Steam - The Definitive Gaming Platform8922295
Gaming has redefined itself continuously over the years, pushing boundaries never believed feasible - Not just technically, but socially, economically and even spiritually.
Pc 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 more casual gaming audience - That of the common Console owner. Do not 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 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 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 definitely helped make WOW a massive achievement. Real Time Strategy and to some extent, First Person Shooters are still both premier Computer gaming examples, although the advantage the Computer Gamer has in these areas 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 appears rather ominous. Or does it?
Valve on numerous occasions have publicly embraced the Computer as their platform of choice. Pushing the boundaries of modern gaming and gaining acceptance in the enthusiast community has not always been an simple job.* Early implementations of Steam were met with fierce opposition. People by their very nature do not like change, I am just glad Valve were persistent, pushing previous the numerous bugs, poor press and competition, creating the Steam platform as it is these days.
First we need to establish what Steam is in the first location. Valve defines Steam as the Nexus of Pc Gaming, and they are most likely right. Nothing comes close in terms of functionality, appeal and usefulness to Pc gamers.
Simply put, Steam is an sophisticated digital distribution platform which allows gamers to download games, play on-line, create and participate in multiple 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 most likely 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 neighborhood and continue to develop beyond the original implementation. This is all thanks to the Steam concept and the hardware it runs on.
