164
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
view the rest of the comments
this post was submitted on 14 Jan 2025
164 points (98.8% liked)
PC Gaming
6740 readers
1 users here now
Rule #1: Be civil
Rule #2: No spam, memes, off-topic, or low-effort posts/comments
Rule #3: No advertisements
Rule #4: No streams, random gameplay videos, highlights, or shorts
Rule #5: No erotic games or porn
Rule #6: No facilitating piracy
Rule #7: No duplicates
founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
Likely they are trying to stave off Microsoft's crosshairs for a bit. Valve is big, but Microsoft is WAY bigger, and when they decide they want to crush you, crush you they will.
If Valve were to make SteamOS good enough that a significant market share started using it; Microsoft will start doing everything in their power to drown it out as fast as possible.
If you're under about...35 or so, you are unlikely to remember all of the shadow corporations that came out of the woodwork under Microsoft's control to sue anyone using Linux into oblivion and to spread lies and fear during the late 90's and early 2k's. If you think Google is bad, Microsoft is way worse.
Just like Microsoft crushed the iPod with Zune or Sony with XBox.
Valve is big enough and entrenched enough—and MS fucks up consumer stuff enough—that I doubt they are really at risk of being crushed.
And MS failed at crushing Linux or the major Linux vendors even during the SCO phase.
lol -- You know... I never thought of it like that. All of the people they tried to crush never really went away.
...for each attempt Microsoft has made at crushing someone they deemed a competitor -- they sure are bad at it.
However, others weren't so lucky:
Though, I'm not so sure that last list was all Microsoft. More of a Microsoft + Market Pressures type of death.
The Nokia Windows Phones were so good. I LOVED the polycarbonate bodies and could be smushed back if you dented it.
Microsoft would have a hard time crushing the biggest gaming store in the industry. I think this is more of a "don't fuck around or you'll find out" from Valve to Microsoft.
Valve is put in a weak position if they're entirely reliant on Windows. Having another option that grows in market share puts them on better negotiating footing, should the need arise.
Nah, I agree with the above poster. Valve is treading lightly because it's still in a weak position. Also if there's one thing I'm sure of in this world is that microsoft are genuinely evil, and they will do everything to crush opposition. They have the resources, the time, heck, they probably have an army of lawmakers in their pockets too. They're probably being more benevolent because it's cheaper than all out war ( see sony ). They're probably working an EEE angle that I can't figure out.
They invested 8 figure numbers in xbox and windows gaming at this point, they won't let that escape. I suspect it's even possible that they would somehow convince Valve to drop Linux support if it got too much for their taste. Who knows what the relationship is these days between Gabe and his former employer.
On this topic, it's not about the money (getting paid off, or absorbed) for valve - they will continue their linux projects because the only goal is ensuring they have somewhere to sell games if MS went nuclear. While the immediate threat of windows store monopoly has subsided, SteamOS as a whole is a contingency plan over everything else, since the beginning.
Don't underestimate the power of the darkside.
Everything, except making a more attractive OS
Or, like their entire business model for the last decade or two, they're focused on competing at a service level rather than trying to push everyone out of the market by force.
Microsoft has made sure to make their library of games available on Steam for a reason. They know they can't... or won't compete at a service level.