Steam
Steam business and news from across the web.
Why Gabe Newell Quit Making Games (It's Weirder Than You Think)This article explores the unique leadership challenges faced by Valve co-founder Gabe Newell, stemming from his immense influence and the company's flat organizational structure. Newell's attempts to be an equal team member were often hindered by employees' deference, leading him to step back from direct creative input. This shift, while intended to foster autonomy, is argued to have contributed to years of project cancellations and creative stagnation at Valve, with the company only recently showing signs of renewed focus with titles like Half-Life: Alyx and Counter-Strike 2.- Evening Legal BriefsThe FTC has indicated that Mastercard's past actions pressuring Steam to remove NSFW games were not viewed favorably. Separately, a legal ruling may allow a class-action lawsuit against Meta concerning alleged torrenting activities to proceed.
Remember when Mastercard pressured Steam to remove a bunch of NSFW games? The FTC says that's not cool—sort…The US Federal Trade Commission has sent letters to major financial services companies like Mastercard, Visa, PayPal, and Stripe, expressing concerns about potential political or religious discrimination in their services. This action follows Valve's report that Mastercard pressured Steam to remove NSFW games, a claim Mastercard denies, stating they only allow lawful purchases. The FTC's investigation could impact how payment processors handle content restrictions.- Exertis Ztorm joins forces with enCaps to offer publishers a single solution to manage their entire games distribution ecosystemExertis Ztorm and enCaps have partnered to provide publishers with a unified solution for managing their entire game distribution ecosystem. This integration allows publishers to handle both direct and indirect reseller channels through enCaps' Point Nexus platform and Exertis Ztorm's managed services, offering enhanced security, transparency, and efficiency in the expanding digital games market.
Steam Gamer’s 9-Category Library System Goes Viral for Perfect OrganizationA viral Steam library organization system, shared by a user on Reddit, has gained significant traction within the PC gaming community. The nine-category system aims to bring order to large game collections by tracking game status from purchase to completion, including categories for games waiting for achievements or DLC, dropped titles, and regretted purchases.
Developer Creativity Minds Studio Drops Quick Bug Fixes for UI & Pause IssuesCreativity Minds Studio has released a quick bug fix update for their Steam game, addressing issues with the user interface and pause menu. The developer's swift response to player-reported problems highlights their commitment to post-launch support and community engagement. This update is available now on Steam.
Steam gets big ups for promoting the human artists behind its latest spring sale graphics: 'Thank you for using…Valve is being praised for crediting the human artists behind the graphics for its latest Steam Spring Sale. This move is seen as a positive contrast to the increasing use of AI-generated art in digital storefronts. The recognition of artists like Tiffany Diep has generated enthusiastic reactions online, particularly in light of recent controversies surrounding AI art.- Steam Spring Sale BeginsThe Steam Spring Sale has officially begun, coinciding with the start of astronomical spring in the Northern Hemisphere. The week-long event offers discounts on thousands of games available on the PC platform.
The Steam Spring Sale 2026 kicks off with discounts on thousands of games of every typeThe 2026 Steam Spring Sale has begun, featuring discounts on thousands of games across various genres. This marks the fourth official Steam Spring Sale, a seasonal event that Valve introduced in 2022. The sale runs until March 26 and offers a wide array of deals on the PC platform.
Solo Dev Breaks Down After $250K First Week on Steam: ‘I Don’t Deserve This’A solo game developer experienced an emotional breakthrough after their game earned $250,000 on Steam within its first week of release. After four years of dedicated work, the developer expressed feelings of humility and gratitude for the overwhelming success, highlighting the challenges and rewards of independent game creation.- etc.Two games released on Steam with identical names, narrowly avoiding a naming conflict. The situation was resolved through cooperative communication between the developers, who acted 'like human beings' to find a solution.
Steam Gamer With 3,000 Games Sparks Debate Over Digital Library InheritanceA discussion has emerged within the gaming community regarding the inheritance of digital game libraries, particularly on platforms like Steam. Users are questioning what happens to their purchased games upon death, as current terms of service generally treat game purchases as licenses rather than outright ownership, preventing library transfer.- Morning MetaverseThe article discusses the new Internet Speed Test feature in Windows 11, noting it primarily functions as a shortcut to Bing. It also touches on Steam Remote Play's effectiveness over LAN and mentions a modern alternative to PuTTY.
The $45 Grind: Grassroots Steam Competition Proves Every Dollar CountsA grassroots esports competition on Steam with a $45 prize pool highlights the pure love of competition over financial gain. The week-long event, running from March 12 to March 18, features a prize distribution for the top five players, emphasizing skill and dedication over fame or corporate sponsorship. This event serves as a reminder of the foundational elements of competitive gaming that exist beyond large-scale tournaments.
Performing Right Society (PRS) sues Valve over video game musicValve Corporation is being sued by the Performing Right Society (PRS) in the UK over music licensing for games sold on its Steam platform. PRS claims Valve has not engaged appropriately on licensing issues for years. This lawsuit is separate from other ongoing legal challenges Valve faces.- Remote PC Gaming Anywhere: How to Play Your Steam Game on iPad With DeskIn - Walkthrough, Tips, ReviewDeskIn is a remote desktop software that allows users to stream PC games from their home Windows PC to devices like iPads, iPhones, and Android smartphones. It offers features such as up to 4K 60FPS streaming, low latency, customizable controls, and controller support, making it suitable for playing games on the go without a gaming laptop. The guide details setup steps for both the PC and mobile devices, including optimizing performance and activating game mode.
The next Xbox is Project Helix, and it will play PC gamesMicrosoft Gaming boss Asha Sharma has revealed the codename for the next Xbox console is Project Helix, featuring a new logo and confirming it will be capable of playing both Xbox and PC games. This direction aligns with previous discussions about integrating PC game libraries and aims to compete with platforms like Steam Deck.
SteamInputDB is a new site to help you find Steam Input configurations for your gamepadsSteamInputDB has launched as a third-party community site to help users find Steam Input configurations for various gamepads and Steam games. The site utilizes the Steam API to pull community configurations and is open source with future features planned.
AMD Reportedly Pauses Ryzen Z1 Drivers — Bad News for Gaming HandheldsAMD has reportedly halted driver development for its Ryzen Z1 and Z1 Extreme chipsets, impacting gaming handhelds like the Lenovo Legion Go and ASUS ROG Ally. This decision leaves owners of these devices with outdated software, potentially leading to performance issues and a lack of support for new games. The move raises concerns about planned obsolescence in the burgeoning Windows handheld market.
"It needs to cooperate fairly, and it's clearly not." Why Valve is facing a £656m day in the UK courtsA UK court has allowed a class-action lawsuit against Valve to proceed, alleging the company violates competition law through its 30% revenue share on Steam and price parity requirements. Digital safety campaigner Vicki Shotbolt is leading the case, seeking up to £656 million in damages for UK consumers. The lawsuit argues that Valve's practices harm consumers by inflating game prices and limiting developer pricing flexibility.