(Image credit: Ubisoft, Hooded Horse)
According to Tim Bender, the CEO of Hooded Horse, Steam’s discoverability is unparalleled among game distribution platforms. However, he highlights a pressing challenge: too many games are being launched at budgets that may not be justifiable. Recent reports indicate that over 19,000 games were launched on Steam this year alone, yet nearly half of them saw minimal playtime or reviews. Bender doesn’t believe that Valve is to blame for the lack of visibility on these titles.
In a LinkedIn post, Bender stated, “I’ve seen a lot of people argue that right now lack of discoverability is a fundamental problem for PC games, but I disagree. There is no platform that matches Steam’s excellent discovery system. I say this not just in relation to games, but also in comparison to streaming platforms like Netflix and Amazon; nothing comes close.”
He elaborated that the Steam homepage provides a well-curated blend of top sellers alongside games tailored to user interests. “If I go on the Steam homepage right now, the top section is showing me a mix of top sellers and games based on the tags I play. Scroll down and I’m seeing category pages allowing me to view specific genres of choice. I’m seeing the ‘recommended based on the games you play’ section, which is hyper-focused on my niche interests and features many small indies…”
Bender emphasized that the core issue isn’t the sheer number of releases—over 19,000 games this year—but rather that the industry should accept a wider range of creators and allow player preferences to drive visibility. Instead, he argues the emphasis should be on budget management. “In the end, if we want stability, we have to ensure a given game’s budget is such that ‘success’ equates to covering costs and allows the team to move on to their next project with reasonable sales,” he explained. “And that does mean that some games shouldn’t be created, at least not with their current financial plans.”
Additionally, Bender criticizes publishers for taking 100% of the revenue from games under recoup terms that only guarantee their break-even, often at the developers’ expense. Rather, he believes that publishers should adopt a diversified portfolio where the successes can offset the losses. “Corporate owners need to not shut down studios because they didn’t make the line go up to match expectations—indeed, large corporate entities that can absorb risk should expect some losses to be balanced out by other gains, and that the team that had a loss this time might generate tomorrow’s hit.”
In the meantime, if you’re looking for some engaging gameplay, check out the latest in strategy games to sink your teeth into.
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