Tag: Steam

Valve Releases Steam Chat Application For iOS And Android Platforms
Valve a video game developer, digital distributor and publisher launched the Steam Gaming Platform in the year 2003. Since then, it has been the largest digital platform for game titles such as Counter Strike: Global Offensive and DOTA 2. The company has freshly released Steam Chat for iOS and Android, officially making it the counterpart of its Desktop variant.

Steam Chat: Features

The mobile version of Steam chat retains many features that the desktop application offers. Notably, the desktop application had a major overhaul in its design and functionality in the year 2018. Steam Chat does include the same Group chat functionality along with the smartphone tweaks like customizable notifications. As of now, the application does not support voice chat functionality. However, the developer states the feature will soon make its way to the application with future updates.

The mobile version of Steam chat has been released after Steam Link for iOS was launched. The said application allows users to beam Steam games from their desktop PC to their iPhones, iPads, or even the Apple TV. Noteworthy, the feature was almost skipped over by Apple entirely in 2018.

Not something that’ll whisk away Gamers from their adored Discord Voice Chat App, but a Steam Chat is an interesting take on the same formula of
- Friend’s List: Users can see their friends’ activity, for instance, which game are they playing.
- Invite Links: Steam Users can add new friends with an Invite Link.
- Group Chats: Users can have their eSports teams together under a special group.
- Streamlined Interface: The Steam Chat app provides an overall smoother experience than the past iterations by Valve via its Steam App on the mobile platform.
Also Read: Apple Updates MacBook Pro With Eight Core Processors

Essentially, all the features in the newly released Steam chat application are a take on Discord’s tried and a test set of features which made it a huge success. For those who do not know, Discord is one of the most popular VOIP application primarily used by developers and gamers. With the advent of Steam Chat and Steam Link on both Mobile platforms, Steam Guard (authentication method) should soon follow suit with one touch verifications/Login and even QR codes for increased security.
May 22, 2019
PC Gamers Will Get To Test Out Halo: The Master Chief Collection Pre-Release

After Microsoft announced the arrival of the hugely popular Halo Series on PC, gamers have been ecstatic about it. Tweets clearly depict how excited people are because Halo is depicted as the game which helped sell Microsoft’s Xbox in the first place. Following the announcement, Microsoft has revealed that PC gamers will be granted the opportunity to test out the game ahead of its release.

Halo Insider Program

Selected gamers who are a part of the game Insider Program will be able to test out the features of the game before it comes out. The Insider program will accept feedback and insights from gamers regarding the in-game progress and gameplay. Noteworthy, there is a chance that not everyone who signs up for the Insider program may get selected for the testing phase.

About Halo

First released for Microsoft’s Xbox in 2014, the Halo franchise will be available to play on PC via popular gaming portal, Steam. The franchise package will include Halo Reach, Halo: Combat Evolved, Halo 2, Halo 3, Halo 3: ODST, and Halo 4. It is interesting to note that all the iterations of the game will not be released at once, instead, Microsoft plans to release all the games in chronological order. This means that Halo: Reach will be the first game that will land in the hands of gamers. Even though the game was first released in the year 2010, it’s still a classic and is rated as one of the best gameplay experiences of all time by gamers worldwide

Also Read: Xiaomi Launches The Black Shark 2 Gaming Smartphone With Snapdragon 855 SoC

It is still not clear whether Microsoft will include support for 4K resolutions and 60 fps in the early iterations of the game. Fans are excited for the same though, probably because they will get to re-live the entire game universe all over again, this time in enhanced configurations. Furthermore, if players own the game on Xbox, they won’t be able to use the same copy on PC. This means that interested gamers will have to purchase a separate copy of the game in order to run it on their PCs. As of now, no concrete release date has been provided by the American company.

March 19, 2019
Steam vs Epic Store Heats Up, Valve Says It’s ‘Unfair’ That Metro Exodus Is Exclusive To Epic Store

The war between the two gaming digital distribution platforms is heating up. Epic Games, who were behind the incredibly popular Fortnite, recently opened their online game distribution store thus ending up at loggerheads with Steam. Steam, owned by Valve Corporation, has been around since 2002 and is one of the most successful online game distributors around. A much anticipated game Metro Exodus, was opened up for a pre-sale post and many users were eagerly waiting for the game to be launched in February 15th.

But as it turns out, the post-apocalyptic shooter will only be exclusive to The Epic Store. The game will be exclusive to the platform till 2020. This has definitely put Valve and Steam in a difficult position.

Epic Games currently offers an 88% revenue share for developers. Compared to that, Steam offers a revised 70/30 split. Steam recently put out a statement that said that they think the decision to remove the game is unfair to Steam customers. They said that it is unfair especially after a long pre-sale period. They apologised to Steam customers who were expecting it to be available for sale through the February 15th release date. The company also stated that they were only recently informed of the decision and given limited time to let everyone know.

Also Read: Epic Games May Take On Steam With New Game Store

Steam has also informed that pre-orders will be honoured on the Epic Games Store. They further stated that the developer and publisher have assured them that all prior sales of the game on Steam will be fulfilled on Steam. Steam owners will also be able to access the game and any future updates or DLC through the platform as well.

January 29, 2019
Epic Games May Take On Steam With New Game Store

Epic Games, the company that brought the famous Fortnite game to our consoles, laptops and even phones, are now all set to launch their own game store. Steam is currently one of the biggest game stores in the world with over 150 million users. If Epic games does start a game store, they will compete with big players like Steam and GOG. The company has also revealed that it won’t just be selling games that have been made using their own Unreal Engine. This indicates that there will be games made using competing game engines such as the popular Unreal Engine. A popular game made in the Unreal Engine is PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG), which is a direct competitor to Fortnite. Other famous games include Sea of Thieves, Conan Exiles and Mass Effect 1,2 and 3.

What’s In ‘Store’?

Epic Games’ CEO also told a gaming website that a larger share of the pie would be had by developers compared to other game stores. Epic Games will offer a 88% revenue share for developers. This, compared to the recently revised 70/30 split that’s offered by Valve’s Steam platform is a lion’s share. This move may make developers focus their strategies around the Epic Games’ marketplace. They have also stated that if you’re using Unreal Engine, Epic will cover the 5% engine royalty for sales on the Epic Games store, out of Epic’s 12%. The company has also announced that a developer will have total control of their game page and newsfeed. There will be no store-placed ads or cross-marketing of competing games on their page. There will also be no paid ads in search results.

Also Read : PUBG Wins Fan Favourite Game Of The Year At Google Play Best of 2018 Awards

Furthermore, the Epic Games Support-A-Creator program will help developers reach creators. Creators include YouTube content creators, Twitch streamers and bloggers who can help the developer reach players. These offers may entice newbie developers to join the store. According to the company, the store will launch with a hand-curated set of games on PC and Mac. It will then open up to other games and to Android and other open platforms, throughout 2019. More details regarding the store will be revealed at The Game Awards on Thursday, December 6th.

December 5, 2018