Dear Mr. Riccitiello, Mr. Troedsson, Mr. Dunn, Mr. Raines, and all those involved in the production and distribution of video games,
My name is Ben; I'm a 16-year-old web designer and avid computer gamer. I love video games and spend tons (tons) of time with computers every day.
I have neither the experience nor the ability to run the companies you do. No, I am simply an everyperson who loves his computer games.
I also love Steam. I'm sure you have all heard of this program, if not by using it yourself then by its overwhelming success. Steam, I'm sure, has affected every single person in the video game industry and beyond:
- Developers now have an excellent medium to deliver content and updates with little maintenance cost.
- Publishers no longer have to worry about DRM and CDs (as much).
- Distributors have lost profits because of this behemoth of Steam.
Primarily, however, Steam affects the gamer, the end-user, the person playing video games at the end of a day at work or school. How?
We now download our video games.
I hate downloading software from Steam. The service is too popular for its servers; updates and downloads are slow. More importantly, American gamers will have (and Canadian gamers already have) download caps and overage fees on their internet connections! Why, then, do I continue to use Steam?
Steam provides many, many benefits over boxed software that more than make up for the service's shortcomings.
- We can chat with our buddies in-game.
- We can launch our games from a centralized hub.
- We can run our games anywhere, on any platform.
- We receive hassle-free updates to our games
- We only need one account.
In my mind, and (according to Steam's success) many others, these benefits more than make up for 2-hour installs.
Now, of course, this letter is not intended as a rant/rave to Steam's support team. I have an idea for you: cash in on Steam's slowness,
Offer Steam redemption keys with your boxed video games.
Sure, you've tried offering exclusive items and cash-back to draw customers back to your brick-and-mortar-and-flourescent-lighting stores. Just offer what gamers really want. Offer Steam.
I wrote an earlier version of this letter about a year ago that I never published. Now I realize I should have because I made another really really important point in it. It may be too late, but I warn against creating another Steam-type service, like EA's new Origin.
Why?
Creating a new service neutralizes every benefit of your new service and Steam:
- We cannot chat with our buddies if they are using a different service. (Unless we launch them through one service, i.e. "add a non-Steam game")
- We cannot launch our games from one hub.
- We cannot run our games anywhere unless we have two separate products.
- We need to launch two services competing for our internet connection to update.
- We need two accounts.
Sadly, I think I know why you are doing this: you want to make 30% more money on each purchase. You want to dodge Steam's distribution fee. Frankly, to snap out of my tone of respect, that's disgusting. Yes, 30% is a buttload of money, but for once can you respect the customer, the gamer?
I decided to finally release this letter on hearing about the final plan for EA's Steam Origin. Please, please, please, don't fracture the market, don't ruin the service Steam already provides.
EA, BestBuy, Gamestop, DICE, everyone, please:
If you'd distribute your games on Steam, everyone would be happy. I'd shop in your fluorescent showrooms once more.
Most sincerely, Ben