Steam !
Give Me Steam! : Another great post by Om Malik, this one related to Steam, Valve Software's games distribution system. Steam was initially used to distribute Half-Life 2, one of the most awaited games in history and what many people consider the best game ever made. Steam is a great way for the producer / developer to get the money they deserve, without going through middle-persons and retailer shops that get most of the money for each sale. It also enables direct updates / patching , the ability to download demos and even talk to your friends ( Instant Messaging ). Overall, its a great system and I, also, wonder why most of the companies out there haven't adopted a similar system or even better teamed up with Valve to distribute their games though this channel. Of course, Valve is not (yet) perfect. There are issues here and there ( when I formatted my previous laptop, I couldn't get steam and half-life 2 -- which I bought from Amazon.co.uk -- to work, because according to Steam I have already installed it on another system, that is the laptop I formatted..anyhow ), but most of them are being worked out and the system is really coming of age.
As a collector of games ( and books ), I appreciate a good package ( box, manual, extras ) just like any gamer. However, the benefits of a such a system will clearly make Steam and other similar services that may follow the dominant distribution channel for all things software in the not that distant future. Resistance is futile.
