• mindbleach@sh.itjust.works
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    2
    arrow-down
    14
    ·
    7 days ago

    So more-efficient competitors emerged against the supermajority market leader and didn’t impact that company’s market share.

    Hmm.

    • frazorth@feddit.uk
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      21
      arrow-down
      1
      ·
      7 days ago

      Thats not what they said, “More efficient” didn’t happen.

      Just either a wildly more toxic environment with Epic, or a cheaper but much less user friendly one with GOG.

      Steam didn’t need to change because neither of the competition understand the market.

      • mindbleach@sh.itjust.works
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        3
        arrow-down
        15
        ·
        7 days ago

        Steam didn’t need to change because none of their competitors challenge their de facto monopoly. Reasons do not change how it is plainly a monopoly. They have a supermajority market share, and people glibly admit, they don’t even consider buying games except on Steam.

        • frazorth@feddit.uk
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          19
          arrow-down
          1
          ·
          7 days ago

          You said

          more efficient competitors

          But now you are saying that they didn’t challenge the monopoly? If they dont even challenge then how are they competition?

          Steam let’s me buy games and play them. The interface with Big Picture Mode let’s me interact with the store.

          The issue I see is that no one is competing on PC with Steam because they keep trying to tie themselves with the fucking trainwreck that’s Windows.

          They keep trying to tie themselves with shitty desktop launchers.

          They keep trying to tie themselves with toxic customer service.

          There is competition, but it’s with Sony, Microsoft and their consoles.

          • mindbleach@sh.itjust.works
            link
            fedilink
            arrow-up
            1
            arrow-down
            10
            ·
            7 days ago

            If they dont even challenge then how are they competition?

            That’s equivocating two definitions of “competition.”

            no one is competing on PC

            … that’s admitting they have a monopoly. That’s the monopoly we’re talking about. You’re not disagreeing with me, you’re just picking unrelated definitions and talking about something else.

            Steam’s competitors, on PC, are services like GOG and EGS. Their teensy market share doesn’t disqualify them as competitors. They are in the exact same market. That’s why they have a “market share.” And Steam’s market share is so overwhelming that you’re treating their would-be rivals like they do not exist.

            • frazorth@feddit.uk
              link
              fedilink
              arrow-up
              4
              ·
              6 days ago

              I could basically buy anything that I get on Steam, on either Epic or GOG. Their market share is not why I buy games on Steam, I gave you those reasons already.

              I do not run Windows because its a shitty hostile environment that contractually prevents distributors from providing an optimised interface for gaming. It inserts adverts into every section, and even Windows users unironically complain that Windows Update is malware.

              • mindbleach@sh.itjust.works
                link
                fedilink
                arrow-up
                1
                arrow-down
                4
                ·
                6 days ago

                I gave you those reasons already.

                In response to a comment reading: “Reasons do not change how it is plainly a monopoly.”

                Their market share is what make them a monopoly. That’s what the word means.

            • mindbleach@sh.itjust.works
              link
              fedilink
              arrow-up
              1
              arrow-down
              8
              ·
              6 days ago

              Upvoting ‘no competitors means it’s not a monopoly’ is tribalism. Y’all don’t care about the words. You are performing loyalty. Comments defending the ingroup must be good and smart and right… even if they’re repeating the initial criticism.

              ‘Steam’s competition doesn’t matter.’ ‘Wrong! They have no competition.’ That’s worse. You know that’s worse, right?

              • frazorth@feddit.uk
                link
                fedilink
                arrow-up
                5
                ·
                6 days ago

                Thats not what was said at all.

                No competition is not good. But Epic is worse competition, and GOG is halfhearted competition that is an ultimately worse experience for most people.

                • mindbleach@sh.itjust.works
                  link
                  fedilink
                  arrow-up
                  1
                  arrow-down
                  4
                  ·
                  6 days ago

                  You literally said “no one is competing on PC.”

                  If you’re not arguing against calling that a monopoly, I’m pretty fuckin’ sure everyone else missed it.

                  • frazorth@feddit.uk
                    link
                    fedilink
                    arrow-up
                    4
                    arrow-down
                    1
                    ·
                    6 days ago

                    That’s half my sentence, dont add a full stop where there wasn’t one in quotes. It makes you a liar.

                    No one is competing on PC because

                    And then I list reasons why i don’t see the alternatives as credible competition.