Big Steam update - 100+ million ACTIVE users - new UI

[Justin_Bailey]

@Cubsfan

I don’t believe Steam has 100 million users, let alone 100 million unique users that have purchased a game in the last 30 days.

It seems about right. Interestingly enough, Steam really kicked into high gear and started morphing into the platform it is today on November 23, 2005. That’s just a day after the launch of the Xbox 360. So 100 million users (and 200 million total accounts) for a free platform makes decent sense when compared with console sales figures across the same time period.

[Jragon]

My mom is an “active Steam user”. I got her to get an account and buy both seasons of Telltale’s The Walking Dead when it was on sale. She’s super casual, she mostly plays match 3s and simpler P&C adventure/hidden object games, but even she’s started using Steam. Admittedly it was by my prodding, but I imagine there are more than a few casual gamers that get the odd casual game on sale now and then.

[Justin_Bailey]

@Jragon

My mom is an “active Steam user”. I got her to get an account and buy both seasons of Telltale’s The Walking Dead when it was on sale. She’s super casual, she mostly plays match 3s and simpler P&C adventure/hidden object games, but even she’s started using Steam. Admittedly it was by my prodding, but I imagine there are more than a few casual gamers that get the odd casual game on sale now and then.

I would love a look at Steam’s statistics on how many games the average player owns and how many only own 1 or 2. Honestly, it would be fascinating.

[Arrogance_Ex_Machina]

@Justin_Bailey

I would love a look at Steam’s statistics on how many games the average player owns and how many only own 1 or 2. Honestly, it would be fascinating.

There’s probably a lot of accounts that are only used to play DOTA2.

[SenorBeef]

It says one of the requirements of being considered an active account is that the account must have purchased games, so I doubt DOTA qualifies, except maybe if you’ve bought something in game.

[Airk]

@SenorBeef

It says one of the requirements of being considered an active account is that the account must have purchased games, so I doubt DOTA qualifies, except maybe if you’ve bought something in game.

Huh. Yeah. It’s an interesting question in this “Free to play games exist” world as to exactly what “purchasing a game” entails.

[Kinthalis]

And another development: New Steam music player. Plays your mp3’s in the background, can be controlled from the overlay so you don’t have to leave your game.

I little meh about it. With many games supporting borderless window mode, alt+tab is super quick.

[Airk]

@Kinthalis

And another development: New Steam music player. Plays your mp3’s in the background, can be controlled from the overlay so you don’t have to leave your game.

I little meh about it. With many games supporting borderless window mode, alt+tab is super quick.

Yeah, I was going to say - are there REALLY that many games that work with shift+tab (Steam Overlay - I’ve had a few games choke weirdly on this stuff) that don’t work with alt+tab? I mean, FFS guys, at this point, “works with alt-tab” should be a bloody requirement. Sure, there might be some old games that don’t play nice, but those should be few and far between.

Maybe this is a Big Picture enhancement, really, where they’re trying to match console functionality for people playing games on their TVs?

[Kinthalis]

@Airk

Yeah, I was going to say - are there REALLY that many games that work with shift+tab (Steam Overlay - I’ve had a few games choke weirdly on this stuff) that don’t work with alt+tab? I mean, FFS guys, at this point, “works with alt-tab” should be a bloody requirement. Sure, there might be some old games that don’t play nice, but those should be few and far between.

Maybe this is a Big Picture enhancement, really, where they’re trying to match console functionality for people playing games on their TVs?

Yeah, that was first thought after I posted that. Seems a lot handier for the big screen types.