Valve‘s Steam Dev Days conference is off-limits to the press, but this “no media allowed” policy isn’t preventing information from leaking out on Twitter.

Today and through tomorrow, Valve, its partners, developers, and publishers are in Seattle to discuss PC gaming and the Steam platform. That includes the new SteamOS operating system, the upcoming Steam Machine PCs, and the Steam digital-distribution store.

As part of the event, Steam revealed that Steam now has 75 million registered users. That’s an increase of 10 million since the company last reported that figure in October.

El Oshcuro @DaveOshry

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Steam has hit 75 million active users! #SteamDevDays

7:34 PM - 15 Jan 2014 from Seattle, WA, United States

That’s not the only interesting factoid and tidbit coming out the conference. We’ve gathered up some tweets from developers that are attending the event.

Third-party companies can make Steam Controllers

In addition to its Linux-based SteamOS and the console-like Steam Machines, Valve also has its Steam Controller. This new input device forgoes traditional analog sticks in favor of a pair of concave trackpads.

Now, Valve has revealed that third-party peripheral makers can make their own versions of the controller.

Andy Payne @PercyBlakeney63

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3rd parties will be able to make Steam Controllers #steamdevdays

7:41 PM - 15 Jan 2014

Steam Greenlight will ‘go away’

Valve currently has a service on Steam that enables indie developers to put their games on the store if they get enough support. This is Steam’s Greenlight platform, but it doesn’t have long to live.

Tomas Rawlings @TomasRawlings

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Also says that Greenlight will fade away as the blocks between development and publishing on Steam are removed... #SteamDevDays

7:03 PM - 15 Jan 2014

Valve president Gabe Newell told the assembled crowd of developers that they want to get rid of Greenlight.

“Our goal is to make Greenlight go away,” said Newell. “Not because it’s not useful, but because we’re evolving.”

Evolving into what? Well, an even friendlier platform for smaller studios. Valve wants to remove all the measures that are currently preventing tiny developers from publishing their titles on Steam. We’ve reached out to Valve to ask how that will work, and we’ll update as we have more.

Valve won’t force SteamOS exclusives

If Valve’s SteamOS (the Steam Machines’ software backbone) gets any exclusives, they won’t seem out of place.

Andy Payne @PercyBlakeney63

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Exclusives for @steam_games will be natural and not forced. #steamdevdays. Just gets better.

7:31 PM - 15 Jan 2014

Newell said that SteamOS will get experiences that are unavailable anywhere else, but Valve also confirmed that it won’t try to force a game into SteamOS exclusivity. That means if a game ends up only on SteamOS, it’s likely because the developer wanted to make a game that is specifically geared toward television and couch gaming.

http://venturebeat.com/2014/01/15/steam-has-75-million-registered-users-third-party-steam-controllers-and-other-tidbits-from-valves-dev-days/

Consoles are DOOMED

Yeah.  Greenlight SEEMED like a good idea... but in execution...

And not even a single word of half life 3... sighh

Good! Greenlight was awful is so many ways.

I really want them to embrace "adult/mature" games in Greenlight, they made a big fuss about it and they should have these, I especially want this to happen so that japanese graphic novel game makers would publish their games on steam, a lot of people enjoy those.

Seems like Valve is full Steam ahead lately. *Pun pun pun*
75 Million users is a pretty impressive number considering the PC is apparantly dead.

I'd like a revenue number, but it's good to see Steam go from strength to strength. Adding 10 million active users in 4 months is very impressive. Nearly everyone in my flat has switched to Steam from consoles in the last 2 years. I personally play both though.

Yeah, I wouldn't mind seeing revenue numbers too.
But Valve is a privately held company so they're not obligated to tell anyone. :)

On the flipside, they also don't have shareholders demanding ever increasing profits... Which is a good compromise I suppose.