Valve might be a monopoly, but they have never forced their users to stay within the valve environment.
They don’t have any anti consumer bs that they do, they don’t restrict their platform, and Steam is MUCH more then any other “game launcher/marketplace” out there.
The biggest reason steam is still the top dog on PC is because Steam is a complete package that works very well, main purpose is to serve users, while not tracking everything they can and reselling data.
Steam offers the following built in: Friends list that integrates with every game. Mod support for games that enable it. Family sharing. Stream/watch private/public streams. Messages/VC. Not full of bloatware garbage. Consumer friendly. Community pages. Edit your Steam profile to an extreme amount. Renamed for free. Can add non Steam games. Works on Windows/Linux/MacOS/Andriod/iOS. Refunds without jumping though hoops(as long as the individual isn’t abusing it) Vac bans. Steam actually works consistently.
What other “game launcher” as anything remotely close to Steam? GoG launcher is pretty close, and guess what, Valve doesnt start shit with them.
Valve isn’t forcing a monopoly, its just Valve is consumer first, and treats their users with respect, and their shit just works better than the rest.
deleted by creator