this post was submitted on 27 Aug 2024
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Gaming has been the only pathway to mainstream desktop since forever. I've been around for a hot minute and I remember that consistently, the "real Linux users" for years repeated "we don't need gaming this is an adult OS go back to Windows and play with your toys" and then turned around and whined that no one wanted to use desktop Linux. Valve stepped in and casually created the year of the Linux desktop as a side-effect of just wanting an escape hatch for their business model. Now the casuals and elitists alike will have a better experience via the magic of Marketshare, and all it really took is not listening to people that don't know what's good for them.
What do you mean by an escape hatch. Valve have been messing with hardware and Linux for way longer than the Steam Deck.
"Escape hatch" specifically refers to the speculation that Valve is positioning themselves in a way that they can't be forced into paying fees for existing on the Windows platform, and that if push comes to shove they can say they only support Linux now. This hasn't happened yet, but it's a strategic stance which will likely prevent it from even beginning to happen. This doesn't have to do with the Steam Deck specifically; it was also part of their intentions with the Steam Machine and etc.
Huh. That's actually a pretty good take.
I would also wager that Valve was worried about Microsoft attempting to use "creative" methods to compete with Steam and chipping away at them, like hidden API. Its not like Valve knew that Microsoft's attempt would continue to flop so hard for decades that they couldn't even try that.
Yeah no, it makes heaps of sense. It just initially sounded to me like the person was implying the Steam Deck is Valve's escape hatch from running the Steam store. Which would be ridiculous, the two business sectors aren't even close to the same order of magnitude.
It's not a take, that was their actual reasoning behind it. Gabe knew Microsoft well, as a former employee.
Sometime around Windows 8 Microsoft started making noises about closing the Windows ecosystem and making people buy software through their store. This would have shut things like Steam out, so Valve said "Okay, we're going to make a Linux-based gaming platform, because we think gamers will follow us and not you. Also we're going to create console-like gaming PCs called Steam Machines and make our own controller, because we think we can win against Xbox, too." Microsoft didn't lock down the platform, Steam Machines didn't really go anywhere, but it laid a lot of the groundwork for the Steam Deck.
Thank you for the history, I appreciate it. Hopefully Valve releases SteamOS properly soon, it could be the resurgence of the Steam Machine!