The thing is the impulse we know from Frogboy was actually a mad cashcow. They may not be thinking long-term at all, just trying to increase profit. 10% more is always 10% more, even if it's 10% more INSANE. But to us, the picky customers, it doesn't make much sense because long-term it looks like it would sink the client.
Hell, maybe they're just trying to grow. Give up the moral viewpoints, go for the increase in user base.
Did you guys read that steam's profit has increased by 100% every year for like four years straight? Including 2011. It's obviously still an emerging market.
Oh I guarantee thats what it is. Gamestop has to answer to its shareholders. Short term profits are the name of the game. In the long term though once the DD unit isn't profiting. It'll be scrapped or sold. Steams growth is partly due to the fact that they DO have steamworks. Heck.. how many people bought Civ V and were forced to use steam for the first time? Every new steamworks game brings steam more users.. no matter where that game is sold from.
If another DD service cannot give people a reason to buy from them, then once a customer is locked into a steam account you already lost them as a customer. (EA understands this.. which is why all new EA games will be linked to origin.. creating the same situation for EA with its own games)
GOG has DRM free..(and most of their games are older.. GOG is a niche player but they pretty much have the niche locked down)
Gamers gate has blue tokens and does some nice sales.(but since even paradox is abandoning it for steamworks its probably on a downward spiral)
Gamefly will let you play all of their PC games for a monthly fee. (interesting business model and depending on the price might actually be cheaper for some gaming addicts)
gamestop has....??????, no seriously wtf do they have?
