Piracy and DRM killed most direct-to-customer distribution of software.

whatshisface · 2024-10-01T22:45:08 1727822708

Valve Software got $8.6B in 2023.

BadHumans · 2024-10-01T23:31:23 1727825483

Steam has DRM.

okanat · 2024-10-01T23:44:33 1727826273

Not always. There are plenty games that work without the Steam libraries. Also GOG exists and very healthy with explicit no DRM policy.

int_19h · 2024-10-02T17:28:13 1727890093

GOG isn't exactly DRM-free these days. The platform doesn't add its own DRM, but it does distribute games with DRM elements. Their stance seems to be that, so long as the game is playable offline in single-player mode, it is acceptable.

tjpnz · 2024-10-02T00:02:53 1727827373

But GOG censor their catalog for everyone after feedback from the CCP cough gamers.

Sohcahtoa82 · 2024-10-02T17:11:19 1727889079

And yet Steam is incredibly popular despite the DRM because it's unobtrusive. You don't get punished for replacing your computer every couple years and needing to reinstall your games.

I'm not sure I've ever heard of someone having a technical problem with Steam's DRM, I've only heard moral/ethical/worried-about-what-happens-when-Steam-disappears problems.