Valve: Biggest threat to the next generation?

Posted on December 20, 2012 by Chris Morris

Chris Morris argues that a Steam Box could make life difficult for Microsoft and Sony in the next couple years

With Nintendo having launched its next generation system and Microsoft and Sony waiting in the wings, plenty of analysts, observers and thumb-suckers are rubbing their worry beads about the impact of mobile and tablet gaming.

The PC is mentioned in passing, though few believe it will be a viable threat, due to the challenges that come with different hardware specifications. They also note that things like driver updates and the perception of more frequent component updates can be intimidating for the mass audience. But if the recent whispers of Valve’s plans to launch a game hardware system prove true, that could upend the playing field.

Valve’s Gabe Newell Takes Video Gaming to the Next Level

Posted on April 2, 2012 by Chris Morris

If you ever find yourself sitting across from Gabe Newell at a poker table, do yourself a favor. Walk away.

Forbes magazine recently added Newell, co-founder and managing director of the video-game superpower Valve Software, to its list of the world’s billionaires, estimating his net worth at $1.5 billion. That figure will likely only grow thanks to his latest gamble, called Steam, which is rapidly becoming for gaming what ITunes is to music.

Sony and Valve: A tale of two hacking responses

Posted on February 16, 2012 by Chris Morris

When Sony announced that customer data from its PlayStation Network was accessed by hackers, gamers and the media were furious. So why did Valve seem to get a pass under similar circumstances?

Like a lot of people in the gaming world, I got an interesting email from Gabe Newell last week.

The Steam hacking incident of last November, he said, was worse than they initially thought it was. And while there still was no direct evidence that credit card information had been accessed, a backup file containing that information (albeit encrypted) was obtained by the person or persons who had broken into the system.

Millions of MapleStory accounts hacked

Posted on November 28, 2011 by Chris Morris

Hackers have struck again in the video game world — and the latest incursion is a big one.

Tokyo-based game publisher Nexon says a security breach discovered last week has put personal information from millions of accounts at risk.

GameStop ramps up its digital division

Posted on July 18, 2011 by Chris Morris

When it comes to digital game sales, GameStop is still an also ran – but the company is making a series of moves that are starting to raise eyebrows among industry observers, who say it seems on track to become a powerful force.

Valve’s Steam service is still far and away the category leader, but GameStop (in a meeting with analysts) said it expects to see digital sales jump from $500 million this year to $1.5 billion by 2014.

EA ups the ante in its retail game

Posted on June 16, 2011 by Chris Morris

Plenty of publishers have done a lot of saber rattling when it comes to selling direct to consumers, but that’s generally as far as it goes. So when EA began touting its Origin service a few weeks ago, no one was quite sure how serious the company planned to compete.

These days, though, it’s looking like EA intends to put its full efforts into the fight.

EA takes on Steam with new ‘Origin’ service

Posted on June 3, 2011 by Chris Morris

EA is digging deeper into the digital distribution space.

The company has completely revamped its online store, expanding its focus and renaming it ‘Origin’ in the process. The move will put EA in direct competition with Valve Software’s dominant Steam service — and, in some ways, Apple’s GameCenter.

E3 2011: EA launches digital distribution service

Posted on June 3, 2011 by Chris Morris

Valve Software’s Steam has been the big dog in the PC digital distribution space for a while now, but one of the industry’s biggest publishers is ready to take it on.

Electronic Arts has announced Origin, an updated “direct-to-consumer gaming platform” that will let people buy titles directly from the company, rather than via retail or another service. Given how heavily EA is betting on PC games in the year to come, it’s not an altogether shocking move.

Gaming’s biggest digital force plans to keep curtain closed

Posted on April 21, 2011 by Chris Morris

As digital distribution continues to grow in the entertainment field, insiders and investors alike are trying to find new methods to get some clarity about the dollars behind it.

At Valve Software, which owns Steam, the leader in PC digital distributor, however, there are no plans to help those parties out. The company says it has no plans to open up its digital sales data vault, noting “it’s not important” information for the industry or public.

Interview: Why Stardock Sold To GameStop

Posted on April 8, 2011 by Chris Morris

Stardock’s recent sale of its Impulse digital distribution service to GameStop is in the history books now, but the retailer was hardly the only bidder for the service.

Brad Wardell, CEO of Stardock, says there were conversations with dozens of companies – with roughly a half-dozen of those presenting term sheets – before Stardock made its final decision. And even then, it took a lot of convincing on GameStop’s part.

Chris Morris: Journalist

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