Steam | More than just a game store

Steam | More than just a game store

You’ve probably heard your friends excitedly talking about the upcoming Steam Winter Sale, and saving up their gift cards to take advantage of amazing deals on their favorite games, but what is Steam, and why is it so popular? Steam is Valve’s crown jewel, a platform that has been around since 2003, changing the concept of PC video games from physical to digital.

App stores like Google Play Store are where you go to download and install games on your Android smartphone. Steam works in a similar way but for  PC gaming . You can download a lot of games through Steam, including free games, early access games, indie games, and games from major companies. Getting to know a new platform can be daunting, so in this guide we’ll explain Valve’s gaming platform, what Steam is, and its features.

What is steam?

Steam is an online video game distribution platform and  application , as well as social networking features and community forums. Developed by Valve – the same company that created Half-Life , Counter Strike , and Left4Dead , Steam acts as an online store and community forum, and is one of the most popular gaming platforms out there.

Steam is an app and platform that lets you buy and install games, interact with other players, stream live, and more. You can download the Steam app on Windows, Mac, and Linux; a beta version is also available for ChromeOS. The app lets you buy games and organize your collection, much like a media player app, where you’ll see your collection of games and the ability to play them, as well as links to social features and forums. You need an account to use Steam and signing up is free. You can also download the Steam mobile app for  iOS and Android, which lets you use Steam’s social features and buy games on the go – more on that below.

Steam is also beneficial to developers in addition to what it can be for gamers. Both major companies and small independent game makers use the platform to distribute their games. Additionally, they can publish updates and new features, interact with their audience, and communicate with gamers through the Steam app. We can say that it is a complete platform just for game lovers and enthusiasts.

A Brief History of Steam

While it may be big news in the gaming world these days, Steam started out very young. In 2003, Valve introduced Steam as a way to push automatic updates for its games. Its primary purpose at the time was to make it easier to install patches and upgrades for existing games. It was optional, and the first game that Valve actually distributed digitally through Steam that required the app was Half-Life 2 in 2004. However, this release was a difficult one, with users experiencing crashes and slowdowns. Valve fixed this problem and the service’s reputation and performance improved after that.

By 2005, third-party developers were starting to take notice, and they began offering their games through Steam as well. Steam was the big name in digital game distribution for a while after that, however in 2012, EA released Mass Effect 3 exclusively through its own app Origin due to disagreements over licensing requirements. Additionally, other competitors began to emerge, including the Epic Games Store , Uplay , Microsoft Store , and more. However, Steam is still a major player in the online gaming world.

While Steam was originally intended for Windows only, a macOS version of the app was launched in 2010 and 2013 saw the release of a Linux  app . Steam also developed SteamOS in 2015. This operating system saw use on the now-discontinued Steam Machines , which were dedicated devices running SteamOS. These devices weren't popular but 2022 saw the launch of the Steam Deck, a portable gaming PC that uses SteamOS and is similar to the Nintendo Switch. A sequel, which we refer to as Steam Deck 2, is also set to launch in the future.

Steam Platform Advantages

Steam is one of the largest and most popular digital gaming platforms in the world, and it offers a wide range of features that make it an ideal destination for all game lovers. Here are the most important of these features:

Huge and diverse game library

• Millions of Games: Steam offers a library of millions of games across a variety of genres and genres, ensuring you can find whatever game you're looking for.
• Variety of Games: The games available on Steam range from action, adventure, strategy, sports, virtual reality, and many more.
• Indie Games: Steam supports independent developers and provides them with a platform to showcase their games.

Easy and convenient shopping experience

• Safe Purchase: Steam offers a secure and convenient payment system, allowing you to purchase games with complete confidence.
• Fast Download: You can download the games you have purchased easily and quickly.
• Automatic Updates: Games are updated automatically, ensuring you get the latest features and fixes.

Large and interactive community

• Chat feature: You can communicate with your friends and join chat groups to discuss games.
• Profiles: You can create a profile to display your achievements and favorite games.
• Steam Workshop: You can download game mods created by other users.

