Could iTunes have a shot at dethroning Steam?

[SunnyD]

Just thinking aloud. Despite my disdain for Apple crap, it got me thinking - iTunes is considered the premier digital content delivery medium in terms of music/album sales, and also has a fairly large presence in the digital video market. The App Store is considered the gold standard for digital application delivery for their mobile products as well.

It obviously wouldn't be a stretch for them to become a digital software distributor for PC software, particularly games. And given their aggressiveness, I'd be curious to see what kind of inroads they would make against an incumbent such as Steam. Thoughts?

 

[Texashiker]

The thing that makes Steam an authority in the gaming world, its tied in with Valve software. Valve = one of worlds leading game software developers.

iTunes on the other hand, their just fan boys. Do they "really" know what gamers want?

iTune selling games is about like wal-mart selling games, I will still buy from steam.

 

[Red Storm]

No chance. Steam was made by a group that actually knows a thing or two about PC gaming. Plus it would be strange (but funny) seeing apps for sale in iTunes that don't run on a Mac or any other iDevice. Imagine all the confusion that would cause for the masses that don't know any better.

 

[DaveSimmons]

> The App Store is considered the gold standard for digital application delivery for their mobile products as well.

My guess is no.

The app store is successful with the iPhone / iPad because you have no choice whether to use it unless you hack the phone.

Does Steam collect 30% on all sales? (I have no idea either way)

Developers wouldn't like putting up with Apple's control-freak approval policies:
-"OMG boobies! kill it with fire!"
- That competes with something Apple sells, so we won't let you sell it
- Third party code libraries? Steve said no to that, sorry

The ApplePCAppStore would also probably lock down games so they couldn't be modded any more, that's just how Steve rolls.

 

[maniacalpha1-1]

Itunes doesn't let you redownload music right? If they didn't let you redownload games....with steam at least you don't have to backup your games or be screwed if you buy a new computer, have a hard drive failure etc.

And even if Itunes got into games and had steam re-download functionality, then they'd have to answer questions about why they let you redownload games but not music.

 

[Texashiker]

The ApplePCAppStore would also probably lock down games so they couldn't be modded any more, that's just how Steve rolls.

With some of the recent stunts the people at apple have pulled, game developers would probably have to use apple approved software to code the game.

No more custom modifications because they were made with Valves Hammer Editor, instead of the apple approved level developer.

Sorry, I just do not see itunes getting into the gaming world

 

[Specop 007]

Apple is too restrictive. No chance. Steam is the gold standard for game distribution.

 

[maniacalpha1-1]

Oh, and apple would probably demand that they all make Mac versions of their games.

 

[Monster_Munch]

Does Steam collect 30% on all sales? (I have no idea either way)

Steam takes 20% if I recall correctly. That's how they can manage such great sale prices, the developers are still getting 80% of that sale price, compared to buying a game in wal-mart the devs only get a tiny slice.

 

[gorobei]

actually it is the other way round. Steam already has media download functions. If they really wanted to sell movies or music they could and probably threaten itunes.

But that would mean all kinds of licensing and dealing with the record labels(payola, clearchannel, etc). Games are less entrenched in the under the table dealings that comes with music industry.

 

[MrWizzard]

lol, Apple and games................lol

 

[SunnyD]

lol, Apple and games................lol

Apple doesn't have a problem with games. Mr. Jobs does.

 

[darkewaffle]

Not a chance. If nothing else Steam is a decent, fairly lightweight interface. iTunes is bloated and convoluted in it's folder structuring and I've never felt that it performs particularly well. I hate having to use it even if all I'm doing is updating my iPod.

 

[Maximilian]

Just thinking aloud. Despite my disdain for Apple crap, it got me thinking - iTunes is considered the premier digital content delivery medium in terms of music/album sales, and also has a fairly large presence in the digital video market. The App Store is considered the gold standard for digital application delivery for their mobile products as well.

It obviously wouldn't be a stretch for them to become a digital software distributor for PC software, particularly games. And given their aggressiveness, I'd be curious to see what kind of inroads they would make against an incumbent such as Steam. Thoughts?

God i hope not...

 

[SunnyD]

I should point out for the record... I hate iTunes with a passion. The only time it's ever installed on my machine is when I need to fix someone iWhatever for them.

 

[gothamhunter]

No.

tl;dr?

N

 

[Rezident]

No. Apple would stick an extra 30% premium on prices.

Apple have some great stuff but it's usually too expensive.

 

[Barfo]

Never again will I install that piece of shit software in a computer of mine. So no.
Fuck itunes and fuck apple.

 

[AstroManLuca]

lol, Apple and games................lol

this

 

[simonizor]

Not a chance in hell. Knowing Apple, they'd invent some DRM to put on every game. No thanks.

 

[BurnItDwn]

I certainly hope not, but, there are a lot of ignorant people out there, so it may be possible. That said, I've never used itunes, I've never allowed it to be installed on any of my machines, and I don't forsee ever installing it. I have seen it, which is part of the reason why I very strongly dislike it.

 

[JTsyo]

Would Apple offer sales like Steam does? That's probably about half of Steam's sales, things they sell for cheap during sales.
Also PC gamers are probably one of the most anti-Apple crowd you're going to get. Maybe they can sell casual games like the ones on the iPhone to non-gamers.

 

[zinfamous]

for games, no?

for portable device app-style games and independent, small developer platform games?
maybe.

 

[zinfamous]

I certainly hope not, but, there are a lot of ignorant people out there, so it may be possible. That said, I've never used itunes, I've never allowed it to be installed on any of my machines, and I don't forsee ever installing it. I have seen it, which is part of the reason why I very strongly dislike it.

This. forced install of Quicktime is one of the main reasons that I avoid it like the plague. the extremely rare times that I encounter a web sight that requires Quicktime to view, i just close and decide it really isn't that important if they are using Quicktime. lol.

 

[AyashiKaibutsu]

I tried iTunes a few years ago. Suffice it to say that software will never touch one of my computers again.