Steam - The Definitive Gaming Platform6871649
Gaming has redefined itself continuously over the years, pushing boundaries never believed feasible - Not just technically, but socially, economically and even spiritually.
Computer 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 more casual gaming audience - That of the common Console owner. Don't get me wrong, consoles are fantastic in what they can achieve and also have their fair share of enthusiast titles. The underlining problem 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 well-liked casual gaming has turn out to be.
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 numerous social networking services to compliment a game has certainly helped make WOW a massive success. Real Time Strategy and to some extent, First Person Shooters are still both premier Pc 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 Pc gaming is at a bit of a crossroads. Console Port after port, Infinite versions of The Sims, Poor retail sales for big Computer Franchises, It all seems 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 neighborhood has not always been an simple task.* Early implementations of Steam were met with fierce opposition. Individuals by their extremely nature do not like change, I am just glad Valve were persistent, pushing previous the various bugs, poor press and competitors, creating the Steam platform as it is today.
First we require to establish what Steam is in the first location. Valve defines Steam as the Nexus of Pc Gaming, and they are most likely right. Absolutely nothing comes close in terms of functionality, appeal and usefulness to Computer gamers.
Merely put, Steam is an advanced digital distribution platform which enables gamers to download games, play online, produce 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 probably the most unique and evolutionary aspect of the Steam platform. The Supply engine has been able to continually evolve, powering games such as Team Fortress 2: A ideal instance of how a game can be influenced by the gaming neighborhood and continue to grow beyond the original implementation. This is all thanks to the Steam concept and the hardware it runs on.