Ongoing offers and discounts

• Big Sales: Steam offers big deals and discounts on games on a regular basis.
• Special Sales: Special sales are held throughout the year, allowing you to purchase many games at discounted prices.

Additional features

• Steam Cloud: Store your game saves in the cloud and access them from any device.
• Live Streaming: You can broadcast your games live on Twitch or YouTube.
• Multi-device support: You can play games on computers  , smartphones and gaming consoles.

Why choose Steam?

Steam is more than just a gaming platform, it's a whole community of gamers where you can discover new games, connect with new friends, and enjoy an unparalleled gaming experience, plus:

• Ease of use: The platform has a simple and easy-to-use user interface.
• Steam Achievements: These are the badges you get that you can add to your profile for everyone to see.
• Constant updates: Steam is constantly improving its platform.
• Excellent Technical Support: Steam's support team provides excellent technical assistance to users.
• Community: It has a large community for all players, where they can communicate.
• Steam Cloud: This is an amazing feature that can keep your gaming progress.

How do I use Steam?

Of course, this huge platform includes many sections that you do not know how to use, so do not worry, we will explain how to use Steam in a simplified way:

Personal Library

• Show Games: When you open Steam, you'll see your library, which contains all the games you own.
• Details and Achievements: You can view your gaming achievements, stats, and see what your friends are playing.
• Playing games: To play any game, click on it and then on the “Play” button.
• Add external games: You can add games you purchased from other places to your library, as well as games that do not fully support Steam features that can be added for easier access.

Steam Store

• Buy Games: This is the main place to buy new games, add-ons, and expansion packs.
• Browse and Categories: You can browse games by different categories or search for a specific game.
• Add to Cart: After selecting the game, add it to your cart and complete the purchase.
• Free Games: Some games are available for free, but may include in-game purchases.

What games do not fully support Steam?

When talking about computer games and the Steam platform, it is natural to find some games that do not fully support all Steam features. This may be due to several factors such as: the age of the game, the way it was developed, or even technical restrictions. In general, games that do not fully support Steam features are those that:

• Developed before Steam features became widely available, these games may be somewhat outdated and not support the modern features offered by Steam.
• Developed by small or independent companies, these companies may not have the resources or expertise to fully integrate their games with the Steam platform.
• Where the game may have originally been available on other platforms such as consoles, it has been ported to the  PC platform without adding all of Steam's features.
• Some games may be free or project-specific, and may not support all Steam features.

How do we know these games?

There are several ways to identify games that do not fully support Steam features:

• Game Description in Steam Store: The game description in Steam Store usually mentions any restrictions or additional features that may not be available.
• Reviews and Comments: Reading user reviews and comments can help you understand other people's experience with the game and whether or not it supports all Steam features.
• Communities and specialized sites: There are many communities and sites specialized in computer games where you can ask your questions and get answers from other players.
• Try the game yourself: The best way to know if a game is right for you is to try it out for yourself. You can take advantage of Steam's refund feature if you're not satisfied with the game.

What games are based on Steam?

Here we can say that this question is excellent! Your question about games based on Steam opens a wide door to a misconception for some:

Simply put, there are no games built on Steam in the literal sense. Steam is not a game engine like Unity or Unreal , but rather a game distribution platform, as we explained of course. This means that it is the place where you buy and play games, not the tool used to build them.

But, what makes us say that a game is fully supported by Steam?

When we say that a game is fully supported by Steam, we mean that it takes advantage of all the features the platform has to offer, such as:

• In-game rewards system that integrates with Steam's achievements system.
• Access to the Steam Workshop to download mods or create new content for the game.
• Ability to stream your gameplay live on platforms like Twitch through Steam.
• There is a voice chat feature built into the game that integrates with Steam's friends system.
• Ability to save your game progress on the Steam cloud and access it from any device.

When looking for a game that is fully supported by Steam, look for one that takes advantage of all the platform's features and offers a great gaming experience.

How to register on Steam platform?

