Steam Sales Up 100% Over Last Year

[Dekstar]

Today Valve have announced their annual sales growth was 100% greater than last year, for the seventh year running. Their press release is below.[br]

Valve® today announced the 2011 growth data for Steam, a leading platform for PC & Mac games and digital entertainment.[br]During 2011 the platform grew to offer over 1,800 games to over 40 million accounts. Year-over-year unit sales increased by more than 100% for the seventh straight year, and during the 2011 Holiday Sale Steam's simultaneous user number eclipsed the 5 million player mark.[br]Meanwhile Steam doubled the amount of content delivered in 2011 vs. 2010, serving over 780 Petabytes of data to gamers around the world. To meet the increasing demand for games and services on the platform, the Steam infrastructure more than doubled its service capacity and a new content delivery architecture was deployed to improve user download rates.[br]Over 14.5 mil copies of Steamworks games were registered during the year, a 67% increase over 2010. Steamworks titles shipped during 2011 include The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, Deus Ex: Human Revolution, and more. Since the suite of services was released three years ago, Steamworks has shipped in over 400 games.[br]"Steam and Steamworks continues to evolve to keep up with customer and developer demands for new services and content," said Gabe Newell, co-founder and president of Valve. "Support for in-game item trading prompted the exchange of over 19 million items. Support for Free to Play (FTP) games, launched in June, has spurred the launch of 18 FTP titles on Steam, with more coming in 2012. Looking forward, we are preparing for the launch of the Big Picture UI mode, which will allow gamers to experience Steam on large displays and in more rooms of the house."

[br]Valve have a definite plan to make 2012 just as profitable as last year, let's just hope that plan includes releasing a certain game...

 

[lord_raken]

I am thrilled at their success. They are a wonderful company that deserves to prosper. However, I am a little worried that someday Valve may move away from making games in favor of the more lucrative media distribution. I don't even think it will be a conscious decision if it happens and I'm sure you could find people who think it's already happening.

And I don't think Steam becoming so popular is a bad thing. It makes gaming more accessible and affordable as well as giving smaller titles and indie games a way to be successes. I just don't wan't Valve to put their game-making on the back burner.

Is this something you guys worry about, am I delusional, or should we speak up about it?

 

[MuToiD_MaN]

It's a scary thought. I'm glad for their success, but I hope they don't lose sight of what the fans really clamor for.

 

[blackout]

Valve have a definite plan to make 2012 just as profitable as last year, let's just hope that plan includes releasing a certain game...

this



please

 

[-smash-]

They're growing so much.

 

[Shem]

780 petabytes of data is astronomical.

 

[Paulaner]

However, I am a little worried that someday Valve may move away from making games in favor of the more lucrative media distribution.

Alas, I think this is already happening; Valve's productivity is very low. You have the money, now hire new developers and make some games!

 

[ríomhaire]

Alas, I think this is already happening; Valve's productivity is very low. You have the money, now hire new developers and make some games!

Valve's productivity hasn't really disimproved. Since they Orange Box in 2007 they've averaged one game a year plus a rather large amount of TF and L4D updates as well as all the huge improvements to Steam.

 

[Paulaner]

Valve's productivity hasn't really disimproved. Since they Orange Box in 2007 they've averaged one game a year plus a rather large amount of TF and L4D updates as well as all the huge improvements to Steam.

I'm not talking about raw numbers. You may disagree with me, but since 2007 I feel that Valve has not contributed much to the gaming industry. Portal 2 was the biggest game, and yet it is a shortish puzzle game. Personal opinion, and of course I'm talking by my personal taste.

 

[Krynn72]

How is one excellently designed game a year not contributing much? L4D 1 and 2 are very popular games, and Portal 2 was both a critical and financial success. Name some other developers who contribute more.

 

[Acepilotf14]

They've been ignoring the series that got them on the map for years now.. it's getting a little old. The excitement stopped building after 2009, and now I'm just bored.

 

[-smash-]

E3 2012, baby. I b3lieve.

By the way, this news confirms that Big Picture mode will be shown at CES 2012, in my opinion.

 

[ríomhaire]

They've been ignoring the series that got them on the map for years now.. it's getting a little old. The excitement stopped building after 2009, and now I'm just bored.

You poor thing.

 

[Acepilotf14]

You poor thing.

Please valve I need half life's warm caressing embrace ;-;

 

[Ren.182]

The people working on Steam are completely different to the people working on Valves games! They're still going to create games and I can't see them not creating games in the future. Like Krynn said, one awesome game a year is not bad for a single studio. It's actually awesome. Valve have CS:GO and DOTA 2 coming out this year and I'm sure both will be big hits! HL3 will come around eventually, maybe this year, maybe not! But we all know it'll be worth the wait and even if your hype has died you'll still pre-order it on Steam like the rest of us as soon as you can.

Nice to see that sales and registered users are still on the rise. Not that I was expecting them to level out or anything! Looking forward to see what Valve has in store for 2012!

 

[Paulaner]

How is one excellently designed game a year not contributing much? L4D 1 and 2 are very popular games, and Portal 2 was both a critical and financial success. Name some other developers who contribute more.

Come on. L4D 1 and 2 are good MP games but nothing more. Portal 2 is nice and well polished, but in a week or two you finish it and forget about it.
You ask me to name better developers? Bioware, Bethesda, Irrational, Obsidian.

Like Krynn said, one awesome game a year is not bad for a single studio. It's actually awesome.

Define the word "awesome".

 

[ríomhaire]

So basically all the games Valve have been putting effort into for the last four years don't count because they're not your preferred style of game? Does that not seem pretty damn entitled to anyone else?

 

[Sir Phoenixx]

Come on. L4D 1 and 2 are good MP games but nothing more. Portal 2 is nice and well polished, but in a week or two you finish it and forget about it.
You ask me to name better developers? Bioware, Bethesda, Irrational, Obsidian.

