Steam defined the modern video game industry

Gather ’round, children, and let me tell you a story about the old bugaboo we used to call DRM. Digital Rights Management was the beast under every gamer’s bed in the mid-2000s, an invisible bit of software baked into game discs that dictated and tracked player behavior under the guise of preventing piracy. DRM software, like SecuROM, limited the times a game could be downloaded and forced players to regularly connect to the internet for authentication checks, at a time when less than half of American adults had reliable broadband connections. DRM features soured the releases of BioShock, Mass Effect and Spore, and by 2010, anti-piracy software had rendered Assassin’s Creed 2 and Splinter-Cell: Conviction unplayable. When Microsoft attempted to release the Xbox One with always-on DRM features in 2013, intense vitriol from fans forced the company to reverse its plans at the 11th hour. There were lawsuits. DRM was a curse word. Meanwhile, Valve was building out Steam. When it landed in 2003, the digital PC storefront was designed to streamline the patch process for games like Counter-Strike and make it easier for Valve to implement anti-piracy and anti-cheat measures. Steam was made to be a DRM machine. In 2004, with the release of Half-Life 2, Valve made Steam a requirement for every player, and even those who’d purchased new, physical copies of the game had to boot up the launcher first. There was some low-level grumbling, but PC players were used to being lab rats, and... Continue reading at 'Engadget'

[ Engadget | 2024-03-04 16:30:21 UTC ]
News tagged with: #living rooms #actual demand #quasi-console hardware #frankenstein hybrid #vr hardware #gorgeous screen #clever ruse #digital distribution #spinal fluid #undisputed leader #varied landscape #entire studios #constantly churning #20th anniversary #libraries

Other Publishing stories related to: 'Steam defined the modern video game industry'


AAP StatShot: US Industry Was Up 1.8 Percent in October

The AAP StatShot report for October shows US book publishing revenues at US$10.6 billion in the first 10 months of 2023. The post AAP StatShot: US Industry Was Up 1.8 Percent in October appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2024-01-09 20:42:57 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #october appeared #aap statshot #book publishing


Publishing Industry Sales Rose 1.8% in October

Results were buoyed by strong sales in higher education course materials, which were up 17.9%, and at religious presses, which saw a 12.2% bump, in conjunction with a 1.5% increase in sales of adult books. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-01-09 05:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #strong sales #higher education #religious presses #5% increase #adult books


The best gaming handhelds for 2024

Handheld gaming systems are having a moment. While gaming on the go has been a thing since the Game Boy, the success of the Nintendo Switch and a string of ever-improving processors have brought an eruption of devices that let you play all sorts of games anywhere you want. Because new models... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2023-12-22 15:00:18 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #configuration options #libraries


‘A bellwether for the industry’: why Warner-Paramount talk is no surprise

Investors seemed unimpressed but analysts say even talk of a merger reflects moves to consolidate in a tough market Barbie and Tom Cruise’s Top Gun are planning on getting hitched. Warner Bros Discovery, the Hollywood studio that brought us the Batman, Harry Potter and Barbie films, and... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2023-12-21 17:19:19 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #hollywood studio #paramount global #media company #david zaslav #bob bakish #potential deal #companies declined #early stage #harry potter


How brands are combining audio and video formats to boost digital campaign success

Rachel Brooks, associate director of business marketing, global, Spotify Digital media consumers seamlessly transition from audio to video throughout their day — listening to a favorite playlist during a workout or commute, then tuning into video content when relaxing in front of screens at the... Continue reading at Digiday

[ Digiday | 2023-12-14 15:56:06 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #video content #associate director #digital media


Arkane Lyon is making a Blade game and we're all very excited

Arkane Lyon, the developer of Deathloop, is making a game based on Marvel’s resident vampire hunter Blade. There’s a trailer, but it’s just a cinematic with no gameplay. Still, this is very exciting news as Arkane Lyon is the talented team behind Prey and the Dishonored 2. It also made the... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2023-12-08 03:21:48 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #game awards #exciting news #recent titles #release date #comic book


Why AI, revenue diversification and ad spend are the defining 2024 trends for media companies

Will Barker, manager, strategic customer success, BlueConic The media and publishing industry is constantly evolving. With this, it’s often difficult to keep up with the latest trends, especially with fast-evolving technologies emerging all the time and ripple effects remaining from the global... Continue reading at Digiday

[ Digiday | 2023-12-05 15:08:37 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #media companies #revenue diversification #ad spend #constantly evolving #latest trends #global pandemic #publishing industry


Should Historical Fiction Have Modern Sensibilities, Or Stick To Its Time?

