fierce opposition. Individuals by their very nature do not like change, I am just glad Valve were persistent, pushing previous the numerous bugs, bad press and competition, creating the Steam platform as it is today.
First we require to establish what Steam is in the first location. Valve defines Steam as the Nexus of Pc Gaming, and they are most likely correct. Absolutely nothing comes close in terms of functionality, appeal and usefulness to Computer gamers.
Simply place, Steam is an advanced digital distribution platform which allows gamers to download games, play on-line, create and participate in multiple unique gaming communities all with the ability to auto update itself and any Steam supported game you have.
The seminal update ability and the way it has been implemented by Valve is probably the most unique and evolutionary aspect of the Steam platform. The Source engine has been able to continually evolve, powering games such as Team Fortress 2: A perfect example of how a game can be influenced by the gaming community and continue to grow beyond the original implementation. This is all thanks to the Steam concept and the hardware it runs on.
