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Valve runs its massive PC gaming ecosystem with only about 350 employees (arstechnica.com)

submitted 4 months ago by Beaver@lemmy.ca to c/technology@lemmy.world

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[–] Grimy@lemmy.world -2 points 4 months ago (2 children)

Did you read your own article?

In 2021, Microsoft estimated Valve's annual revenue at $6.5 billion, roughly on the same scale as EA's $7.5 billion in 2024 revenue. But Steam achieved those numbers with around 350 employees, compared to well over 13,000 people employed by EA.

The disparity highlights just how much money Valve brings in with a relatively small workforce. And a lot of that is thanks to the chunk of revenue Valve takes from every sale on Steam.

That's the indie industry getting fucked right there, but sure, drink Gabbens sweat.

The actual revenue is difficult because it's all estimation, they clearly don't want us to know and hide it. One website says 13 billion lol, and they brought it an estimated 1 billion just from Counter-strike crates. I got 8.5 from the article that was posted two days ago. Whatever it is, it's too fucking high, stop defending multi billionaires.

[–] Beaver@lemmy.ca 1 points 4 months ago (1 children)

I mean about the yachts.

[–] Grimy@lemmy.world 7 points 4 months ago

https://luxurylaunches.com/transport/gabe-newell-luxury-yachts.php

Here you go. Sorry if I'm being a dick, my hate for billionaires spills out whenever I approach the subject.

[–] ashok36@lemmy.world 1 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Go ask any indie developer if they think the 30% cut valve takes from sales through steam means they're "getting fucked". I can assure you, the vast majority do not.

Serving files, absorbing the costs of credit card payments and charge backs, and maintaining community forums is worth the 30% alone. Hell, just being able to list your product on the most popular store is worth it for some people.

In my industry, physical stores won't even consider stocking your product for less than 40pts of margin and the big guys expect you to absorb the freight costs as well.

30% on storefront sales and you can sell your own keys for 100% profit on your own site is more than fair.

[–] Grimy@lemmy.world 1 points 3 months ago (1 children)

https://www.wired.com/story/death-occurs-in-the-dark-indie-video-game-devs-are-struggling-to-stay-afloat/

The indie industry is seriously struggling. I'm pretty sure they would rather survive than donate to Gabens coke and prostitute fund.

There's also a huge difference between a physical store and a digital soft monopoly.

Stop defending billionaires.

[–] ashok36@lemmy.world 1 points 3 months ago (1 children)

I can't read the link but if we just gauge the health of the indie game portion of the industry by how many games are released, I think the only conclusion you can make is that it's quite healthy. In no small part due to steam which provides discoverability for smaller titles and handles a lot of the technical stuff (downloads, multi-player, even drm) so indie devs don't have to.

You just seem to have a chip on your shoulder in this department and it's not clear why other than "billionaires are bad".

[–] Grimy@lemmy.world 0 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) (1 children)

I'm gauging the health of the industry by the amount of studios that are struggling and closing their doors. The amount of games is meaningless since a lot of those games are that studios last one as well as the amount including all the shovel ware garbage. Anyone can make a game these days with AI, the amount is not a good metric.

Someone being a billionaire is a valid reason for saying they shouldn't be a billionaire. Yes, all billionaires are bad and leeching off society. Though I do have a chip on my shoulder and that's because of seeing people actually defend Gaben as if he was any different than all the other ones. Stop defending billionaires, they actively hate you and probably giggle seeing what they consider peasants coming to their defense.

You can go in incognito mode to avoid the paywall. In any case, here's a gpt summary:

The article discusses the significant challenges faced by indie video game developers amidst widespread industry layoffs and financial troubles. Indie studios, often small and dependent on project-to-project funding, are increasingly forced to shut down due to a lack of financial support. This trend is emphasized by the closure of multiple indie developers and the ominous "survive till ’25" outlook, which captures the desperation and dwindling hope within the indie game development community.

As these smaller studios struggle to secure funding and continue operations, the impact on the gaming landscape is profound. Indie developers are known for their creativity and innovation, often exploring unique, experimental game ideas that larger companies might avoid. The decline of such studios not only reduces the variety and innovation in games available to players but also signifies a potential loss of talent and originality in the industry. This not only diminishes the richness of the gaming world but also impacts the professional growth and development of game creators who lose opportunities to experiment and hone their craft. The broader consequence is a gaming industry less vibrant and diverse, potentially stifling the evolution of video games as a form of artistic and interactive media.

[–] realharo@lemm.ee 3 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Thing is, even if Steam charged them 0%, they would be struggling all the same. They're struggling because they don't have enough sales.

[–] Grimy@lemmy.world 1 points 3 months ago

Steam is taking 30% of their sales, so they are struggling more because steam is greedy. At the end, it's the profit that matter. Selling more copies or selling the same amount but with a better profit margin is the same thing for the bottomline. I'm not trying to be harsh but your point is a bit silly.

Its also not like the whole industry is together and it's one big pass or fail. Some studios that were walking the line and would have survived with a bit more profits don't because of Steam.

Steam cuts into the profit of every sale and forces them to need more than they should to survive.