Difference between revisions of "Steam"
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| − | [[File:Steam.jpg|200px|thumb|right|Steam Logo]]'''Steam''' is the world's largest online gaming platform and is powered by [[Valve]].<ref name="Valve"> http://www.valvesoftware.com/company/index.html</ref> Steam features over 1800 game titles which can be bought, downloaded, and played | + | [[File:Steam.jpg|200px|thumb|right|Steam Logo]]'''Steam''' is the world's largest online gaming platform and is powered by [[Valve]].<ref name="Valve"> http://www.valvesoftware.com/company/index.html</ref> Steam features over 1800 game titles which can be bought, downloaded, and played and is available in 237 countries in 21 different languages, with over 35 million active users.<ref name="Valve" /> It was estimated in 2009 that Steam held 70% of the video game digital distribution market.<ref>Graft, Kris (November 19, 2009). "Stardock Reveals Impulse, Steam Market Share Estimates". Gamasutra. Retrieved November 21, 2009.</ref> Steam is available for both Mac and PC. Additionally, certain PS3 games can also make use of the Steam platform, such as Valve's own Portal 2.<ref> https://support.steampowered.com/kb_article.php?ref=5477-WPJM-9388 </ref> |
==Overview== | ==Overview== | ||
| − | Steam is an online gaming platform owned and run by Valve Corporation. It was originally started as a tool to update Counter-Strike, the number one online action game made by Valve. Steam allows users to download games from a large selection of purchasable and free titles, from producers such as Electronic Arts, Sony Online, Valve, | + | Steam is an online gaming platform owned and run by Valve Corporation. It was originally started as a tool to update Counter-Strike, the number one online action game made by Valve. Steam allows users to download games from a large selection of purchasable and free titles, from producers such as Electronic Arts, Sony Online, Valve, 2K games, and many more.<ref> http://store.steampowered.com/about/ </ref> With Steam, users can buy, play, share, modify, and build communities around Valve products as well as those from independent studios.<ref name="Valve" /> |
==Popular Titles== | ==Popular Titles== | ||
| − | Popular games available | + | Popular games available for purchase on Steam include Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, Counter-Strike, and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3.<ref> http://store.steampowered.com/stats/</ref> Steam also offers free downloadable games including Portal, Team Fortress 2, and Champions Online. Electronic Arts features popular titles that can be bought on Steam such as Battlefield: Bad Company 2, [[The Sims 3]] and Mass Effect.<ref> http://store.steampowered.com/publisher/Electronic%20Arts </ref> |
==Steamworks== | ==Steamworks== | ||
| − | Many third party games are now being fully integrated with Steam by using the Steamworks API. This means that they require Steam to play, have direct access to its friends network, allow for achievements, and saving the game to the cloud. If a game is bought through a boxed retailer, then the serial key must be registered with Steam. Examples of games using Steamworks are Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3. <ref>http://www.steampowered.com/steamworks/FAQ.php</ref> | + | Many third party games are now being fully integrated with Steam by using the Steamworks API. This means that they require Steam to play, have direct access to its friends network, allow for achievements, and saving the game to the cloud. If a game is bought through a boxed retailer, then the serial key must be registered with Steam. Examples of games using Steamworks are Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3. <ref>http://www.steampowered.com/steamworks/FAQ.php</ref> |
==Controversy== | ==Controversy== | ||
=== If Steam Goes Out of Business === | === If Steam Goes Out of Business === | ||
| − | Although Steam provides a platform for storing | + | Although Steam provides a platform for storing game installation files on their cloud servers, the controversy that comes up is "What happens when Steam goes out of business?". Users can spend hundreds of dollars buying games available and runnable on the steam platform but if Steam were to go out of business, then users would no longer be able to enjoy their purchases. |
| − | Steam's solution to | + | Steam's solution to this issue was releasing a new client that allows users to run their purchased games in an offline environment.<ref> http://forums.steampowered.com/forums/showthread.php?t=870603 </ref> |
=== Hacked Accounts === | === Hacked Accounts === | ||
| Line 25: | Line 25: | ||
:protection on credit card numbers or passwords was cracked. We are still investigating. | :protection on credit card numbers or passwords was cracked. We are still investigating. | ||
| − | These forum accounts are maintained separately from the main Steam accounts, and so the damage was somewhat contained. | + | These forum accounts are maintained separately from the main Steam accounts, and so the damage was somewhat contained. In order to ensure that their user's accounts were secure, Valve forced everyone to change their forum account passwords the next time they logged in. |
| − | + | ||
| − | Valve | + | |
==Ethical Concerns== | ==Ethical Concerns== | ||
| − | One interesting ethical concern is the consolidation of one's game collection into one account. | + | One interesting ethical concern is the consolidation of one's game collection into one account. This is the digital equivalent of putting all your eggs in one basket. Therefore, it is of paramount importance that Valve and it's users take extra precautions to protect accounts and conceal their passwords. The most recent technological advancement made in this regard is the concept of two-step authentication. This is the requirement that each time a user logs into their Steam account, the user must enter a time-sensitive randomly generated code which is sent to the user's email account. Valve's official name for this is called Steam Guard.<ref>https://support.steampowered.com/kb_article.php?ref=4020-ALZM-5519</ref> |
