Doesn't matter if having a permanent discount on other services is technically allowed, it's still risking to sour the relationship to Valve and may still result in removal. Valve is a private company, they can at any point decide that any game should be removed from their store at their own discretion. Pretty sure that's the same nonsense Apple dictates on their appstore. It's anti competitive behavior and needs to be regulated.

Epic takes a 12% cut.

Valve takes a 30% cut

Not sure what the issue is. If developers don't want to put their games on Steam, their are plenty of other alternatives. Sure they lose the giant audience however this isn't a console, PCs are not locked to one gaming app. Valve profit more yes, however developers also sell more on Steam so both parties win.

I understand why Microsoft and Epic don't like this policy. it certainly makes it much harder for them to compete with Steam. But, that's business. Microsoft and Epic have very deep pockets. They can throw money at the problem and overcome it, if it's that important to them. Microsoft could effectively buy the exclusive rights to every game in existence and force Valve out of the market in short order, if it was that important to them. The fact that they're not doing it shows you that it's really not that important.

I wouldn't think differently no matter who the complaints were. But, it is particularly ridiculous coming from Microsoft. They could just buy Valve if it's that important.

Its an anti competitive clause within Steam contract and it would be no different if MS or Epic did the same thing. Companies only get noticed like this when they become the market leader within a sector. Right now Steam is the market leader and because of that, they have to be very careful how they use their power or lawsuits like this start to happen. Get the wrong judge and then they face all kinds of issues.

Buying companies is a LOT more complicated than that, especially with what you are suggesting lol. For one thing, people aren't always just waiting around to sell their shares to someone with a bunch of money. Some people own shares that they don't want to sell, no matter how much someone offers. Others who would normally sell won't out of principle to a mega corporation. On top of person choice, let's talk government oversight: A republican administration would be all over one company trying to buy that many competitors out, let alone the current democratic one. Bethesda is one thing. But if Microsoft were to try to "buy the exclusive rights to every game in existence" they would be blocked before they even got to 15% of every IP out there probably lol. The guy in the White House who is constantly asking people where he is, what he is supposed to say next, and refuses to do press conferences probably wouldn't be on top of it, but absolutely this would have Bi-Partisan support to be shut down by Vice President Harris, Congress, and the federal courts.

Obviously, buying rights to everything is an exaggeration. 

You're either deliberately ignoring the obvious point - that MS has the money to handle Valve in multiple ways - or..... well, I don't see any other options.   

I mean, Gamepass was certainly a way to siphon off Valve users. They've tried to make Windows Store a bigger deal. I don't really see what else they could do to try to crush Steam unless they start getting more exclusives on Windows Store/Gamepass? People have tons of games and friends on Steam and many probably are unwilling to move to a new platform because they don't want to have split libraries and there are probably a good chunk who don't want to move simply because they have so many Steam achievements.

On the one hand, Steam can be understood, they may well dictate their own rules. But yes, I agree more that all of this requires regulation.

Abusing of economical power is wrong, that should be point mute.