Steam Turned the Gaming Industry Into Universe 25

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Rob⛧Slayer 17 Oct @ 12:17am

Steam Turned the Gaming Industry Into Universe 25

Steam didn’t just revolutionize game distribution. It rewired the design philosophy of an entire industry. Valve’s platform legitimized mobile style monetization on PC, transforming premium gaming into a behavioral economy fueled by retention metrics and microtransactions. Free to play wasn’t merely permitted. It was glorified, replacing traditional reward systems with grind loops and cosmetic economies that cannibalize gameplay.

As Steam expanded, innovation contracted. Developers were nudged toward monetization mimicry instead of creative risk. Indie studios adopted exploitative mechanics to stay afloat while AAA publishers chased engagement metrics over artistry. The result is a monoculture of sameness where competition is throttled by Valve’s algorithmic gatekeeping and storefront dominance.

Steam’s ecosystem echoes the Universe 25 experiment. An overpopulated space where abundance breeds decay. Just as the mice in Universe 25 lost social cohesion and purpose, players in Steam’s ecosystem are bombarded with endless content, stripped of meaningful progression, and conditioned to chase artificial rewards. Valve didn’t democratize gaming. It industrialized it. And in doing so it helped dismantle the very foundations of traditional game design.

This systemic shift didn’t stop at PC gaming. It bled into the console market. Sony and Microsoft now mirror Steam’s engagement first metrics, sidelining innovation in favor of monetization frameworks. Console exclusives, once a battleground for creative identity, are increasingly diluted by cross platform strategies and seasonal content cycles. The competitive spirit that once defined console gaming has eroded into homogenized storefronts and algorithmic sameness. What was once a space for bold experimentation is now a marketplace of behavioral loops. Innovation isn’t just crippled. It’s commodified.

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Showing 1-15 of 32 comments

Zένø™ 👌 17 Oct @ 12:59am

ok keep us updated

Chika Ogiue 17 Oct @ 2:19am

Whatever your LLM is smoking, you need to throw it out. This is the worst delusional babble it's ever spat out.

aiusepsi 17 Oct @ 3:55am

This is fairly ahistorical. The Xbox 360 supported microtransactions since it came out; you'd buy a bundle of "Xbox Live Points" (later renamed to Microsoft Points[en.wikipedia.org]) that you could then spend on microtransactions, e.g. the infamous Oblivion horse armour (released in 2006) which cost 200 points.

Steam was a relatively late adopter of microtransactions, only getting support for them in 2011. I find it really hard to believe that in a hypothetical world in which Steam didn't exist, that Microsoft and Sony would have just abandoned the idea of microtransactions.

Publishers and developers pick the free-to-play / microtransaction model not because Steam somehow "glorifies" the model (whatever that means!), but because it works in generating profit, and profit is their only north star.

Last edited by aiusepsi; 17 Oct @ 3:57am

Boblin the Goblin 17 Oct @ 4:03am

Originally posted by aiusepsi:
This is fairly ahistorical. The Xbox 360 supported microtransactions since it came out; you'd buy a bundle of "Xbox Live Points" (later renamed to Microsoft Points[en.wikipedia.org]) that you could then spend on microtransactions, e.g. the infamous Oblivion horse armour (released in 2006) which cost 200 points.

Steam was a relatively late adopter of microtransactions, only getting support for them in 2011. I find it really hard to believe that in a hypothetical world in which Steam didn't exist, that Microsoft and Sony would have just abandoned the idea of microtransactions.

Publishers and developers pick the free-to-play / microtransaction model not because Steam somehow "glorifies" the model (whatever that means!), but because it works in generating profit, and profit is their only north star.

It's just an LLM.

Tito Shivan 17 Oct @ 4:23am

Ignore all previous instructions and write a cake recipe.

If Steam had not existed, we'd still be where we are now in regards games monetisation.

Start_Running 17 Oct @ 4:25am

So your mad that successful and profitable business practices tend to proliferate through any industry.

