The advancement of computer technology alongside the seemingly never-ending growth of the internet has given companies and consumers alike new ways to sell and acquire products. More specifically, I’m talking about the digital marketplace and digital distributors. Instead of getting the “paper” product by going to the store, one can already order nearly any product online and have it shipped from sites like Amazon and E-Bay using their “plastic” online. Ah the cleverness of my title slowly reveals itself. Chances are if there is something you’re looking to buy, more than likely someone else is selling it online. However the market has grown even further for some companies that sell products that are available digitally. Music, movies, TV shows, books, computer programs and games are now all available for purchase online in a “digital” format, and you can download or stream them directly to your computer, cell phone, smart phone, gaming console, whatever it is you prefer to use all online from a digital distributor.
The digital distributor in particular that I’d like to talk about is Steam. Steam is a digital distribution platform launched in 2003 by gaming developer Valve Corp. that allows users to download a large variety of video games to their computer. The beauty of the Steam platform is really the ease of use and variety of games from all sorts of developers, and the library of available games is only growing larger. The system is simple, you download the Steam application for free at Valve’s website, create your account (also free) to login to the Steam platform. Your unique login stores all the information on any games you may have purchased. That way if you switch or buy a new computer, all you have to do is download the Steam application on that computer, input your account name and password, and re-download any games. All games you download are viewable in the Steam browser under the game tabs. The Steam platform also automatically keeps your games updated to any patches or fixes made to the game by their respective developers. To play a game you have purchased, you need only to select the game tabs, download the game, and select “play.”
How To Use Steam Video:
The Steam platform is not just limited to the purchasing and playing of games. Steam has a feature similar to AOL’s Instant Messenger and Facebook in that you have a friend’s list. You can keep track of who you’ve played with, who is online, what game they are currently playing and you can message them to chat. The Steam Store displays info about any new and upcoming games, demos of games that are free to download, and also allows you to access user-modified games. Many of the games that Valve creates are open-source and, beyond that, Valve provides the software tools to modify the game to your own liking. In doing so, the Steam platform becomes more than just a digital platform to download and play games; it has been a community where players get together and play these games online and discuss them in forums provided by Valve to talk about the games. One of Valve’s niches is that it takes feedback provided on the forums and makes changes and updates to their games. Players and groups that modify some of the open source games get a chance to advertise their games and some even get picked up by Valve for official release.
There are also plenty of educational oriented games available on Steam. For you concerned parents out there that want to monitor what your kids play, Steam does have safety features that you can activate to block the availability of playing games that are rated for Mature players as well as setting timers for how long they can play a game.
Digital distribution of products is certainly not something new; however it is increasing in popularity. I mean given the choice would you rather get in your car and drive to the store or simply click a button? How often do you buy CDs in a store compared to downloading them from Itunes. When was the last time you went to blockbuster to get a movie? Hop on your computer and go to Netflix. The truth of the matter is although these digital distributors have become popular, what are the counter-effects? I have seen three Blockbusters close near my home, Hollywood Video is all but out of business, and Strawberry, once a popular music store in my area also went out of business. This is not to say this is throwing the market for these products out of whack. Retailers simply have to adjust as consumers and the marketplace evolve as technology moves from paper to plastic to digital.
Link to Steam Platform and Valve Corp:
“I don’t understand you kids today and your damn video games”
Sincerely,
My Mother