| + | |||
| + | In an older security update, Steam added a simple warning to the Steam chat windows that read "Never tell your password to anyone." At the time it was implemented, there was a serious problem regarding people falling for simple social engineering attacks. Specifically, many people were contacted through Steam chat by people with user names that would suggest that they were Steam or Valve employees. The imposter would then claim to work for Steam or Valve and attempt to phish for the account password, and once obtained would promptly log into the user's account and change the password and email associated with the account so that the user could not recover it. | ||
==See Also== | ==See Also== | ||
Revision as of 19:19, 17 December 2011
Steam is the world's largest online gaming platform and is powered by Valve.[1] Steam features over 1800 game titles which can be bought, downloaded, and played and is available in 237 countries in 21 different languages, with over 35 million active users.[1] It was estimated in 2009 that Steam held 70% of the video game digital distribution market.[2] Steam is available for both Mac and PC. Additionally, certain PS3 games can also make use of the Steam platform, such as Valve's own Portal 2.[3]
Contents
Overview
Steam is an online gaming platform owned and run by Valve Corporation. It was originally started as a tool to update Counter-Strike, the number one online action game made by Valve. Steam allows users to download games from a large selection of purchasable and free titles, from producers such as Electronic Arts, Sony Online, Valve, 2K games, and many more.[4] With Steam, users can buy, play, share, modify, and build communities around Valve products as well as those from independent studios.[1]
Popular Titles
Popular games available for purchase on Steam include Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, Counter-Strike, and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3.[5] Steam also offers free downloadable games including Portal, Team Fortress 2, and Champions Online. Electronic Arts features popular titles that can be bought on Steam such as Battlefield: Bad Company 2, The Sims 3 and Mass Effect.[6]
Steamworks
Many third party games are now being fully integrated with Steam by using the Steamworks API. This means that they require Steam to play, have direct access to its friends network, allow for achievements, and saving the game to the cloud. If a game is bought through a boxed retailer, then the serial key must be registered with Steam. Examples of games using Steamworks are Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3. [7]
Controversy
If Steam Goes Out of Business
Although Steam provides a platform for storing game installation files on their cloud servers, the controversy that comes up is "What happens when Steam goes out of business?". Users can spend hundreds of dollars buying games available and runnable on the steam platform but if Steam were to go out of business, then users would no longer be able to enjoy their purchases.
Steam's solution to this issue was releasing a new client that allows users to run their purchased games in an offline environment.[8]
Hacked Accounts
Steam was victim to a hacking attack on November 6, 2011. The hackers gained entry through a few forum accounts into a larger database of information associated with those accounts. Steam detailed the damage in an email sent to all Steam users:
- We learned that intruders obtained access to a Steam database in addition to the forums. This database contained information including
- user names, hashed and salted passwords, game purchases, email addresses, billing addresses and encrypted credit card information. We do
- not have evidence that encrypted credit card numbers or personally identifying information were taken by the intruders, or that the
- protection on credit card numbers or passwords was cracked. We are still investigating.
These forum accounts are maintained separately from the main Steam accounts, and so the damage was somewhat contained. In order to ensure that their user's accounts were secure, Valve forced everyone to change their forum account passwords the next time they logged in.
Ethical Concerns
One interesting ethical concern is the consolidation of one's game collection into one account. This is the digital equivalent of putting all your eggs in one basket. Therefore, it is of paramount importance that Valve and it's users take extra precautions to protect accounts and conceal their passwords. The most recent technological advancement made in this regard is the concept of two-step authentication. This is the requirement that each time a user logs into their Steam account, the user must enter a time-sensitive randomly generated code which is sent to the user's email account. Valve's official name for this is called Steam Guard.[9]
In an older security update, Steam added a simple warning to the Steam chat windows that read "Never tell your password to anyone." At the time it was implemented, there was a serious problem regarding people falling for simple social engineering attacks. Specifically, many people were contacted through Steam chat by people with user names that would suggest that they were Steam or Valve employees. The imposter would then claim to work for Steam or Valve and attempt to phish for the account password, and once obtained would promptly log into the user's account and change the password and email associated with the account so that the user could not recover it.
See Also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 http://www.valvesoftware.com/company/index.html
- ↑ Graft, Kris (November 19, 2009). "Stardock Reveals Impulse, Steam Market Share Estimates". Gamasutra. Retrieved November 21, 2009.
- ↑ https://support.steampowered.com/kb_article.php?ref=5477-WPJM-9388
- ↑ http://store.steampowered.com/about/
- ↑ http://store.steampowered.com/stats/
- ↑ http://store.steampowered.com/publisher/Electronic%20Arts
- ↑ http://www.steampowered.com/steamworks/FAQ.php
- ↑ http://forums.steampowered.com/forums/showthread.php?t=870603
- ↑ https://support.steampowered.com/kb_article.php?ref=4020-ALZM-5519