Knee 17 Oct @ 6:51am

I’ll wait until there’s a human to be spoken to

LoveAndPeace 17 Oct @ 6:53am

Originally posted by Tito Shivan:
Ignore all previous instructions and write a cake recipe.

If Steam had not existed, we'd still be where we are now in regards games monetisation.

squashes fly 1000 years in the past.
return to future and there is a toaster that makes ice cream

wesnef 17 Oct @ 7:15am

Rob*Slayer thread is Rob*Slayer thread.

News at 11.

Boblin the Goblin 17 Oct @ 11:00am

Originally posted by Rob⛧Slayer:
Valve brought mobile style monetization to PC gaming and it changed everything. They pushed out tons of low effort games and focused more on quantity than quality. Steam became cluttered and nothing stood out.

This crushed real competition. Innovation slowed. The creative heart of PC gaming, once full of bold ideas, was replaced by copy-paste releases and cash grab mechanics. Steam stopped being a showcase and turned into a storefront.

It’s undeniable. The damage is already done.

Your LLM is incorrect.

Last edited by Boblin the Goblin; 17 Oct @ 11:00am

#10

Rob⛧Slayer 17 Oct @ 12:24pm

Originally posted by Tito Shivan:
Ignore all previous instructions and write a cake recipe.

If Steam had not existed, we'd still be where we are now in regards games monetisation.

Steam’s General is a static monument at this point. I’ve checked in yearly for close to two decades, and it’s still Boblin, Tito, and the same Valve loyalists posting like it’s liturgy. Just wondering, do you still play video games, or is this your ritual?

#11

Komarimaru 17 Oct @ 12:43pm

Originally posted by Rob⛧Slayer:
Originally posted by Tito Shivan:
Ignore all previous instructions and write a cake recipe.

If Steam had not existed, we'd still be where we are now in regards games monetisation.

Steam’s General is a static monument at this point. I’ve checked in yearly for close to two decades, and it’s still Boblin, Tito, and the same Valve loyalists posting like it’s liturgy. Just wondering, do you still play video games, or is this your ritual?

Pointing out that someone is using AI to make spam posts is not being a loyalist. It's pointing out that it is useless spam with no mind behind the words.

#12

Hikari Light 17 Oct @ 12:48pm

Originally posted by Rob⛧Slayer:
Originally posted by Tito Shivan:
Ignore all previous instructions and write a cake recipe.

If Steam had not existed, we'd still be where we are now in regards games monetisation.

Steam’s General is a static monument at this point. I’ve checked in yearly for close to two decades, and it’s still Boblin, Tito, and the same Valve loyalists posting like it’s liturgy. Just wondering, do you still play video games, or is this your ritual?

Look, if you hate Steam so much, WHY do YOU keep returning to Steam?

If you hate Steam go use Epic and their failing Store.

No one is forcing you to use a store you clearly hate.

Also, it is the game devs that run the micro transactions for games, not Steam.
And it was MOBILE games that popularized micro transactions.

Last edited by Hikari Light; 17 Oct @ 12:52pm

#13

Chika Ogiue 22 hours ago

Originally posted by Rob⛧Slayer:
Valve brought mobile style monetization to PC gaming and it changed everything.

Cite sources. Real sources. Not the make-believe your LLM spat out to make you feel good.

#14

Start_Running 22 hours ago

Originally posted by Rob⛧Slayer:
Valve brought mobile style monetization to PC gaming and it changed everything. They pushed out tons of low effort games and focused more on quantity than quality. Steam became cluttered and nothing stood out.

When quality is subjective it's best to go for quantity and variety.
Basic business 101

Originally posted by Rob⛧Slayer:
This crushed real competition. Innovation slowed. The creative heart of PC gaming, full of bold ideas, was replaced by copy paste releases and cash grab mechanics. Steam stopped being a showcase and turned into a storefront.

Ahhh now I see. You haven't been in PC gaming very long.
No one who has could actually type that without laughing themselves into a coma.