Digital distribution is a buzz word that has been hard to miss even in mainstream press ever since iTunes changed the way people buy music. For gamers, in particular the hard-core player and savy consumer types, the appeal has been undeniable. The selection, prices, and convenience of direct distribution sites like Gamer’s Gate and Steam, amongst others, should be relegating the practice of dragging one’s self to a store and having physical media to scratch to the realm of the quaint and archaic. But, as this article on the penetration of digital distribution of games explains, that isn’t the case.
You think this would worry Jason Holtman, Valve’s Director of Business Development, who obviously thinks a lot about how to make Steam grow. But, as he puts it: “All boats really rise with the tide.” I sat down with Jason at the Montreal International Games Summit, outside no less, as it was unusually warm for a Montreal day in November. In addition to the weather, we talked about the longevity of games created by ongoing free updates, the relationship between physical and digital distribution, Steam’s relations with small developers, and I even got him to talk about Left 4 Dead 2.
