Gearbox's Pitchford Discusses "The Problem with Steam"

[Shawn Zipay]

<div style="float: right; padding: 3px;">
</div>Gearbox CEO, Randy Pitchford, was quite chatty recently with Maximum PC. Among the numerous topics discussed was how Pitchford doesn't trust Steam from the viewpoint of someone "in the industry."

MPC: The download services, like Steam, are helping make it easier to buy games though, right?

RP: I’ll tell you what. Steam helps. As a guy in this industry though, I don’t trust Valve.

MPC: Because they’re competitors?

RP: Right.

MPC: You guys have worked with them a lot!

RP: I know. And I, personally, trust Valve. But I’m just saying, honestly, I think a lot of the industry doesn’t.

MPC: So you think Valve should spin off Steam?

RP: They should! It would be much better if Steam was its own business. There’s so much conflict of interest there that it’s horrid. It’s actually really, really dangerous for the rest of the industry to allow Valve to win.

I love Valve games, and I do business with the company. But, I’m just saying, Steam isn’t the answer. Steam helps us as customers, but it’s also a money grab, and Valve is exploiting a lot of people in a way that’s not totally fair. Valve is taking a larger share than it should for the service its providing. It’s exploiting a lot of small guys. For us big guys, we’re going to sell the units and it will be fine.

Other topics discussed include Pitchford's take on piracy, the system requirements for Borderlands, and plenty of neat little details about the Borderlands gameplay that you probably didn't know yet!

By all means, head on over to Maximum PC for the full interview with Gearbox's Randy Pitchford!

[Unregistered]

Re: Gearbox's Pitchford Discusses &quot;The Problem with Steam&quot;

butthurt that he didn't think of it first


BAWWW THEY ARE MAKING TOO MUCH MONEY

[aras_se]

Re: Gearbox's Pitchford Discusses &quot;The Problem with Steam&quot;

wtf is this, i thought digital distribution meant more money in the pockets of developers.
at least now the "small guys" have a way of selling their products without hassling with the "big guys" pimps of the industry.. all imo ofc

btw this guys has trusting issues..

[warezIbanez]

Re: Gearbox's Pitchford Discusses &quot;The Problem with Steam&quot;

I like the system that has been developed over the past 5 years; I think he's wanting some independant company to have set it up, not just a developer that's wanting to turn into a publisher. What, does he think Games for Windows is the solution, or should just take the entire infrastructure from Steam and give competitive pricing to everyone?