In an era where the entertainment landscape is intensely competitive, with streaming services vying for screen time and the free-to-play sector dominating player engagement, a games marketing analyst offers a pointed perspective on what makes Valve`s Steam platform so uniquely valuable to developers. It`s not just about getting players to *play* games; it`s about getting them to *buy* them, often for the simple satisfaction of adding to a collection.
Chris Zukowski, the analyst in question, posits that Valve has inadvertently, or perhaps skillfully, tapped into a fundamental human behavior: collecting. Unlike platforms centered around the consumption of content, where success is measured purely by engagement time – think binge-watching a series on Netflix – Steam thrives because its users often behave less like transient viewers and more like dedicated hobbyists amassing a personal library. Whether it`s stamp collecting, building elaborate model kits, or indeed, compiling a vast digital repository of video games, the drive to acquire and own is a powerful motivator.
“The power of Steam as a platform is that it enables hoarding,” Zukowski writes, drawing parallels to other hobbies where enthusiasts are deeply invested and, crucially, less concerned with the precise economics of their spending. This collector mentality means users frequently purchase games with the intention of playing them *eventually*, adding them to the infamous “backlog” rather than launching them immediately upon purchase. This behavior provides a critical advantage for developers.
This perspective sheds light on why developers are willing to concede a significant 30% revenue share to Valve for sales made through Steam. The platform provides access to a massive audience characterized by a willingness to make impulse purchases based on genre familiarity or perceived future playability. In Zukowski`s provocative, if somewhat blunt, framing: developers “get access to a bunch of drunken sailors who spend money irresponsibly.” While the phrasing is certainly colorful, the underlying point is clear: the revenue stream on Steam is significantly boosted by sales to users who may never install or even launch a purchased title. They bought it, they own it, it`s part of the collection – transaction complete.
For developers competing against established, long-running live-service giants like Fortnite or Grand Theft Auto Online, understanding this dynamic is crucial. Revenue derived from games that reside unplayed in libraries is not a sign of failure on Steam; according to Zukowski, it`s an inherent characteristic of the platform`s ecosystem. “If Steam shoppers were rational and only bought games they were going to play, we would sell a lot fewer games. Half this industry would be gone,” he asserts, implying a dependency on these collector-driven purchases for the economic viability of many studios.
There is, however, a notable caveat to this theory of the Steam hoarder. This impulse-buying behavior is most effectively triggered by games with a very clear, immediately recognizable genre. Users scanning the vast Steam store are more likely to make an instant purchasing decision if a game clearly aligns with a category they enjoy and collect – “Ah, an open-world survival-crafting game! I love those! I`ll add it to the collection of 20 others I haven`t started yet.” Games with ambiguous genres or unconventional presentations are less likely to benefit from this specific form of collector-driven impulse acquisition.
Ultimately, Zukowski`s analysis presents a compelling, albeit somewhat cynical, view of the Steam marketplace. Its strength lies not just in its user base size or technical features, but in fostering an environment where the act of acquiring games as collectibles is a primary driver of revenue, providing a vital, if sometimes perplexing, source of income for developers navigating the challenging waters of the modern games industry.
Callum Darby