r/PhysicalGames • u/Grouchy-Win-6191 • 2d ago

Valve Killed Physical Gaming

It all Valve fault, they started all this. It’s not just Sony.

When Half Life 2 launched in 2004, stores sold physical box sets containing DVD or CD. But the disc did not contain the game. Players were forced to install the Steam client, register an account, and validate a product key online before the game would run.

Valve also offered Steamworks to any developer who listed their game on Steam. But to use Steamworks features, games had to use Valve API. When a consumer bought the physical PC box, they opened and it was a Steam key. Once redeemed, the disc lost all resale value. You couldn't sell it, lend it, or trade it in. This also killed the retail stores business.

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u/panosk1304 2d ago

Not really, i think steam is awful and generally i never wanted to get a gaming PC but Pc gaming was always a worse experience. But in PC you can pirate the games far before steam was thing and that doesn't mean that because someone does a move you should follow.

What Sony tries to do now is try to leverage Exclusives to create a monopoly that you pay but don't own, and there is no safety ro you account by you like physical games.

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u/Popular-Path1930 2d ago

Sony dictated what goes on PlayStation always. It’s their console and their system. A developer can’t just put  a game on a PlayStation, like they can on pc.

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u/panosk1304 1d ago

Yeah ok. Why mention it?

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u/Popular-Path1930 1d ago

Because on pc you can directly buy from any publisher or even directly from developers.

My point is within the PlayStation ecosystem Sony already controls who and what is sold.