09/17/2008, 10:45am, EDT
Wednesday, September 17thGoogle to buy Valve for app store? [U]
(Updated with official response) Google may buy Half-Life developer Valve Software to give itself an edge in content distribution, according to a new rumor. Allegedly "well placed" sources of the Inquirer claim the early search engine company is aiming to buy Valve for its Steam platform, which so far has been used as a store for users to download free and paid games as well as a small number of videos and other content. The system has been heralded for making an end-run around traditional retail and provides an edge over some other online app downloads by remembering a customer's purchases should they lose an existing copy to a computer crash or upgrade.
It's unclear what role the potential acquisition would serve for Google's existing platforms. The company now has several downloadable apps that include Chrome, Google Earth, Picasa and others but has also relied heavily on web-based apps such as Google Docs. The firm also has a large infrastructure to support YouTube and isn't presently involved in the gaming sphere.
Such a move would however challenge Microsoft, which has been developing a similar distribution model for its Games for Windows platform and has also experimented with online distribution for some of its core businesses. Windows Vista has had built-in online shopping to allow upgrading to more advanced versions without buying a second retail copy.
Google hasn't commented on the matter, though Valve's marketing VP Doug Lombardi now says the story is nothing but "rumor."
Filed under: industry, software
Other story tags: Microsoft, Google, Valve, Steam
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Isn't one of the advantages/edges of Steam the fact that it basically does distribution in a BitTorrent-like way, which reduces server bandwidth and allows for far quicker downloads?
And I can't imagine this would have any use for any on-line application or service (except, perhaps, for distributing YouTube crap, um, video content). But is anyone really going to want to install some application on their computers for 'YouTube?
Steam
Steam is actually useful for two specific purposes.
1. Steam allows you to download full size games (applications) very quickly.
2. Steam adds networking to all Steam powered games so that its very easy to play network games with upto 50 other users.
I cant see the second point being useful to Google, but Steam works very well as a software delivery mechanism and Google makes lots of software.