Steam - The Definitive Gaming Platform9810063
Gaming has redefined itself continuously 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 lately our beloved platform of choice has been frequently overlooked in favour of a more casual gaming audience - That of the typical Console owner. Don't 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 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 Technique and to some extent, First Person Shooters are nonetheless each premier Computer gaming examples, though the advantage the Computer Gamer has in these areas is slowly evaporating.
Taking MMORPG's out of the picture, 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 numerous 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 were met with fierce opposition. People by their extremely nature do not like alter, I am just glad Valve had been persistent, pushing past the numerous bugs, poor press and competitors, creating the Steam platform as it is today.
First we need to establish what Steam is in the first location. Valve defines Steam as the Nexus of Computer Gaming, and they are most likely right. Absolutely nothing comes close in terms of functionality, appeal and usefulness to Pc gamers.
Merely put, Steam is an sophisticated 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 ability 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 ideal example 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.
