History Of Steam

Steam has transformed PC gaming with its abundance of features, including low costs, free online multiplayer, and increased graphics quality.

Digital games did not exist when personal computer gaming first began; instead, games had to be physically delivered and CDs had to be inserted continuously. Players could only participate in online games by connecting to private servers over dial-up, which were called bulletin board systems (BBS).

Quake, created in 1996 by Marks of Us, allowed players to explore servers in real-time via a dedicated website.

Subsequently, this platform was leased to other game developers under the name Games planet. These developers also launched the Planet Network, a collection of gaming and educational websites.

As part of Diablo 1, Blizzard introduced Battle.net, the first ever fully integrated online service with a video game. New features, like as game filters and ladder standings, were introduced with StarCraft's 1998 launch.

Valve, the company behind Steam, sought outside help in 2002 to launch Steam independently, rebranding it from Grunt and Gazelle. Originally, they were planning to use a different distribution technique.

The platform was unveiled in March 2002, and that same day, between 80,000 and 300,000 people were allowed to participate in the test. As an added bonus, the CEO of Valve has offered teams a Steam distribution license and game engine license for $995.

The official launch of Steam was delayed by the round servers' inability to manage such a large player base. However, Valve began going above and beyond in their expansion plans as they discovered the platform's potential.

When World Opponent shut down its network and online gaming service in 2004, all of the games that used to run on it were forced to use the new platform Steam.

In 2005, Steam launched its first two non-Velve games, Darwinia and Ragdoll Kung Fu, which allowed users to play online games. Steam helps get the word out about these games by offering regular sales and discounts, which have become staples of the platform.

In 2007, there were already thirteen million Steam accounts and one hundred fifty games for sale.

With the intention of providing users with a more customized and integrated gaming experience, leading platform Valve was founded in 2008. Introduced in 2008, Steamworks was an API that allowed PC developers to incorporate Steam's capabilities into their games, providing a dependable alternative.

The platform wasn't only about making it easy for players to add new modes to their beloved games; it was also about rewarding the models of the modding community who created content for those games.

In 2011, the Steam Workshop became a place where modelers could post their work for others to vote on, download, and install. Additionally, in 2012, two programs were launched: Steam Greenlight and Steam for Schools.

To encourage early interest in video game development, Steam for Schools offered a free package that included Portal 2, a tweaked version of the Steam client, and a program called Puzzle Maker. In order to provide lesser-known yet talented developers a chance to showcase their project ideas and solicit votes from new users, Steam Greenlight was created.

Valve still faced fundamental challenges on its way to become a home gaming console, despite their efforts. In 2013, when Valve introduced the living room section, players had the option to utilize a gaming pad to access a more legible display instead of the usual Steam interface, which comprised a keyboard, mouse, and small text.

In 2014, Valve introduced the Enron streaming service, which let users to share their PCs and games with other devices that had an external display connected.

The Steam machine, an autonomous computer that comes pre-assembled, was Valve's first piece of hardware, unveiled in November 2015. For in-room streaming, or sending video to the TV from another room in the house via a computer, one of these devices is a small, cheap device called Steamlink.

But a lot of games weren't designed to be played with a gamepad, and others, like real-time strategy games, are literally unplayable without a keyboard and mouse.

In response, Valve unveiled the Steam controllers, which shared features across all models and included directional pads or second analog controls for input control.

But Steam machines didn't sell nearly as well as expected, and neither did the Steam controller. Valve continued to explore additional hardware concepts after the discontinuation of the Steam Link devices.

In 2016, Electronics Company HTC and other partners created the virtual reality headgear HTC Vive. Now, players may use real-life controllers and base stations to experience immersive games. Over 140,000 units of the smartphone were sold in November 2016.

Steam VR, which debuted with Big Picture, gave desktop users a dedicated interface for using their Steam library with virtual reality goggles. There are over a billion accounts and 19 million users per month, so the competition in the linear region will likely go on for a long time.

With its groundbreaking work in PC digital game distribution and unwavering support for the independent game production community, Steam has become more than simply an online video game shop. The outcome of the competition between Steam and other distribution platforms, such as Epic Store Origin and Discord, is still up in the air.