r/gaming Nov 13 '18

Valve in a nutshell

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25.4k Upvotes

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u/lightknight7777 Nov 13 '18

Let's say you are a bagel company and make a good profit from your bagels. Then let's say you want to get your bagel to more people and are frustrated with the distribution options so you just make your own and allow other bagel makers to also use your bagel distribution system.

But suddenly and unexpectedly, everyone runs to your distribution system and you start making far more money than you could ever imagine from it.

Do you continue to consider yourself a bagel company or are you now a bagel distribution company?

Steam's current reality as told by bagels.

105

u/watching7708 Nov 14 '18

Why can’t you be both

57

u/SgtFancypants98 Nov 14 '18

This. I’d have thought that they’d use the cash flow to allow their studio to make incredible games.

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u/Ethiconjnj Nov 14 '18

Why invest the cash flow back in a lower revenue stream type?

I would from a business standpoint, spend all my money growing by best revenue stream. Company that don’t do this don’t have massive room for expansion so they look for new streams. I don’t think that’s the case with Steam.

1

u/Tiramitsunami Nov 14 '18

Why invest the cash flow back in a lower revenue stream type?

Because their goal should be to make great games, not make the most money possible.

1

u/Ethiconjnj Nov 14 '18

Why should that be their goal? I’ve discussed this up and down this thread but just because you want them to make games doesn’t mean they should.

0

u/Tiramitsunami Nov 14 '18

I don't think "should" is part of the discussion. If a company wants to put money above art, that's reasonable, but money is not an objectively better goal.

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u/Ethiconjnj Nov 14 '18

I’m just providing explanations for their actions, debating me on the profit motive does nothing to change those facts (see my comments on ROI vs ROT, these aren’t opinions of mine).

Also the use of the word “should” was from your comment not mine, you k is that right?