Steam

Steam is a key platform for digital games, offering access to top titles and a gaming community (source: mobiletopup.co.uk)

There is no computer gamer who doesn’t know what Steam is. From a small update program in 2003, it has grown into the largest and most used video game distribution platform in the world. The development studio Valve Corporation now has Steam as the flagship of its gaming products.

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What is Steam?

Steam is a digital distribution platform that allows users to purchase video games and software products. It also offers support for gamers through a communication program, servers for many games, and community features like chats, groups, anti-cheat measures, or the community marketplace. It grew from a small program released in 2003, designed for automatic updates of games from Valve Corporation (Half Life, Counter Strike 2, DOTA 2). Today, countless video game companies use the platform to release and distribute their games. At the beginning of this year, Steam set a new record with nearly 35 million users logged in simultaneously. The Steam program itself can be used in a browser window, but to unlock all features, you need to download its client (available for Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android). The client is completely free to download from the official website.

Steam client and its features

The main function of the platform is the purchase of video game copies. More precisely, the user only buys licenses to play the games, not their digital copies, as recently clarified by Valve. The range of games and associated products (soundtracks, DLCs) is truly enormous – today, Steam offers over 50,000 video games. After purchase, the user must download the game to their computer. Anyone who wants to do anything on Steam must first register. Initially, just an email address is enough, but if you are interested in trading on the community marketplace, you will need to enable two-factor authentication using your mobile phone. Another function of the Steam client is regular update checking and downloading. At the same time, it checks the integrity of the game and if an error (such as a damaged or missing file) is found, the client will fix it automatically. The biggest attraction that no competing platform offers is the community life on Steam. Users can join groups that interest them, add other players as friends, chat with them, share their game modifications via the Workshop feature, review games, and most importantly, use the community marketplace.

Community marketplace

We have mentioned the community marketplace several times. It is the main difference between Steam and competing platforms (Epic Games, GOG…). Here, users can trade digital game items with each other. In most cases, these are cosmetic graphical additions to various games (so-called skins). This phenomenon has expanded particularly with the FPS game Counter Strike, where the prices of some skins have skyrocketed and led to the creation of a full-fledged industry focused on buying, selling, or trading skins. Prices on the community marketplace are set directly by the user, and Valve takes a small fee per transaction, paid by the buyer. In addition, you can send trade offers directly to a specific user for specific items. However, this is only barter, although there are websites where skins can be exchanged for real money (some of which we have reviewed).

User account

Everyone who wants to use Steam must create an account. The account has a level that can be increased in several ways (including buying levels on third-party sites like SteamlvlUP or SteamLevels). With a higher level, users can add more friends, but the level mainly represents the prestige of the account. Thanks to the Steam profile level, you can tell whom to trust when trading. The account also displays owned games (including hours played), owned in-game items, friends, groups, achievements, and user comments (these can be deleted, so you won’t often find negative ones). Each user should have only one account, but this is not always the case. It is advisable to protect your profile by enabling two-factor authentication, which requires a phone. Especially if you want to keep money in your Steam Wallet, it’s good to have that extra protection. The Steam Wallet is another function of the user account. You can upload any amount of money to it, but remember that you can never officially withdraw the money (although third-party sites allow you to sell skins and thus withdraw your balance). From the Steam Wallet, you pay for all transactions on the platform – you can also pay the exact amount when making a purchase, so you don’t have leftover money in your wallet. To top up your Wallet balance, you can choose from many methods. The most common is card payment, but you can also use a Steam card, PayPal, or Paysafecard. We also have an article about where to buy a Steam card and what it is used for! Steam is the ideal platform for every PC gamer. The friendly community environment and the possibility to trade skins are the main reasons why Steam remains the most popular of all digital distribution platforms.

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Peter Broz

Article author – esports expert
Email: peter@slothbet.com

I came into contact with playing computer games long before a billion-dollar business with professional teams emerged around them. Although I never reached the professional level, I still have many acquaintances among the top esports players today. At SlothBet, I will primarily contribute to the esports section.

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