Introduction
Recent events inspired me to open my laptop again. One, Aiden bought a PS5 for Christmas. Yesterday, Quinn booted up Minecraft. Once he finished, Aiden showed off his realm. So, I decided to load up Minecraft on the laptop and see if I could join his realm. I ran into some technical difficulties that I hope to troubleshoot today and try again. In spite of all that, I also loaded up Steam. I went looking for Skyrim. You may remember that I once spent 80 hours in a week playing Skyrim. That caused me to evaluate my life and prioritize going outside. Regardless, that’s one of the reasons that Steam is a Gift 2024.
A Revolution in Gaming Distribution
I know some disagree (including our very own Blonde here at 2 Generations Gaming), and I see their point, that digital downloads represent a positive development in gaming. For better or worse, though, Steam led the charge into digital downloads as the standard. No installation media or load times. Simply download the client and purchase and install the games.
Then, load a game and play to your heart’s content. The client also allows for cloud based saves and automatic updates. Most often, the game updates in the background or during off peak hours to ensure that you never miss any play time due to an unexpected update. One complaint is that sometimes you wonder where and why the update happened. Street Fighter games that are 30 years old suddenly receive an update? WTF?
The Power of a Growing Library
Since I bought the laptop that runs Steam almost a decade ago, I check there first when a game releases. We rarely purchase new consoles (other than the PS5 this year) when they release. But, having access to Steam and the games there makes the risk of FOMO almost nil. Truly, Steam is a gift 2024.
The real charm of Steam, though, is the access to the independent titles that keep me entertained for hours on end. Whether part of a Humble Bundle or random encounter, I always give these titles a try. More often that not, they deliver. Plus, you feel good about supporting an individual or small group of programmers. They are needed for a healthy and thriving community.
Community and Connection
Speaking of that community, Steam offers many ways to connect with your fellow gamer. Each game has a page where you share screenshots and stories. You build a friends list where they share their games and exploits with you and you with them.
Aside from the story, what brings me back to gaming is the community. Back when I first started my adult video game career, I found World of Warcraft. I still stay in touch with some of the people that I met on that game. I never met a single one of them in real life, but I consider them all friends and even family in some cases.
I experienced nothing like that from Steam so far. However, in supporting the independent programmers, I received some correspondence to try a new game or review a movie or television show they produced. I know that I’m not unique in that. But, it still feels good to be included.
Steam Sales, Mods, and the Workshop
One of my friends first alerted me to the famous Steam sales that happen several times a year. I rarely take advantage of them as much as I do the Humble Bundles. Nevertheless, I peruse them and drool at the prices for games that I want to buy. They figured out a way to keep your attention focused on them and that’s half the battle.
They also accomplish that with the Workshop. Even without the resources to program your own game, you still have an impact on that game through the development of mods. Mods have been a part of my gaming experience since DOOM. Then, in the time of The Sims, I got obsessed. I downloaded every furniture set and add on that I found useful.
While I haven’t used many mods inside of Steam, I appreciate what people created. Hell, some of them have even created essentially new games using the technology.
The Verdict
I think I made the case for Steam is a gift 2024. From the top games to indy favorites. A growing community of like minded gamers (sound familiar?) and regular sales. Plus, that community gives you more through mods they developed.