Of course, registering on the Steam platform is very easy. All you have to do is the following:

• Download the Steam  app from the official website.
• When you open the app for the first time, you will be prompted to create an account.
• You can also create an account online by visiting the official website.
• Go to the top right of the screen where Login is and click on it.

• Click Join Steam.

• Enter your email address and country of residence, complete the captcha, and agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.

• Click “Continue”.
• You will be asked to confirm your email, leave this page open in a new tab, open the email sent to your account to verify it and click on the link inside it.
• After confirming your email, you can choose a Steam account name and password.
• Click “Done”.

Buy games and participate in social features on Steam

Once you create an account, you can start purchasing games and participating in social features. You must be 13 years or older to sign up for Steam and have a high-speed internet connection. Here's how to download games on Steam:

• From the website or via the application, go to the Store page.

• You will be shown a page that includes all the paid games that you can purchase through the platform.

• By clicking on the Games tab at the top, a menu will appear from which you can choose Free to Play games or choose from different categories and types of paid games.

• Click on the game you want to buy or download for free, then scroll to the end of its page to find out the requirements the game needs on your computer, whether it runs on Windows, Mac, or Linux.

• After making sure that your computer is compatible with the game, scroll back up to find the Play Game button if the game is free or Add to Cart if the game is paid. Click on the button and follow the full instructions if the game is free.

• If the game is paid after clicking on Add to Cart and if you do not intend to purchase other games, click on Purchase for Myself, then enter your data that includes your credit card number and data, then agree to the terms and conditions and click on the Purchase button for the application or site to activate the option to download the game to your computer.

• After completing the previous step, the website/application will transfer you to the games library. You can also go there manually through the website/application by clicking on the Library button, where you will find a list of the games that you have downloaded or purchased, and you will be able to play them by simply clicking on the Play button.

Add funds to your Steam wallet (optional)

If you want to start buying games, you will be asked to add funds to your Steam Wallet. The minimum amount to add is $5, and you can add more in pre-determined amounts. You can use Visa, MasterCard, PayPal, Steam Gift Cards, or PaySafeCard to add funds. Then you can browse the Steam store, add games to your shopping cart, and pay for them:
Download and play games:

• After purchasing a game, wait for the download to finish.
• Then click on the game in your Library and click on the “Play” button.
• Remember that games can be very large, and may take some time to download.
• To see your downloads, click the “Downloading” option at the bottom of the Steam window. You can also pause and restart downloads here.

Add external games to your Steam library

If you purchased a game separately and it supports Steam, you can add it to your library:

• By clicking on the “Add a Game” option on the Library page.
• Then click “Activate a Product on Steam” to add a non-Steam game.
• Click on the “Add a Non-Steam Game” option.
• This will add the game to your list of available games so you can keep track of everything in one place, but it will run separately and not integrate with Steam's features.

Relationships between Steam and other gaming companies

There are various relationships between Steam and game companies. These include direct relationships which mean Steam plays a significant role in running or selling the game, while indirect relationships are more independent where the game is not completely dependent on Steam. For example, EA tends to have indirect relationships with Steam where its games are not completely dependent on the platform.

Some companies like THQ and SEGA prefer to have their games built on Steam for ease of communication with players, while 2K Games' move towards Steam can be seen as a primary platform for its games. On the other hand, companies like EA and UBI Soft's policies prevent some games or add-ons from being sold directly through Steam due to their own policies.

Although some popular games like Black Ops and Modern Warfare 2 are based on Steam, Activision maintains indirect relationships with the platform. The relationship between Activision and Steam is closer than that with EA and UBI Soft, but it is not a direct relationship.

These dynamics demonstrate the diversity of relationships between Steam and gaming companies and how they impact the way games are sold and distributed on the platform.

Some frequently asked questions

There are some questions that some users ask. Here are some of these questions:

Do I have to pay for a Steam account?

No, but you will have to pay for many games, expansion packs, and other add-ons.

Can I play games I purchased on Steam without opening the app?

It depends. Some games let you play without opening Steam, while others require the app to be open.

Does Steam need an internet connection?

Yes, Steam requires an internet connection to work.