Steam - The Definitive Gaming Platform467658
Gaming has redefined itself constantly more than the years, pushing boundaries by no means 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 choice has been often overlooked in favour of a much more casual gaming audience - That of the common Console owner. Do not get me wrong, consoles are great in what they can accomplish 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 Computer 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 success. Real Time Strategy and to some extent, First Individual Shooters are nonetheless both premier Pc gaming examples, though the advantage the Pc Gamer has in these areas is gradually evaporating.
Taking MMORPG's out of the image, the state of Pc gaming is at a bit of a crossroads. Console Port after port, Infinite versions of The Sims, Poor retail sales for big Pc Franchises, It all appears rather ominous. Or does it?
Valve on many occasions have publicly embraced the Pc as their platform of option. Pushing the boundaries of modern gaming and gaining acceptance in the enthusiast neighborhood has not usually been an simple job.* Early implementations of Steam had been met with fierce opposition. People by their very nature do not like alter, I am just glad Valve were persistent, pushing previous the numerous bugs, bad press and competition, making 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 probably right. Nothing comes close in terms of functionality, appeal and usefulness to Computer gamers.
Simply place, Steam is an advanced digital distribution platform which enables gamers to download games, play online, create and participate in numerous unique gaming communities all with the ability 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 distinctive and evolutionary aspect of the Steam platform. The Source engine has been in a position 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 idea and the hardware it runs on.
