• mindbleach@sh.itjust.works
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    1 day ago

    Ability. Not a history of doing anticompetitive behavior, just the ability to do it. Monopoly is a precondition to that abuse.

    From the same page: “Obtaining a monopoly by superior products, innovation, or business acumen is legal; however, the same result achieved by exclusionary or predatory acts may raise antitrust concerns.” “Finally, the monopolist may have a legitimate business justification for behaving in a way that prevents other firms from succeeding in the marketplace. For instance, the monopolist may be competing on the merits in a way that benefits consumers through greater efficiency or a unique set of products or services.”

    Is it a fnord? Is there some other word you would understand to mean, there’s only one big-ass store people treat as the default, and if they start being dicks, we’re all in deep shit?

    • CileTheSane@lemmy.ca
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      23 hours ago

      Ability

      So you think if Steam decided to cancel all of its sales and double the price of everything people would keep purchasing from them? If not then they do not have the ability. We already know they don’t have the ability to prevent competition in the market due to the competition in the market.

      if they start being dicks, we’re all in deep shit?

      We’re really not. If they start being dicks other stores already exist that we can use instead.

      • mindbleach@sh.itjust.works
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        21 hours ago

        If Valve bumped their cut from 30% to 40%, do you imagine publishers would rush to EGS? Epic’s cut is already 15 points lower than Valve’s. It hasn’t moved the needle.

        Valve kills studios by saying ‘no thank you.’ They have immense power. They just don’t use it in any way that freaks people out. The mere possibility shapes the entire industry. Only niche studios try weird shit, because large studios don’t risk poking the bear. Games want to feature nudity and intimacy, but most are so self-censored, they could be televised. The cultural prevalence of nude mods is proof of demand that has been frustrated.

        If you’d rather blame Mastercard and Visa openly dictating what art can and can’t be sold, by all means, we can talk about their joint control of online payment. But it might get blunt if you insist one store taking Bitcoin means that’s not a duopoly.

        • CileTheSane@lemmy.ca
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          20 hours ago

          Valve kills studios by saying ‘no thank you.’

          Back to your earlier point: why wasn’t Alan Wake 2 on Steam? Did Steam say ‘no thank you’?

          The mere possibility shapes the entire industry.

          If it’s such a wide reaching and well known issue, why would any studio choose not to release on Steam? Do you know something they don’t?

          Games want to feature nudity and intimacy

          They they do. Steam has full on porn games on it.

          • mindbleach@sh.itjust.works
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            18 hours ago

            why would any studio choose not to release on Steam?

            Epic gave Remedy a shitload of money, up-front. All exclusivity these days works like that. Nobody wants to reach fewer customers. Some of them are convinced to - some of them are forced to. Alan Wake exemplifies the former, and there’s a good chance Remedy regrets the decision.

            • CileTheSane@lemmy.ca
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              13 hours ago

              Some of them are convinced to

              So not being on Steam isn’t widely known as dooming the game? If everyone knows not being on Steam will force your studio to shut down how could you possibly convince anyone to choose to do so?

              • mindbleach@sh.itjust.works
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                12 hours ago

                ‘But if not being on Steam means they can’t get enough money, how would more money help?’

                You cannot be serious.