Are you kidding? Bethesda develops even less games over the years then Valve does. Bethesda's developed games since 2007 consists of Fallout 3 in 2008, Skyrim in 2011 and a few addons and ports/GOTYs for Fallout 3 and Oblivion (which was relelased in 2006).

 

[Shem]

Come on. L4D 1 and 2 are good MP games but nothing more. Portal 2 is nice and well polished, but in a week or two you finish it and forget about it.
You ask me to name better developers? Bioware, Bethesda, Irrational, Obsidian.

Seriously? Obsidian develops even less games over the years than Valve does and most of their newer games are complete trash. Alpha Protocol and Dungeon Siege III are horrible.

 

[BauerSlyer]

Are you kidding? Bethesda develops even less games over the years then Valve does. Bethesda's developed games since 2007 consists of Fallout 3 in 2008, Skyrim in 2011 and a few addons and ports/GOTYs for Fallout 3 and Oblivion (which was relelased in 2006).

RPG's are much bigger games than shooters. They take longer time to make.

 

[Edeslash]

You guys do realize that Valve is currently developing two multiplayer games that are sequels to immensely popular games? With regular updates to their other games? And those are just the games they have announced. There's more.

 

[Ren.182]

Come on. L4D 1 and 2 are good MP games but nothing more. Portal 2 is nice and well polished, but in a week or two you finish it and forget about it.
You ask me to name better developers? Bioware, Bethesda, Irrational, Obsidian.

Define the word "awesome".

I've got hundreds of hours racked up on both L4D 1 and 2. Sure Portal 2 didn't last as long, but it was still a great game! And you can't deny they're awesome games. TF2, CS, L4D are some of the most played games online.

 

[Acepilotf14]

Seriously? Obsidian develops even less games over the years than Valve does and most of their newer games are complete trash. Alpha Protocol and Dungeon Siege III are horrible.

Screw you, Alpha Protocol is fantastic.

 

[Shem]

Screw you, Alpha Protocol is fantastic.

No, it is an incomplete pile of shit.

 

[Barnz]

You ask me to name better developers? Bioware, Bethesda, Irrational

olololololol

 

[Wanted Bob]

You ask me to name better developers? Obsidian.

Seriously? Maybe that choice comes down to preference of different kinds of games, but Obsidian has a worse track record than Valve does.

 

[<RJMC>]

I think the point is that after portal2 there isnt any "big game" known from valve yet,they have the dota game and csgo,both that seem more like smaller kind of game,instead of the all beloved and asked episode3

and the dota2 is a continuation of a very well know mod/gamestyle whit tons of imitators

csgo is just a resskinning of counter strike

and nothing else about any other new game,and no episode 3 info,compared to before that valve was releasing some bit of info on the upcoming game but now is almost total silence except thsoe 2 games

 

[Edeslash]

If Valve hasn't been working on a Half-Life game for years, I'm a flying pony.

 

[Shem]

olololololol

Right, in addition to hating BioShock, you also abhor Fallout 3. Your taste in video games is despicable.

 

[Barnz]

go away, you filthy casual.

 

[BauerSlyer]

Why do Barnz act the way he does?

 

[Shem]

go away, you filthy casual.

If enjoying the hell out of BioShock on Survivor difficulty makes me a 'filthy casual,' I'll gladly embrace the title.

 

[Acepilotf14]

Right, in addition to hating BioShock, you also abhor Fallout 3. Your taste in video games is despicable.

Fallout 3 was not very good. NV was a big step up, but neither really are as good as 1/2.

If enjoying the hell out of BioShock on Survivor difficulty makes me a 'filthy casual,' I'll gladly embrace the title.

it does.

 

[Shem]

Fallout 3 was not very good. NV was a big step up, but neither really are as good as 1/2.

I agree with you that New Vegas is a better game than Fallout 3, but to say the latter is bad is an injustice that should be righted. Just because a sequel deviates from its predecessors does not necessarily make it an unlikable game or worse than the originals. Bethesda saved the series from death by doing what needed to be done and trying something new. I felt they did a wonderful job of crafting the post-apocalyptic world of the Fallout series. Obsidian should also be congratulated for following in the footsteps of Bethesda and making an even better game in the process. It's just too bad that fanatics like Barnz will never appreciate the idea of evolution in video games.

it does.

The first Big Daddy I fought almost had me in tears. Okay, that's an exaggeration, but he was still quite annoying.

 

[Wanted Bob]

Huh, I for some reason really didnt like New Vegas when compared to Fallout 3. Sure, the story was better, but exploration didnt seem as fun to me especially when you already start out in some town instead of emerging into the Wasteland with no direction given.

 

[BauerSlyer]

Fallout 3 was waaaaaaaaaaaaaay better than New Vegas. Fallout 3 is like the best game ever made.

New Vegas sucks. And it isn't canon.

 

[ríomhaire]

Fallout 3 was waaaaaaaaaaaaaay better than New Vegas. Fallout 3 is like the best game ever made.

New Vegas sucks. And it isn't canon.

Oh dear god someone please hide this poor child before Mikael gets here.

 

[Barnz]

not sure if trolling, or just stupid. either way, he's still on my ignore list.

 

[BauerSlyer]

Barnz, you're not even worthy a decent comment.

Don't let the door hit you on the way out, Barnzzzzzzz.

 

[Shem]

Fallout 3 was waaaaaaaaaaaaaay better than New Vegas. Fallout 3 is like the best game ever made.

New Vegas sucks. And it isn't canon.

Hold on there, buddy. If Fallout: New Vegas isn't canonical, Fallout 3 shouldn't even bear the name of the series in its title. Either way, both games are considered to be canon and you are wrong.