With the release of Valve’s Steam Deck and the upcoming adoption of Steam on Chromebooks, Valve is demonstrating the next step in its plan for complete platform coverage and inclusion. While the idea behind wanting as broad of a base of customers might seem obvious, the minutia is more complicated than we tend to think.
Rather than acting as a method to simply access individual payments, the drive of users towards a service can serve a longer-lasting goal. This attempt marks a goal for the future of interactive entertainment services, though some are closer to reaching this point than others.
An Ideal Demonstration
With apps and dedicated programs like Steam or Microsoft’s PC Game Pass, allowing installation can be tricky. This is owed to software permissions, but some systems avoid this problem entirely. Online casino titles like the Paddy Power slot games are a prime example of how this can work. Instead of relying on separate downloads, the titles on this website like Knight Rider and Rainbow Jackpots are based on a ubiquitous HTML framework. This means practically every system that has a browser can access these services, illustrating a goal to which all other providers aspire.
The problem is, software installs are nowhere as simple as web-based solutions. Browsers work with a well-defined range of code, where the entire online world strives towards a singular set of recognized rules and use-cases. Downloadable software like Steam doesn’t have this support, and it never will. Due to the complexity of the code and the different operating systems on which it needs to run, there’s always going to be a lot of checking back and forth. This is why the Chromebook implementation has been so problematic, as noted by The Verge.
Steam, Consoles, and Player Involvement
While money for the companies comes from game purchases, value in gaming systems is about more than just the customers. Just as important is the influence from stockholders, and stock price is often tied to sheer user count as much as anything else. This is a big part of why Steam seeks out as many platforms as possible, and it’s also a driver of how modern console online services operate.
One of the most profound examples of the involvement ideal in action is in how Sony manages their online offerings with PS Live. Subscribers for this service are given free games each month, but these games are only accessible with an active subscription. Over time, as players collect larger free libraries, they’ll be increasingly tempted to stay active, building both player numbers and brand loyalty.
The same can be said for how Sony is reaching out onto PC with PSNow. Unlike Microsoft, Sony doesn’t operate a PC OS, so their games can’t traditionally be accessed on desktop systems. With game streaming, this hurdle is eliminated, adding PC coverage into their access library, and all the extra players that can imply.
As the big companies and systems compete, their grasps reach further and further out into the hardware and software space. With better availability for players a common result, this development could be a very good thing.
On the other hand, if the pattern of buying and locking exclusives to certain systems continues, the opposite could prove to be true. It’s going to be an interesting new few years as the sector tries to find a balance, and we can only hope that the players come out on top.
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