The word on the streets is that Gabe Newell is ready to retire and might be wiling to sell Valve and Steam for a pretty penny. Will Sony be the first to bite?
Sony are rumoured to be looking for away to get a leg up on Microsoft after the Bill Gates owned corporation acquired Bethesda in a shocking deal. Will they make a bid for Valve and Steam?
Where’s Half-Life 3, Left for Dead 3, Portal 3, or even Team Fortress 3? Has Gabe just given up? Rumours do indicate that 57-year-old may have been looking for the right company to take over these projects as he’s heading into retirement.
Gabe is getting ready to retire.
— Grummz (@Grummz) September 24, 2020
I expect Steam will be sold for an ungodly price to someone like Microsoft.
Although it has not been confirmed, there are rumours that Gabe Newell has had enough of the gaming industry and wants to retire and sell Valve Corporation and Steam… and Sony are very interesting in buying.
Sony and Valve PlayStation 3 partnership.
In 2007 Sony and Valve made a partnership deal that seemed very promising but ultimately failed. If you purchased any Valve game on the PlayStation 3 you would get a digital code to download that game on Steam.
Sony/Valve partnership with the PlayStation 3 didn’t last.
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive was also made available exclusively on the PlayStation 3 but users would have to sign into their Steam accounts from their PlayStation’s to play the game.
The partnership was very beneficial for Valve/Steam as it brought many PlayStation gamers over to Steam, however Sony decided not to renew their contracts with the digital distributor for the PlayStation 4.
PlayStation exclusives are now available on Steam.
A lot of games that were previously revealed to be PlayStation 4 exclusives have now been released on Steam suggesting that Sony and Valve are still on good terms.
Sony starting to release their exclusives on Steam, is that a sign of acquisition?
All of Quantic Dream’s interactive drama and action-adventure games are exclusively available on Steam (Heavy Rain, Beyond: Two Souls, Detroit) as well as Guerrilla Games award winning action role-playing game (Horizon Zero Dawn) and Hideo Kojima’s original PlayStation exclusive (Death Stranding).
Although Sony are remain tight-lipped on the future of other PlayStation exclusives, it seems highly likely that we will also see some PlayStation 5 titles available for PC exclusively on Steam.
PlayStation Valve could be Sony’s answer to Xbox Game Pass.
One of the biggest advantages of owning an Xbox over a PlayStation is the incredible value of the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. You get access to all Microsoft Studios exclusives, and then some, for as little as AUD$15 a month. You also get to play some of these games on PC with the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate.
Microsoft have just added the entire Bethesda catalogue to their subscription service after they acquired the triple-A developer. This also means that Starfield, Fallout 5, and The Elder Scrolls VI: Hammerfell may be exclusive — at least timed — for the Xbox Series X console.
The Elder Scrolls VI: Hammerfell could no be a Xbox Series X exclusive.
Although you can currently purchase some PlayStation games on Steam there is no incentive for PlayStation gamers to bother getting the game on PC because they will have to fork out more money for it.
If Sony does acquire Valve and Steam it would ultimately drastically change the gaming world. Sadly, the only people who would benefit from such a takeover would be PlayStation gamers, as Sony could make games like Half-Life 3 a timed exclusive for the PlayStation 5 in order to sell more consoles.
But Newell prefers the Xbox Series X…
Sony may have the more powerful console, they may even have better exclusives, but Gabe Newell believes that Microsoft is on the right path with Xbox Series X.
Gabe Newell prefers the Xbox Series X and is reportedly ready to retire.
While the head of Valve Corporation was in New Zealand earlier this year he appeared on the gossip talk show known as The Project. The reporters, knowing very little about PC and console gaming, decided to ask him what his thoughts were the new Xbox and PlayStation.
“Xbox Series X,” he promptly responded.
“I don’t have a stake in that race,” he said. “Obviously we do most of our development on personal computers, but of the two I would definitely go with an Xbox.”
Newell explained that he believes it is better because it is very considerate of the PC gaming market and is uniting the two of them.
Perhaps Sony took Gabe’s advice and decided to make him an offer for Valve Corporation that he absolutely cannot refuse. If so, it could potentially spell the end for the Microsoft Xbox.