Steam Expands Beyond Games, to Offer Software Soon

[btarunr]

Valve, creators of best-selling game franchises (such as Counter-Strike, Half-Life, Left 4 Dead, Portal, and Team Fortress) and leading technologies (such as Steam and Source), today announced the first set of Software titles are heading to Steam, marking a major expansion to the platform most commonly known as a leading destination for PC and Mac games.

The Software titles coming to Steam range from creativity to productivity. Many of the launch titles will take advantage of popular Steamworks features, such as easy installation, automatic updating, and the ability to save your work to your personal Steam Cloud space so your files may travel with you.

More Software titles will be added in an ongoing fashion following the September 5th launch, and developers will be welcome to submit Software titles via Steam Greenlight.

"The 40 million gamers frequenting Steam are interested in more than playing games," said Mark Richardson at Valve. "They have told us they would like to have more of their software on Steam, so this expansion is in response to those customer requests."

For more information, please visit SteamPowered.com.

View at TechPowerUp Main Site

 

[TheMailMan78]

Valve, creators of best-selling game franchises (such as Counter-Strike, Half-Life, Left 4 Dead, Portal, and Team Fortress) and leading technologies (such as Steam and Source), today announced the first set of Software titles are heading to Steam, marking a major expansion to the platform most commonly known as a leading destination for PC and Mac games.

The Software titles coming to Steam range from creativity to productivity. Many of the launch titles will take advantage of popular Steamworks features, such as easy installation, automatic updating, and the ability to save your work to your personal Steam Cloud space so your files may travel with you.

More Software titles will be added in an ongoing fashion following the September 5th launch, and developers will be welcome to submit Software titles via Steam Greenlight.

"The 40 million gamers frequenting Steam are interested in more than playing games," said Mark Richardson at Valve. "They have told us they would like to have more of their software on Steam, so this expansion is in response to those customer requests."

For more information, please visit SteamPowered.com.

I wonder what programs.

 

[Kreij]

I don't have any problem with Valve offering application software on their Steam platform.
However, if it becomes the only distribution channel for certain software it could be problematic, especially from an IT standpoint.

 

[TheMailMan78]

I don't have any problem with Valve offering application software on their Steam platform.
However, if it becomes the only distribution channel for certain software it could be problematic, especially from an IT standpoint.

Honestly I don't like it. Games is one thing. Production software it becomes an issue for me.

 

[FordGT90Concept]

Valve sees Windows Store as a threat so the only way keep profits flowing post Windows 8 is to compete on more fronts.

 

[TheMailMan78]

Valve sees Windows Store as a threat so the only way keep profits flowing post Windows 8 is to compete on more fronts.

Yeah I think you are right. But I trust MS more then Valve for some things. I think a lot of IT guys will be the same way.

 

[digibucc]

But I trust MS more then Valve for some things.

for first party software maybe - but for Adobe or some third party software, i wouldn't trust Microsoft any more than steam.

 

[TheMailMan78]

for first party software maybe - but for Adobe or some third party software, i wouldn't trust Microsoft any more than steam.

MS is more experienced in site licencing and such. Nobody wants to deal with three or four different vendors.

 

[jpierce55]

We don't need Steam/Valve become another monopoly. Selling games they are not, but if they go in to all software, a Steam Box, so on.... it becomes a potential.

 

[erocker]

Steam as an interface for such things is alright I suppose. Sure beats having to load in multiple DVD's through a slow optical interface, especially if you have a decent internet connection. I like it. If there's any software I need that Steam sells I would consider it. I can't really know until they start doing it though.

 

[TheMailMan78]

We don't need Steam/Valve become another monopoly. Selling games they are not, but if they go in to all software, a Steam Box, so on.... it becomes a potential.

No more then MS.

 

[jpierce55]

I am no fan of the MS monopoly either. Competition is a good thing for consumers.

 

[Morgoth]

i think comes to Game design tools

 

[DannibusX]

You know what's awesome about this? You don't have to use it.

 

[theubersmurf]

I don't have any problem with Valve offering application software on their Steam platform.
However, if it becomes the only distribution channel for certain software it could be problematic, especially from an IT standpoint.

You mean like games?

