If you click on a link and make a purchase we may receive a small commission. Read our editorial policy.

Newell: Piracy is a "non-issue" for Valve

Gabe Newell feels Steam no longer has to compete with pirates thanks to the quality of its service.

"If a pirate offers a product anywhere in the world, 24/7, purchasable from the convenience of your personal computer, and the legal provider says the product is region-locked, will come to your country 3 months after the US release, and can only be purchased at a brick and mortar store, then the pirate's service is more valuable," Newell told The Cambridge Student.

"Most DRM solutions diminish the value of the product by either directly restricting a customer's use or by creating uncertainty. Our goal is to create greater service value than pirates, and this has been successful enough for us that piracy is basically a non-issue for our company."

These latest comments echo Valve's believe that piracy is not related to pricing.

The full interview includes some interesting discussion of eSports and a reiteration of Newell's disgust with the restrictions enforced by console networks. Hit the link above for the whole thing.

Thanks, Gamespy.

Sign in and unlock a world of features

Get access to commenting, homepage personalisation, newsletters, and more!

Related topics
About the Author
Brenna Hillier avatar

Brenna Hillier

Contributor

Based in Australia and having come from a lengthy career in the Aussie games media, Brenna worked as VG247's remote Deputy Editor for several years, covering news and events from the other side of the planet to the rest of the team. After leaving VG247, Brenna retired from games media and crossed over to development, working as a writer on several video games.

Comments