> We think there is a fundamental misconception about piracy. Piracy is almost always a service problem and not a pricing problem. If a pirate offers a product anywhere in the world, 24 x 7, purchasable from the convenience of your personal computer, and the legal provider says the product is region-locked, will come to your country 3 months after the US release, and can only be purchased at a brick and mortar store, then the pirate’s service is more valuable.
Yep. Gabe was right when he said it and he's still right now. Valve knows the product is service. This is why Epic Games Store and Microsoft Store have such a hard time. Good games come and go, but good service is good service.
And now, Valve is pushing to leave Windows, because they see which way the wind blows in Redmond. They don't want to be leashed to Microsoft in 2026 anymore than Microsoft wanted to be leashed to IBM in 1986.
- Gabe Newell