Steam - The Definitive Gaming Platform6610232
Gaming has redefined itself constantly over the years, pushing boundaries by no means believed feasible - Not just technically, but socially, economically and even spiritually.
Computer gaming has always been at the forefront of such advancement, though 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 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 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 massive success. Real Time Technique and to some extent, First Individual Shooters are still each premier Pc gaming examples, although the advantage 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 after port, Infinite versions of The Sims, Poor retail sales for large 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 community has not usually been an simple task.* Early implementations of Steam had been met with fierce opposition. Individuals by their very nature do not like change, I am just glad Valve had been persistent, pushing past the numerous bugs, poor press and competition, making the Steam platform as it is these days.
First we require to establish what Steam is in the first place. Valve defines Steam as the Nexus of Computer Gaming, and they are most likely right. Nothing comes close in terms of functionality, appeal and usefulness to Computer gamers.
Simply place, Steam is an sophisticated digital distribution platform which enables gamers to download games, play on-line, create and participate in multiple 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 distinctive and evolutionary aspect of the Steam platform. The Supply engine has been able to continually evolve, powering games such as Group Fortress 2: A ideal 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.
