The digital platform Steam has significantly changed the landscape of piracy in the gaming industry by offering players a high-quality service.
Advantages of a Player-Centric Approach
Valve co-founder Gabe Newell believes that the best way to combat piracy is by offering a service superior to what pirates provide. He notes that piracy arises from the lack of good service, as exemplified by Steam. Steam's ownership by Valve allows it to focus on gamer interests rather than shareholders, ensuring quality curation and fair pricing.
Why Video Game Piracy Has Become Difficult
While some games are still pirated, many gamers choose to pay for quality content. A prime example is *Kingdom Come: Deliverance II*, released without DRM protection, yet achieving impressive sales. This supports the notion that the key to success is not price but the distribution platform's reputation and service quality.
Big Companies Also Make Mistakes
Amazon's attempts to penetrate the PC game store market failed. Despite enormous financial resources, the company couldn't compete with Steam. The mistakes lay in underestimating the importance of Steam's holistic approach, which combines a store, social network, game library, and trophy system.
As demonstrated by Steam, reducing piracy is possible through providing high-quality service. It highlights how a player-focused strategy can be more effective than implementing strict content protection systems.
