As long Valve doesn’t become publicly traded they will be fine. The problems start when companies optimize for shareholder value rather than customer value.
Na. Even privatly traded companies can enshittify when it gets inherited to people not sharing the same vision as the one that made the company successful.
If you want to prevent enshittification more long term, convert it to a non-profit cooperative, with a work ethic that promotes providing the best service over short term profit.
That would be amaze balls, but hard to see happening in reality.
How cool would it be if Steam split* into a non-profit, giving rebates back to developers for platform fees collected in excess of costs (including generous salaries for their employees, of course) with directives to make the platform as good for gamers and developers as possible?
One can dream.
I’m assuming a split because game development and sales don’t really mesh with a non-profit in the same way. Hard to make competitive multiplayer-only live-service games (let alone The International for DOTA 2) and loot crates your business model that way, at any rate.
You think there aren’t a bunch of greedy finance whores biding their time until Gabe dies in order to take over and enshitify everything so they can squeeze as much money out of Steam as possible?
You’re right that going public would virtually guarantee they enshittify, but staying private does not guarantee they remain customer focused. It’s still a business, and right now the only thing making it so good for customers, IMHO, is an ideological vision that favours long term stability, and steady profits. That is not the norm in the business world (of tech platforms).
There are millions of successful companies and businesses on this planet and a lot (historically almost all) are taken over by the children or protégés. I‘d argue that nepo babies who got pampered up until adulthood (like probably Gabe‘s kids) have a worse track record of leading a business, that’s probably the examples you’ve been thinking of.
And it will last til Gabe dies. Then I guarantee it enshittifes so fast it will make your head spin.
As long Valve doesn’t become publicly traded they will be fine. The problems start when companies optimize for shareholder value rather than customer value.
So tencent or a saudi prince buys them and it will be fine guyyyyssss haha
Nothing ever bad happens under private ownership either right?
Na. Even privatly traded companies can enshittify when it gets inherited to people not sharing the same vision as the one that made the company successful.
If you want to prevent enshittification more long term, convert it to a non-profit cooperative, with a work ethic that promotes providing the best service over short term profit.
That would be amaze balls, but hard to see happening in reality.
How cool would it be if Steam split* into a non-profit, giving rebates back to developers for platform fees collected in excess of costs (including generous salaries for their employees, of course) with directives to make the platform as good for gamers and developers as possible?
One can dream.
Private equity buyout would be the same problem but even faster.
You think there aren’t a bunch of greedy finance whores biding their time until Gabe dies in order to take over and enshitify everything so they can squeeze as much money out of Steam as possible?
You’re right that going public would virtually guarantee they enshittify, but staying private does not guarantee they remain customer focused. It’s still a business, and right now the only thing making it so good for customers, IMHO, is an ideological vision that favours long term stability, and steady profits. That is not the norm in the business world (of tech platforms).
Well yeah, that will be the potential first sign to look out for. If that happens no need to think it won’t get worse like everything else.
I think Valve has a lot of good people there. Hopefully succession has been planned and leadership will go to someone as good as GabeN.
100% this. He’s definitely keeping a bunch of bad stuff at bay.
Maybe. I’ve heard Gabe’s son is set to take over when the time comes, hopefully he’s been raised right.
Hmm. The founder’s son usually just squeezes the company for profit.
citation needed
points to all of human history
Maybe this will be one of the exceptions. At least I hope so.
There are millions of successful companies and businesses on this planet and a lot (historically almost all) are taken over by the children or protégés. I‘d argue that nepo babies who got pampered up until adulthood (like probably Gabe‘s kids) have a worse track record of leading a business, that’s probably the examples you’ve been thinking of.
But you don’t have to do anything at all to get rich off of steam
Really!? Gives me hope!
He should turn it into a non-profit right before he dies and put the ip under a foundation or something so it can’t be sold off in pieces.
He wont though
OpenAI is a non-profit
OpenAI started as a non-profit and pivoted to being for profit whether the paperwork has kept up or not.
Pretty sure that was the plan all along though.
A non-profit which owns a portion of OpenAI, the for-profit company.
And FIFA
As soon as the business people gain control they will pivot everything to maximize profit. Enshitification is just a euphemism for business.