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Steam anti-trust lawsuit
Posted: Mon Nov 28, 2022 5:20 am
by Itseasytosee2me
Oh man! It looks like the game distribution platform Steam is in a load of hot water for artificially increasing the prices of video games in the dang games industry!
And oh, what's this? They've gone into arbitration rather than fighting a class action lawsuit.
There is no possible way this could backfire on them!
Re: Steam anti-trust lawsuit
Posted: Mon Nov 28, 2022 6:03 am
by Farquaar
Any articles with good details?
Re: Steam anti-trust lawsuit
Posted: Mon Nov 28, 2022 6:40 am
by Itseasytosee2me
Farquaar wrote: ↑Mon Nov 28, 2022 6:03 am
Any articles with good details?
There's a few legal journals out there, and a few articles, but the legal are sparse as of right now, and probably will be until arbitration is over. Lawyers still aren't playing their full hand yet.
This was a good one
https://topclassactions.com/lawsuit-set ... bitration/
The main argument is that steam is manipulating the video game market by taking 30% commissions on game sales and binding developers to not offering the game anywhere else cheaper. This combined with its stranglehold on the industry makes it in violation of anti-trust laws.
It's likely that valve is going to settle instead of taking it to court, and with the current proceedings its probably gonna be alot.
Re: Steam anti-trust lawsuit
Posted: Mon Nov 28, 2022 7:42 am
by TheSmallBlue
wait, valve doesn't allow developers to sell their games on other pc storefronts aside of steam?
Re: Steam anti-trust lawsuit
Posted: Mon Nov 28, 2022 7:42 am
by TheSmallBlue
wait, valve doesn't allow developers to sell their games on other pc storefronts aside of steam?
Re: Steam anti-trust lawsuit
Posted: Mon Nov 28, 2022 7:59 am
by Rohen_Tahir
TheSmallBlue wrote: ↑Mon Nov 28, 2022 7:42 am
wait, valve doesn't allow developers to sell their games on other pc storefronts aside of steam?
yeah
Re: Steam anti-trust lawsuit
Posted: Mon Nov 28, 2022 7:59 am
by Rohen_Tahir
TheSmallBlue wrote: ↑Mon Nov 28, 2022 7:42 am
wait, valve doesn't allow developers to sell their games on other pc storefronts aside of steam?
yeah
Re: Steam anti-trust lawsuit
Posted: Mon Nov 28, 2022 7:59 am
by Rohen_Tahir
TheSmallBlue wrote: ↑Mon Nov 28, 2022 7:42 am
wait, valve doesn't allow developers to sell their games on other pc storefronts aside of steam?
yeah
Re: Steam anti-trust lawsuit
Posted: Mon Nov 28, 2022 6:02 pm
by Agux909
Ah I made a big post about this being a skill issue between different corps but apparently, these anti-trust laws defend fair competitivity itself and that's the angle against what Steam is doing with the monopolization.
Re: Steam anti-trust lawsuit
Posted: Mon Nov 28, 2022 6:30 pm
by Indie-ana Jones
How does Steam taking 30% stop developers from selling their games for cheaper?
Re: Steam anti-trust lawsuit
Posted: Mon Nov 28, 2022 6:35 pm
by Agux909
I think it's in the contract, they can't or would be breaching it.
Re: Steam anti-trust lawsuit
Posted: Mon Nov 28, 2022 6:39 pm
by Itseasytosee2me
Indie-ana Jones wrote: ↑Mon Nov 28, 2022 6:30 pm
How does Steam taking 30% stop developers from selling their games for cheaper?
Steam has a monopoly on online game storefronts. If developers want their game to have proper exposure on a reputable platform, and they aren’t being directly published by epic or something, steam is the only place to go. They can drive up prices everywhere else a game might be sold because developers have to set the prices high after steam takes their cut. Steam won’t accept prices for games if you are listing them cheaper elsewhere. If you wanna be on steam, (and big budget names HAVE ago be on steam) you have to inflate the price of your game.
Re: Steam anti-trust lawsuit
Posted: Mon Nov 28, 2022 10:38 pm
by Indie-ana Jones
So Steam has a monopoly in theory because Timmy is too retarded to make a proper storefront?
Re: Steam anti-trust lawsuit
Posted: Tue Nov 29, 2022 3:00 am
by Itseasytosee2me
Indie-ana Jones wrote: ↑Mon Nov 28, 2022 10:38 pm
So Steam has a monopoly in theory because Timmy is too retarded to make a proper storefront?
I mean, if the ability to drastically alter and inflate the video game market is evidence, yea
Re: Steam anti-trust lawsuit
Posted: Wed Nov 30, 2022 6:25 am
by oranges
Indie-ana Jones wrote: ↑Mon Nov 28, 2022 10:38 pm
So Steam has a monopoly in theory because Timmy is too retarded to make a proper storefront?
also people really really don't like multiple digital storefronts
Re: Steam anti-trust lawsuit
Posted: Wed Nov 30, 2022 10:03 am
by Pandarsenic
"Of course we'll bundle our MorganNet software with the new network nodes; our customers expect no less of us. We have never sought to become a monopoly. Our products are simply so good that no one feels the need to compete with us."
--CEO Nwabudike Morgan,
Morgan Data Systems press release
Re: Steam anti-trust lawsuit
Posted: Wed Nov 30, 2022 10:19 am
by Imitates-The-Lizards
The only good alt storefront is GOG Galaxy. EGS is just trying to bribe their way to marketshare using free games, but lack the technical knowhow to make a fucking shopping cart, no one likes single developer platforms like the Bethesda or Rockstar launchers (Battle.net is the only exception because of Blizzard legacy), especially since the Bethesda one was basically just built to not have to comply with Steam's refund policies when they knew F76 launch would be dogshit.
Steam isn't a monopoly because they're amazing, it's because they're the only one that has good tech, good policies (generally, although some of their game denies have been questionable), good selection, and good pricing with sales all the time. They're a monopoly due to everyone else's incompetence, so them getting sued over this is ridiculous. If everyone else is too stupid to compete, why should Steam get punished for that?
The only exception is GOG Galaxy, who simply came on to the scene after Steam was established.
Re: Steam anti-trust lawsuit
Posted: Wed Nov 30, 2022 11:20 am
by Agux909
Imitates-The-Lizards wrote: ↑Wed Nov 30, 2022 10:19 am
The only good alt storefront is GOG Galaxy. EGS is just trying to bribe their way to marketshare using free games, but lack the technical knowhow to make a fucking shopping cart, no one likes single developer platforms like the Bethesda or Rockstar launchers (Battle.net is the only exception because of Blizzard legacy), especially since the Bethesda one was basically just built to not have to comply with Steam's refund policies when they knew F76 launch would be dogshit.
Steam isn't a monopoly because they're amazing, it's because they're the only one that has good tech, good policies (generally, although some of their game denies have been questionable), good selection, and good pricing with sales all the time. They're a monopoly due to everyone else's incompetence, so them getting sued over this is ridiculous. If everyone else is too stupid to compete, why should Steam get punished for that?
The only exception is GOG Galaxy, who simply came on to the scene after Steam was established.
Yeah pretty much.
Re: Steam anti-trust lawsuit
Posted: Wed Nov 30, 2022 11:30 pm
by Super Aggro Crag
this is like suing kentucky fried chicken because you own a single chicken restaurant in delaware and you're mad people in idaho aint buying your chicken
or maybe it isnt, im not a lawyer, i think laws are cringe