The addition of an app category in the Steam mobile app catalogue last month hinted this was coming, but today Valve announced plans to begin selling non-game software through their digital market place.
On the 5th September Steam will begin selling a select few software packages, with plans to add to this in time.
Valve have not announced what that software will be, they only reveal that they will “range from creativity to
productivity.”
The software
on offer won’t exist in isolation, developers will be able to make
use of Valve’s Steamworks features – such as auto-aupdates, cloud
saves, and easy installation – and, with the launch of Greenlight,
people will also be able to submit their programs for the community
to vote into the Steam catalogue.
Speaking on
the matter via his press release phone, Valve’s Mark Richardson had
this to be quoted on the matter “The 40 million gamers
frequenting Steam are interested in more than playing games, they
have told us they would like to have more of their software on Steam,
so this expansion is in response to those customer requests.”
Taking into
account Valve’s recent activity we can see a number of separate
projects that all hinted at a ubiquitous platform to rival the
offerings of Apple and Microsoft. They have a trusted and stable
marketplace, a mobile shopping app, a community vetting programme in
the form of Greenlight, theyve begun selling game soundtracks as DLC
and videos like Indie Game: The Movie. Plus, Steam Workshop will be a
dream for developing and selling widgets for apps. Finally there’s
Steam’s
long-in-the-works big-picture mode. In the next year we may see
Valve take a big bite out of the mobile and console markets.
Cunning,
Valve. Very cunning.