The Duff CEO with a Windows-Logo on his forehead: "Gamers use Windows because of its' user experience not our de facto monopoly."
Next Image: Duff CEO with Windows-Logo in front of a "Out of Business" sign. Subtitle: "30 minutes after SteamOS is released"
Edit: Yo, I'm not saying this is gonna happen. I just want to say that Windew's UX sucks ass.
Why do steam users act like their game company and their billionaire is somehow their friend?
Am I missing something? The meme says "Windows bad" not "Valve is our friend."
I don't need Steam to win, I want windows to lose.
It's windows derangement syndrome, sadly afflicts many on the lemmyverse
Because it's a Linux distribution. They're forced to be our friends because of a brilliant legal tactic that has been working marvelously. For Steam itself we have to trust a billionaire pinky promise that he won't enshittify. But if Linux becomes a major gaming platform, it could be a major turning point for free software adoption in general.
So steam has had 20 years to enshitify, in that time they have always remained a privately held company and have made choices to ensure long term growth. I imagine at some point (like after gaben hands over control) they could go public and obtain their very own collection of worthless bloodsucking vampires, but i imagine that would be quite awhile, and hopefully by then they will have removed windows death grip from gamers throats.
I don't, its just valve demolishes apple and microsoft in the "don't be hostile to your users" category
I'm not but they have done a lot to make gaming on Linux more viable.
Happy cake day!
Because monopolies are good when it's one that I like!
It's not a monopoly and it's certainly one of the best services out there so if GabeN has a spot in the line, it's at the back of it.
If Steam isn't a monopoly because the Epic Games store and GoG exists, then Windows isn't a monopoly because Mac and Linux exist.
Look, I like Valve. They are better than the vast majority of big game companies out there. They aren't perfect, though, and they definitely have a monopoly on online PC game distribution. We shouldn't be blind to that.
There are people using Windows who would very much rather not use Windows but need to because it is the only way to use given software. I haven't heard of anyone who would very much rather not use Steam but has to in order to access a given game.
In this regard Windows has more in common with Epic and their paid exclusives than Steam.
Which still doesn't disprove the monopoly claim. Steam can be a monopoly even if people like to use it. Valve could very well change in the future. We can hope for the best, but we're basing a lot on the continued goodwill of a single company.
Steam is a "monopoly" because some devs don't bother selling their games on other stores. If they wanted to make their games available on other stores tomorrow they could do so very easily.
Windows is a "monopoly" because certain software is not compatible with other OSs, if the devs wanted to make them available on other OSs tomorrow that would be very difficult.
Epic is a "monopoly" because they are legally binding devs to not make their games available on other stores. If they wanted to make their games available in other stores tomorrow they are legally not allowed to do so.
Which is to say if Valve changes in the future and becomes shit companies and users can easily leave for other platforms.
Steam is a monopoly because if devs try to sell on other stores, they will make less money. It's a feedback loop. We buy games on Steam because all the games are there, and devs put games on Steam because all the customers are there.
Epic actually tried to get around this by offering very lucrative exclusivity deals to devs. That still didn't work.
That doesn't describe a monopoly at all. That just describes the free market.
I refuse to touch Epic because of their exclusivity deals. So in my case the exclusivity is actually harmful for sales..
Libertarian much? The free market can and does create monopolies all the time. Libertarian philosophy doesn't believe it because it's an obvious flaw.