 

[theubersmurf]

We don't need Steam/Valve become another monopoly. Selling games they are not, but if they go in to all software, a Steam Box, so on.... it becomes a potential.

I'm pretty sure a "Steam Box" is going to be a specific controller and a set of hardware specs that any OEM or individual can build. All they need is to maintain a set of specifications that any developer can use, and a standardized set of controls a developer can refer to.

 

[TheMailMan78]

You know what's awesome about this? You don't have to use it.

See that's the thing, depending on the software we might have to. There are a few games that have to be activated on Steam to play. Call of Duty is one of them. Then what happens when I lose internet connection and can't connect to Steam to get into Photoshop? No work that day?

It seems far fetched now but its entirely possiable.

 

[riffraffy]

Gordon Freeman died at Chernobyl.

I brought a retail copy of Portal at Best Buy and downloaded Steam then I had to re-install my OS for some reason and Steam hijacked my product code now they want me to jump thou hoops to proof its legit.So bottom line is I have $49. coaster.Hope they do a better job with this new venture. ,,,,P.S. Hey Steam whatever happened to Black Mesa !

 

[Kreij]

You mean like games?

No. Business software.
Unless Vavle made huge changes in the way business could receive updates for that kind of software, it would be a no-go for corporate networks.

I don't know what their aspiration are for non-gaming software, or what types of software vendors they will try to bring on-line, but given the popularity of digital distribution it is a valid concern if they became the ONLY place to get certain software.

 

[FordGT90Concept]

Steam as an interface for such things is alright I suppose. Sure beats having to load in multiple DVD's through a slow optical interface, especially if you have a decent internet connection. I like it. If there's any software I need that Steam sells I would consider it. I can't really know until they start doing it though.

16x DVD is about 22 MB/s. If you're not getting 22 MB/s (>160 Mb/s) downstream, DVDs are faster.

22x DVD-ROM is 231 Mb/s

You know what's awesome about this? You don't have to use it.

Today, maybe, but there's a crapload of games that are Steam exclusive on PC (like Saints Row 2, Saints Row: The Third, PAYDAY: The Heist, etc.). What is not monopolistic about that? The same goes for Battlefield 3 which is excusive to Origin. We need an international court to rule (or international treaty) that puts an end to exclusivity. If it is going to be sold digitally on computer, it has to be sold through at least two stores. Better yet, it should apply to consoles too. If someone wants to buy software, they shouldn't be forced to use hardware supplied by a single vender.

I'm pretty sure a "Steam Box" is going to be a specific controller and a set of hardware specs that any OEM or individual can build. All they need is to maintain a set of specifications that any developer can use, and a standardized set of controls a developer can refer to.

That's exactly what Game for Windows Live did. There's lots of hate for GFWL...but not from me.

 

[atikkur]

i have slow internet connection. to login to steam, my average time is 1 min,, may longer, plus another 1 min to lauch the game. for just a game, i can wait.. but if i got to launch app and i must wait for that much time.. im pretty sure i dont have that patient, and may render an ssd a useless. so how they handle drm this time for the app? will it still checks online every time i launch the app?

 

[FordGT90Concept]

Most likely Steamworks or whatever the publisher put in there in the first place (like SecuROM or online activation).

 

[DannibusX]

Platform exclusivity is nothing new, and is not monopolistic. Do I like it? No, but that's the business world.

I highly doubt any non-Valve developed productivity tools would be Steam exclusive. Photoshop will be available for all platforms they currently are. I see more all the lines of the freeware stuff getting more play because of this (IE Gimp, Blender, LibreOffice) which won't be exclusive to Steam.

It's just another value-added service and I'm cool with that.

 

[TheMailMan78]

Platform exclusivity is nothing new, and is not monopolistic. Do I like it? No, but that's the business world.

I highly doubt any non-Valve developed productivity tools would be Steam exclusive. Photoshop will be available for all platforms they currently are. I see more all the lines of the freeware stuff getting more play because of this (IE Gimp, Blender, LibreOffice) which won't be exclusive to Steam.

It's just another value-added service and I'm cool with that.

Yeah ok. First you have Gabe bitching about Window 8, now this? Do you really think it a coincidence?

 

[Easy Rhino]

i imagine the software steam will provide will be similiar to what tucows.com provides.