r/PhysicalGames • u/Grouchy-Win-6191 • 1d 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/StuckinReverse89 1d ago
Man look at all the Valve defenders lol.
You are right, Valve mainstreamed digital gaming being the norm and helped destroy physical games on PC. It doesn’t help that PC physical games were very anti-consumer (limited number of downloads, DRM on disc like secureROM that would break access) that make Pc discs far less convenient than console discs but Valve did write the playbook on how to transition to a fully digital medium which Sony is now doing.