Newell: Steam will "seem very primitive" in a few years

Valve co-founder Gabe Newell says other companies should look to the future rather than try to copy what Steam does - before the digital distribution platform is outdated.

"They look at Steam as it is today and say, ‘Aha, we can do something like that too. What they are missing is that this is just the beginning. The rate at which stuff is changing is dramatic. Things we've done in Steam are going to seem very primitive simply a few years down the road," Newell told Kotaku.

In fact, while competitors are imitating, Newell isn't certain Valve and Steam are heading next.

"We're terrified by the future. You need to be looking at what's happening with Apple, Google Android and thinking that could impact the living room in a big way. You need to be looking at Onlive and how it is integrated with the television," he said.

"Where we are today is trivial to where we will be down the line. We need to be focusing on where we are headed."

Commenting that whatever the future brings will be "awesome" for developers and gamers, Newell expressed the hope that Steam will be at the forefront of changes, and not just the "answer to a trivia question" - a footnote in history.

Hit the link above for the full interview, in which Newell discusses how Steam's lightweight DRM and attendant features succeeds where other, more draconian anti-piracy measures fail.

Thanks, Gamefront.