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Gabe Newell Wants to Support Linux, Because Windows 8 is a 'Catastrophe'

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Re: Gabe Newell Wants to Support Linux, Because Windows 8 is a 'Catastrophe'

#21

Post by arohner »

ajross wrote: post #15
trotsky wrote: post #3

I'm all for linux support, but clearly he's more worried about a future with microsoft taking their digital delivery business, not usability.

Or Apple, or Google, or Amazon. Steam is, really, just an app store. And that's becoming part of the platform in the modern world. Frankly I think the sanest option here would be for MS to simply buy Valve and turn them into the "Windows App Store". But I can't imagine that happening given all the internal churn that would be required to eliminate all their existing online purchase junk.

I'm pretty sure Valve wouldn't sell to MS for any amount of money.

Gabe is a billionaire, and left MS to do his own stuff. And Valve culture sounds incompatible w/ MS culture.

Re: Gabe Newell Wants to Support Linux, Because Windows 8 is a 'Catastrophe'

#22

Post by tikhonj »

Donito wrote: post #9

The title should be: "Gabe Newell Wants to Support Linux, Because Windows 8 is a 'Catastrophe' [for steam]". Steam is, from a user perspective, a video game marketplace on PC. In Win8, they will have to compete with the built-in windows marketplace, where most games will published directly. In other words, Win8 is a catastrophe for them as it's endangering their business.

The worst problem isn't competing with the Microsoft marketplace--it's not being able to compete. And that's exactly what Windows 8 Rt threatens. Microsoft has decided to emulate Apple and be evil on tablets.

Re: Gabe Newell Wants to Support Linux, Because Windows 8 is a 'Catastrophe'

#23

Post by bcbrown »

commandar wrote: post #17
recoiledsnake wrote: post #12

I think the headline of the article is pretty misleading as he means that Windows 8 is a catastrophe for Steam because of the Windows 8 app store. Looks like everyone's upvoting the article because they seem to think that Gabe meant that Windows 8 will be a failure. Instead of having to go through Steam's distribution, games will have the option of going directly to the Windows 8 app store and get featured there, not…

What are you basing this on? The quote in both the linked article and the AllThingsD piece indicates that he said "I think Windows 8 is a catastrophe for everyone in the PC space." He isn't just talking about Valve.

A business catastrophe, not a usability or market catastrophe. "I think margins will be destroyed for a bunch of people."

Re: Gabe Newell Wants to Support Linux, Because Windows 8 is a 'Catastrophe'

#25

Post by malkia »

recoiledsnake wrote: post #12

I think the headline of the article is pretty misleading as he means that Windows 8 is a catastrophe for Steam because of the Windows 8 app store. Looks like everyone's upvoting the article because they seem to think that Gabe meant that Windows 8 will be a failure. Instead of having to go through Steam's distribution, games will have the option of going directly to the Windows 8 app store and get featured there, not…

"Microsoft is charging between 20 to 30%" - I think that's too much, it must be much less than that, but I don't know for sure.

Re: Gabe Newell Wants to Support Linux, Because Windows 8 is a 'Catastrophe'

#26

Post by farinasa »

Many people say that they have this or that application that keeps them clinging to windows and for me it has always been games. If it weren't for games, I would never use windows on any of my personal machines again, let alone purchase it. Linux distros don't even sell their products yet somehow are better thought out than any version of windows.

Re: Gabe Newell Wants to Support Linux, Because Windows 8 is a 'Catastrophe'

#27

Post by cooldeal »

bcbrown wrote: post #23
commandar wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What are you basing this on? The quote in both the linked article and the AllThingsD piece indicates that he said "I think Windows 8 is a catastrophe for everyone in the PC space." He isn't just talking about Valve.

A business catastrophe, not a usability or market catastrophe. "I think margins will be destroyed for a bunch of people."

You're right, and I also wouldn't trust anything he says about Windows 8 since he has a vested interest in keeping easy distribution restricted to Steam. He will face no such competition on Linux.

Re: Gabe Newell Wants to Support Linux, Because Windows 8 is a 'Catastrophe'

#28

Post by trotsky »

ajross wrote: post #15
trotsky wrote: post #3

I'm all for linux support, but clearly he's more worried about a future with microsoft taking their digital delivery business, not usability.

Or Apple, or Google, or Amazon. Steam is, really, just an app store. And that's becoming part of the platform in the modern world. Frankly I think the sanest option here would be for MS to simply buy Valve and turn them into the "Windows App Store". But I can't imagine that happening given all the internal churn that would be required to eliminate all their existing online purchase junk.

The difference being only one of them owns the platform steam gets practically all of their revenue from.

Re: Gabe Newell Wants to Support Linux, Because Windows 8 is a 'Catastrophe'

#29

Post by malkia »

arohner wrote: post #21
ajross wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Or Apple, or Google, or Amazon. Steam is, really, just an app store. And that's becoming part of the platform in the modern world. Frankly I think the sanest option here would be for MS to simply buy Valve and turn them into the "Windows App Store". But I can't imagine that happening given all the internal churn that would be required to eliminate all their existing online purchase junk.

I'm pretty sure Valve wouldn't sell to MS for any amount of money. Gabe is a billionaire, and left MS to do his own stuff. And Valve culture sounds incompatible w/ MS culture.

Spot on. More likely Google fit, than anyone else. "Engineering rules" culture and almost "flat" hierarchy.

Re: Gabe Newell Wants to Support Linux, Because Windows 8 is a 'Catastrophe'

#30

Post by landr0id »

Donito wrote: post #9

The title should be: "Gabe Newell Wants to Support Linux, Because Windows 8 is a 'Catastrophe' [for steam]". Steam is, from a user perspective, a video game marketplace on PC. In Win8, they will have to compete with the built-in windows marketplace, where most games will published directly. In other words, Win8 is a catastrophe for them as it's endangering their business.

> In Win8, they will have to compete with the built-in windows marketplace, where most games will published directly.

Has there been any talk from major publishers/developers that they're actually looking at the Windows 8 marketplace as a serious option? Steam seems to be very friendly towards developers/publishers in terms of pushing out updates, cert, advertising. Plus, Steam has pretty good support for customers. What will the Windows 8 marketplace offer or do better to provide the sort of incentive needed to attract big players?

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