• kaffiene@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    2
    ·
    9 months ago

    No, they don’t have to use the largest and most popular storefront at all. Good economic e sense right there. People didn’t have to use Internet Explorer, but that was deemed a monopoly. The existence of alternatives doesn’t make them automatically economically viable

    • Kedly@lemm.ee
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      3
      ·
      edit-2
      9 months ago

      Yes, and their cut for letting you use the largest storefront out there that THEY BUILT AND GOT THERE, is 30%. If you are earning more money paying that 30% and being on their storefront than you would by rejecting that cut and listing somewhere else, than that is full proof that Steam is earning that cut.

      Also, internet explorer came bundled with Windows and THATS why it was deemed a monopoly. You have to specifically choose to download Steam, it gets no starter advantage over the competition.

      Steam is the most popular storefront because its the BEST storefront, there is no ulterior motivation putting it at the top, its just that all of its competition barring Itch and GoG are garbage. Steam is still better than the non garbage competition though and why it can get away with its incredibly minor option for built in DRM and its 30% cut. They use their cut to make an amazing storefront, and the developers who choose to pay that cut benefit from the customers that having the worlds best PC marketplace brings.

        • Kedly@lemm.ee
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          1
          ·
          9 months ago

          What makes it not a monopoly is that it isnt. It has competitors, it does nothing to block competition. It is not responsible for its competition not being as good as it is.

          • kaffiene@lemmy.world
            link
            fedilink
            arrow-up
            1
            ·
            9 months ago

            The existence of competition doesn’t make it not a monopoly. Nor anticompetittive behaviour