Microsoft significantly expands its PC gaming presence by adding almost 400 new games to the Xbox app, intensifying competition with Steam and Battle.net. This move, fueled by the Activision Blizzard acquisition, strengthens Microsoft’s multi-platform gaming strategy and enhances the Xbox app’s functionality with features like Xbox Play Anywhere.
Steam reached a record-breaking 39,205,447 concurrent players on December 8th, 2024, surpassing its previous record by over a million. This surge is attributed to the simultaneous release of major titles like Path of Exile 2 and Marvel Rivals, alongside continued popularity of established games. Will Steam hit 40 million concurrent players before the year’s end?
2K Games has finally removed its much-maligned launcher from all its Steam and Epic Games Store titles, allowing players to access games like Bioshock, Mafia, and Civilization without extra hoops. This move is a welcome relief for gamers tired of bloated and buggy secondary launchers.
Ubisoft, along with other unnamed publishers, reportedly wants Valve to restrict or disable the Steam APIs used by sites like SteamDB and Steam Charts, which provide public data on game performance and sales. This move comes after the underperformance of Ubisoft’s Star Wars Outlaws, highlighting the tension between publishers and the transparency offered by these third-party websites.
Valve’s Steam client has officially ended support for Windows 7 and 8, impacting a small but significant number of users. This move, driven by security concerns and reliance on updated technologies, prevents access to new features and leaves older systems vulnerable.
Valve Corporation has officially launched a new game recording feature on Steam, allowing players to capture, replay, and share their gaming moments directly from their PC or Steam Deck. This built-in system offers streamlined tools and features like background recording, on-demand recording, and timeline markers, eliminating the need for external software.
Steam’s new game recording feature is now available to all users, offering a powerful and user-friendly way to capture and share your gameplay moments. With features like background recording, timeline replay, and easy clipping, Steam Game Recording is poised to become a staple for gamers looking to record and share their experiences.
Ubisoft’s ‘Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown’, a critically acclaimed game, faced financial struggles after its release. Industry experts suggest Ubisoft’s decision to withhold the game from Steam, the leading PC gaming platform, significantly impacted its performance. This raises questions about the effectiveness of Ubisoft’s platform strategy and its impact on game development.
Steam, the dominant PC gaming platform, has updated its checkout process to explicitly inform users that they are purchasing a license to play games, not owning the software itself. This move comes in the wake of California’s new false advertising law, which requires digital stores to be transparent about ownership rights.
As the digital world becomes increasingly intertwined with our lives, the question of digital inheritance is gaining prominence. The European Law Institute is working to establish new laws that allow for the transfer of digital assets, including Steam libraries, upon the death of their owner. This development could have significant implications for how we manage our online identities and possessions in the digital age.