Should historical fiction stick to the views and opinions of the time, or provide a modern perspective? Here are the pros and cons. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2023-12-05 11:31:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #modern sensibilities #historical fiction


The Game Awards raises an old question: What does indie mean?

The Game Awards got it wrong this year. One of the titles nominated for Best Independent Game, Dave the Diver, was produced by Nexon, one of the largest video game studios in South Korea. No matter how hard you squint, it is not indie. Dave the Diver is an excellent pixel-art game about deep-sea... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2023-12-01 20:52:11 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #app store #annapurna interactive #growth opportunities #indie publisher


Rockstar Games co-founder Dan Houser's next projects are a graphic novel and an audio drama

Absurd Ventures, the new creative studio from Rockstar Games co-founder and ex-creative director Dan Houser, has announced its first projects. As it happens, neither of them are video games, at least not yet. The first of these two new universes is called American Caper, which will debut as a... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2023-11-29 21:02:58 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #creative studio #video games #damaged families #corrupt business #inept politics #bungling crime #coming months #american caper #transmedia enterprises #proper glimpse #keeping houser #rockstar busy #rumors suggest #game awards #comic book #graphic novel


Rockstar Games co-founder Dan Houser's next projects are a graphic novel and an audio drama

Absurd Ventures, the new creative studio from Rockstar Games co-founder and ex-creative director Dan Houser, has announced its first projects. As it happens, neither of them are video games, at least not yet. The first of these two new universes is called American Caper,... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2023-11-29 21:02:58 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #creative studio #video games #damaged families #corrupt business #inept politics #bungling crime #coming months #american caper #transmedia enterprises #proper glimpse #keeping houser #rockstar busy #rumors suggest #game awards #comic book #graphic novel


The PW Publishing Industry Salary Survey 2022

Our annual industry survey reveals a modest median pay increase and minor improvements in workforce diversity across trade book publishers. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-11-17 05:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #minor improvements #workforce diversity #trade book #publishing industry


The PW Publishing Industry Salary Survey 2023

Our annual industry survey reveals a modest median pay increase and minor improvements in workforce diversity across trade book publishers. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-11-17 05:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #minor improvements #workforce diversity #trade book #publishing industry


Pantheons of the Past in the Present: A Reading List of Modern African Books Based on Mythology

Every society, civilization and culture has mythologies and cosmologies; they make up a corpus of ancient and sacred narratives that help give meaning to the world. Passed down through generations, myths educate and clarify our place in a world full of things and forces that are larger than us.... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2023-11-03 08:30:51 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #world full


Dancing with the Goddess and Drawing Down the Moon: A Reading List for Modern Witches

When I encounter the question “are you a Witch?” my first response is always, “who is asking, and why?” Perhaps there never has been a more loaded noun in the English language. Depending on who is asking, it can be a compliment. Or preamble to torture. Despite its crowded dictionary entry,... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2023-10-31 08:50:56 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #english language


How to find the best gaming console for you in 2023

There is no such thing as the "best video game console," but figuring out which one is right for the gaming experience you want is more in reach. There are seven systems that you could reasonably call “current gen,” and others, such as Valve’s Steam Deck, further... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2023-10-27 14:00:06 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #decent amount #internal storage #microsd card #modern audiences #libraries


Jada Pinkett Smith Congratulates Britney Spears With An Amazing Throwback Video

“Welcome to the ‘Bad Ass Women Memoir Club,’” Pinkett Smith wrote in a cheeky note to the fellow first-time author. Continue reading at HuffPost

[ HuffPost | 2023-10-25 17:27:27 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #memoir


How web-based vertical video players can unlock new publisher revenue

Shachar Orren, co-founder and Chief Marketing Officer, EX.CO In recent years, Meta, TikTok, Twitch and even Pinterest have encouraged digital publishers to create vertical content to adhere to their platforms’ standards for engagement driven by our vertical mobile device screens. In response,... Continue reading at Digiday

[ Digiday | 2023-10-24 13:02:04 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #digital publishers


Why executives at Esports Business Summit are (still) bullish on competitive gaming

In the lead-up to this year's Esports Business and Gaming Summit, the event's organizers polled 112 North American gaming and esports executives about their thoughts on the industry’s current trajectory, representing a cross-section of executives in sectors including broadcasting and media,... Continue reading at Digiday

[ Digiday | 2023-10-24 04:01:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #competitive gaming #current trajectory #game developers #scholastic


Frankfurt: Ljubljana Reading Manifesto Rallies Book Industry

Guest of Honor Slovenia kicks off its professional program at the Frankfurt Book Fair with a presentation of Ljubjana Reading Manifesto. The post Frankfurt: Ljubljana Reading Manifesto Rallies Book Industry appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2023-10-18 15:10:08 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #post frankfurt #professional program #book industry #frankfurt book fair