Steam - The Definitive Gaming Platform3882802
Gaming has redefined itself constantly over the years, pushing boundaries never thought feasible - Not just technically, but socially, economically and even spiritually.
Pc 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 more casual gaming audience - That of the typical Console owner. Don't get me incorrect, consoles are great 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 in a position to capitalise on the Pc as the premier MMORPG platform for its WOW franchise. Making full use of a PC's ability to establish numerous social networking services to compliment a game has definitely helped make WOW a massive achievement. Real Time Technique and to some extent, First Individual Shooters are nonetheless both premier Computer gaming examples, although the benefit the Pc Gamer has in these locations is gradually 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 large Computer Franchises, It all appears rather ominous. Or does it?
Valve on numerous occasions have publicly embraced the Computer as their platform of option. Pushing the boundaries of modern gaming and gaining acceptance in the enthusiast community has not usually been an easy task.* Early implementations of Steam had been met with fierce opposition. People by their extremely nature do not like change, I am just glad Valve had been persistent, pushing previous the various bugs, poor press and competitors, creating the Steam platform as it is these days.
First we require to establish what Steam is in the first location. Valve defines Steam as the Nexus of Computer Gaming, and they are most likely correct. Nothing comes close in terms of functionality, appeal and usefulness to Computer gamers.
Merely place, Steam is an sophisticated digital distribution platform which enables gamers to download games, play on-line, create and participate in numerous unique gaming communities all with the capability 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 most likely 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 ideal example of how a game can be influenced by the gaming community and continue to develop beyond the original implementation. This is all thanks to the Steam idea and the hardware it runs on.
