this post was submitted on 24 Jun 2026
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I've also read speculation that selling it at a loss could contribute to antitrust lawsuits against them. Basically if they sell gaming PCs below cost, and the gaming PCs incentivize Steam use over other platforms, there would be an argument that Valve was using their 30% sales cut to sell hardware others can't compete against, to further cement their monopoly. This would be partially countered by the open nature of the device, but not fully since it would still "steer" common users towards steam over other platforms.
This isn't an issue for console makers because there are multiple competing consoles with valid market share.
I mostly believe this, but I also believe it isn't a negative for Valve.
The hate towards Valve right now is so fucking weird. Is it perfect? No. Are they actively contributing to projects which can break the M$ coalition? Yes.
Don't let perfection be the enemy of progress, and accept the wins. When Valve actually becomes anticompetitive (big when), then speak up. Otherwise you have bigger fish to fry.
Here's one: Microsoft itself. So tired of hearing shit about Valve from people still booting Windows every day.
I'm certain a lot of bot farms by competitors are involved in spreading Valve hate. And this is happening to other companies, as well. Obviously, this is hard to prove so it's just speculation, but if I were a competitor (and an asshole) I would certainly try to manipulate public opinion using the tools at my disposal. LLMs make this kind of stuff easy enough. And we know that many many bots lurk around everywhere.
Especially since Valve is a major promoter of Linux with Proton, I could see Microsoft not being too happy with them.
i just read this and realized you beat me to my comment
Its because most people have a childish understanding of complex issues that basically boils down to 'thing either bad or good', 'thing either perfect or evil'.
Fanboy/girlism applies to sociopolitical idologies too.
Its easier to perform purity testing to establish yourself as a morally/logically consistent person, its easier to criticize flaws...
... than it is to realize the fundamental strategy that has to be involved in achieving any kind of change from the world as it is, to the world as you'd prefer it to be.... than it is to think about broad patterns underlying decision making, as well as what those broad patterns could lead to, in a complex world with other actors who have other ideologies/behavior patterns.
You can argue that this kind of fast-food opinion/judgement formation is itself a personality aspect caused or exacerbated by the instant gratification of modern digital hypercapitalism.
Like, I don't think Valve or Gabe are perfect moral actors, I don't agree with literally everything they do or espouse.
An example of this:
Lootbox gambling is in fact bad, and that system needs to be at bare minimum, seriously reformed or reimagined. IMO, any game that a kid is capable of playing should not directly resemble the inconsistent reward structure of a slot machine, when real money can exist as either an input or output.
Of course ... if you applied that principle consistently, all gacha games should either be destroyed or massively reworked, which is literally half of the video game industry's revenue. I hold that position... if you criticize Valve on these lines, as I do... you should also hold the position that your gacha waifu pull is a moral abomination.
But... on net? In the big picture? Nearly every other major or even notable actor in the space is morally atrocious in comparison to them, and many things that Valve does are effective counter pressures to those much more atrocious things.
I see it more as warriness than hatred. Whether or not they act "good" now, they have a near monopoly. It has a lot of potential to go bad for us consumers, even if the probability might be low. Murphy's law apply: if it can go wrong it will, someday.
the hate is artificial and useful idiots
Literally just Lemmy echo chamber shit