Steam - The Definitive Gaming Platform6980935
Gaming has redefined itself constantly over the years, pushing boundaries never believed possible - Not just technically, but socially, economically and even spiritually.
Computer gaming has usually been at the forefront of such advancement, though recently our beloved platform of option has been often overlooked in favour of a much more casual gaming audience - That of the typical Console owner. Do not get me wrong, consoles are fantastic in what they can accomplish and also have their fair share of enthusiast titles. The underlining problem is that the core gaming market is made mainly of casual gamers or the media's perception of what defines a core gamer. Nintendo's wii is a testament to how well-liked casual gaming has become.
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 multiple social networking services to compliment a game has definitely helped make WOW a massive achievement. Real Time Strategy and to some extent, First Individual Shooters are nonetheless each premier Computer gaming examples, although the benefit the Computer Gamer has in these areas is slowly 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 large Pc Franchises, It all seems 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 always been an easy job.* Early implementations of Steam were 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, bad 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 Pc Gaming, and they are most likely correct. Absolutely 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 online, create and participate in numerous distinctive 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 Supply engine has been able to continually evolve, powering games such as Group Fortress 2: A perfect instance 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.
