'Obviously we love the PC,' Gabe Newell told us 15 years ago, but his focus was on 'a responsibility to gamers and game developers'
Fifteen years ago, Valve's Gabe Newell emphasized that Steam's focus was not on championing the PC platform itself, but on serving gamers and developers through responsiveness and problem-solving. He highlighted the PC's openness and innovation as key strengths, despite challenges like lack of standardization. Valve has largely stuck to this philosophy, enabling broad game access while facing criticism over curation decisions. Though hardware affordability has become an issue, PC gaming remains resilient amid rising console prices.
- ▪Gabe Newell stated in 2011 that Valve's priority was a responsibility to gamers and developers, not promoting the PC as a platform.
- ▪Newell praised the PC for its openness, innovation, and value, citing 350 million units sold the previous year.
- ▪Valve launched initiatives like Steam Greenlight and later opened Steam to nearly all developers, though content moderation remains controversial.
- ▪Despite challenges from cloud gaming and high hardware costs, PC gaming has remained relevant under Valve's user-focused approach.
- ▪Recent products like the Steam Machine and $99 Steam Controller reflect ongoing efforts to expand PC gaming into the living room.
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Games 'Obviously we love the PC,' Gabe Newell told us 15 years ago, but his focus was on 'a responsibility to gamers and game developers' News By Andy Chalk Contributions from Wes Fenlon published 28 April 2026 Sony boosts PlayStation and Microsoft promotes Xbox, but the Valve boss said Steam takes a slightly different approach. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works. (Image credit: Valve) Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter Steam is, by a country mile, the premier power in PC gaming.
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