I'm a PC gamer and have been since I was a kid. It's literally my number one thing I do when I have free time is get on some games and hang with the boys. It's a big part of my life.
As game companies go, I don't trust Microsoft, EA, Ubisoft, Blizzard, Bethesda, Sony, Epic Games... It's a long list. Valve is the only company I even kinda trust (Which isn't even that much these days). If Microsoft bought Valve I'd probably never buy a PC game again. Because all the companies selling them would be companies I don't wanna give money.
But it's not true that they were buying it so it's a moot point. Just wanted to rant. :)
GabeN has pretty much all the moneys and doesn't seem to be the kind of guy who needs a dick shaped rocket to feel like his daddy loves him. The only way Valve is going anywhere is after he kicks it.
Without digging too far, seems hit net worth is around $6 billion. Obviously that's nothing compared to say Bezos but if he wanted to ride a dick-shaped rocket into space I'm sure he could arrange it. He does, however, own the sub that holds the records for deepest crewed dives in all 5 oceans: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DSV_Limiting_Factor
As you said though, he seems to be pretty much chill and until the day he passes away I think Valve is safe. And that will be a sad day...
Preach on man... I feel the same way. If microshit bought Valve, I'd never buy another thing on the platform.
And you could effectively forget Linux gaming as well.
GOG is a subsidiary of CD Projekt (which I personally don't trust after the disastrous release of Cyberpunk 2077, and the empty promises of bringing GOG Galaxy to Linux; they also stretch the definition of DRM-free in some cases).
Well, steam isn't even remotely DRM free. Valve is also far from flawless (allowing TF2 to be ran by hackers for literal years) and run by a multi billionaire. But sure, cyberpunk was unoptimized.
There is a growing angst about the bullshit these companies get away with.
More and more people are getting burned by these massive companies and are boycotting them. I'm not saying they aren't still making money, just that the hatred for them is growing year on year.
I also have said fk EA ~6years ago after they locked me out of a game and failed to provide a refund when they did so.
Microsoft/Xbox (Also their subsidiaries), about 4yrs ago when they locked me out of a game I paid for with a new 'account verification' system.
And you know what, I have never gone to my steam library and been short on what to play. I legitimately haven't missed EA/Microsoft (among others) one bit.
Haven't bought a game from EA, Ubisoft, Epic Games in years. Haven't given Blizzard money since they fucked up Overwatch and haven't given Microsoft money since they fucked up Halo. Haven't bought a Bethesda game since Doom Eternal. Feel like I'm doing pretty well, honestly.