What is up with Valve and internet attacking them for their supposed monopoly?
Yeah, they are monopoly. The rare breed of one that is not predatory to it’s customers, and actively improves the experience. They are also the one that wont shoot their own leg to incapacitate themselves for no particular reason. Also “also”, they do not use predatory strategies to extort players off other platforms. Also3, they are the company that wont accumulate other companies just to destroy them in the end which also destroys competition.
They are not perfect. Lootboxes, gambling, and strong polices. But just try to compare them to second best online gaming store - they are fucking angels. Saints. Divine being. Compared TO THE NEXT BEST THING. That is saying something.
A monopoly (from Greek μόνος, mónos, ‘single, alone’ and πωλεῖν, pōleîn, ‘to sell’) is a market in which one person or company is the only supplier of a particular good or service. - AND STEAM IS NOT IT! They have competition and that competition, while having resources and ability to improve or match Steam, does little to nothing in order to compete.
They constantly telling devs that they wont teach their customers that Steam is more expensive option compared to any other sources of the game. If game goes on sale and elsewhere it has higher discount, they ask devs to allow them to match discount or remove it entirely. Nothing about removing games I found (skimmed, but maybe I am blind).
In other words: They dont force devs to sell games on other stores at the same price they sell on steam. They ask devs to match price of the games they sell on steam with other retailers. E.g. if game is sold at $30 on EGS and $35 on steam, they ask to reduce price on steam to match EGS price. Not the other way.
How much more “pro consumer” can they get?