@adr same...

I just know that "#Valve is not #Sony" and that they ain't fighting a war of 5 fronts nor willing to subsidize a product like Sony did with the #PS3 which at launch costed them at least $800 to build.

• Valve isn't trying to win the HD format war with a new & proprietary media they control, (nor sabotage their competitors on the console front) but unshackle themselves from #Windows and #macOS in favour of a platform they have more control (or at least their biggest competitiors don't have an iron grip!)...

#GabeN may not admit to it but #Windows8Bing and #Microsoft's attempts at killing off 3rd party game and software stores made his blood freeze and boil at the same time because just as #GabeNewell was ex-#Microsoft and they usually botch their initial attempts, he knew that #Windows10S and #Windows11 would come and try to choke Steam out of the platform.

• #Steam going #Linux and investing billions into that endeavour is a longterm strategy not because Valve likes #OpenSource and profiteering from #free & #unpaid #community #labour, but a matter of survival similar to how Microsoft had to react to the #RedRingOfDeath and sucked up U$D 1,150,000,000 in costs or #Xbox & #XboxLive would've died with the #Xbox360's launch models.

Cuz remember: Whilst Valve is not a publicly traded company, they still are share-held and thus has to further the interests of said shareholders.

• It's just that GabeN is the biggest shareholder and his Superyacht even when at port needs maintenance and crew to keep afloat and legally seaworthy. His interests do align more with his customers than the execs at #Nintendo which nowadays are some Japanese Corpo Suits and not #Gamers, so they don't have any shame charging €200+ more outside of #Japan for the same hardware.

In the end, Everyone from #AMD to #Valve to the #Retailers selling the #SteamMachine and Steam Gift Cards are doing this for the money. #HappyConsumers are a nice side effect but in #capitalism, #monopolies (and Steam is effectively a monopoly by market share) don't have consumers' interests in mind.

• They ain't a Public Roadworks, Drinking Water, Electric Grid / Postal Service / Phone Utility Company with state control and/or oversight breathing down their necks for every price increase or terms change. It merely happens that said shareholders don't expect the company to constantly increase revenue and profits in the short term.