Steam revenue estimated 2024: $10.8B

Google Play Store gaming revenue 2024: ~$31B

Why doesn’t Valve want a part of that? I mean they already have an Android app. Several, actually. I realize there’s some amount of investment but surely the payoff is worth it, and they have the necessary funds and skills? I mean if F-Droid can do it with nothing but volunteers and grants…?

Certainly plenty of games won’t lend themselves well to the mobile experience but also plenty of them do.

From a personal perspective: I don’t really care a whole lot for mobile games but I do like Balatro and want to play it on my phone, but if I want to do that I have to buy another license, which I can’t even do because I don’t run Google Play Services.

Epic got in on this already. Where’s Valve?

Edit: my reflections on this conversation:

Valve could distribute their own app like Epic but they’d also probably have to remove it from the Play Store because now a cross-platform game would give them an Android version, thus breaking Google’s ToS. So would doing such a thing outweigh lost sales from the Google version, and would it impact customer satisfaction? I wonder how many people are actually purchasing PC games in the Steam Android app…?

  • UlrichOPEnglish
    1·
    21 days ago

    …would you like to explain?

    • Revan343@lemmy.ca
      51·
      21 days ago

      They’re implying that the entire android software ecosystem is shit and should be avoided

      • _cryptagion [he/him]@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
        2·
        20 days ago

        Not Android specifically, I’m talking mobile games in general. I’m on iOS, and it’s not any better here. Mobile games are usually free for a reason, and that reason is that they are loaded with spyware, ads, and shitty monetization practices that I very highly doubt the majority of PC gamers on Windows, Linux, or MacOS would like to see become more prevalent on their platform.

        And I while I don’t think Valve is some benevolent corporate overlord that’s looking out for what’s best for us, I do think they know how to extract a lot of value out of PC gamers for many years, and that’s by generally giving us what we want.

        • UlrichOPEnglish
          1·
          20 days ago

          loaded with spyware, ads, and shitty monetization practices

          I mean that’s already the case with PC games…? Only slightly better because they are not Google and don’t allow straight-up ads for third-party products and services, which is what most of these “free” mobile games run on anyway. Valve has the potential to make a much better experience.

          If you don’t like it, don’t buy it.

            • UlrichOPEnglish
              1·
              20 days ago

              Excellent, so you agree it’s not the problem you made it out to be?

              • _cryptagion [he/him]@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
                1·
                20 days ago

                That’s the argument you decided to go with? Really?

                Yeah, it’s not a problem in the same way that you having a cohesive thought happen to wander through your barren mind is not a problem.

                • UlrichOPEnglish
                  1·
                  20 days ago

                  It wasn’t my argument, it was yours.