Valve‘s Steam service could be the best thing to happen to console gaming, if Sony and Microsoft pay attention. If you’ve been paying attention, there is a lot of talk about the next generation of gaming consoles: Sony is expected to reveal the PlayStation 4 next week, while Microsoft is once again at the center of a rumor saying they’ll render used games useless on their followup to the Xbox 360 (something Sony is also rumored to be doing). Those rumors are not being warmly accepted by many; consumers don’t typically like being told that the item they bought is only theirs under certain conditions, and I don’t necessarily like the idea of the next Xbox requiring a constant online connection to be used.
This should be something most gamers are worried about… developers have shown us in the past that they don’t always have our best interests in mind, at least when it comes to such efforts, whether it was Ubisoft’s broken system that allowed pirates to play while legitimate owners couldn’t, or the fact that some games in the PlayStation Store cost way too much for what they are… so how to make sure that these consoles survive, if the rumors are true?
In fact, Valve‘s Steam service, which is trying to become a part of the console scene, could be the savior console gamers are looking for. Here’s what Sony and Microsoft (and heck, even Nintendo) should learn from Steam:
1) Digital Content
If you’re going to take away my right to resell games that I purchase, then why should I even bother with buying a physical game in the first place? Make every title available in your online marketplaces, regardless of whether it’s an indie title, a low-budget piece of shovelware, or a triple-A title.
2) Sales
One thing Steam is known for — perhaps what it’s BEST known for — is the constant stream of sales. Gamers can pick up a big title for practically nothing at times, especially during the annual Steam Holiday Sale, but also throughout the year with promotions like the “Midweek Madness” offerings. This is where Steam shines and the others look like crap: why spend thousands of MS Points for something I can get for 75% off elsewhere? As a longtime console gamer just entering PC gaming, Steam‘s sales have made me choose my PC over my console more than a few times.
3) Change Pricing In General
Related to the “sale” idea, you can even go one better and not charge $60 for a game anymore. I know development costs are high, yadda yadda yadda, you won’t be producing game discs and cases anymore, so you’ll have no excuse for not selling content for cheaper. If I can pick up a brand new game for $40 from Steam, which I obviously can and then some, I should be able to do so on the PSN or Xbox Live Marketplace.
4) Free Online Play
This won’t happen. Microsoft has made so much money on Xbox Live Gold that they’d be stupid to abandon charging. Still, it’d be a nice touch and a sign of goodwill to consumers that you understand you’re asking them to give up a lot with the whole “that game you bought, you can never sell it to someone else because we said so” idea.
Will any of my ideas be implemented? Well, #4 won’t, but Nintendo has already shown themselves to be exceedingly friendly to indie developers, much like Steam, so it’s a start, but not enough. Let’s hope that whatever happens, consumers don’t get left behind by greed or misguided attempts to make sure developers get the profits they deserve.
