http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/07/randy-pitchford-on-steam-valve-is-taking-a-larger-share-than-i/

Randy Pitchford has a thing for making headlines. Referring to the hugely popular Steam digital distribution platform, the Gearbox boss recently told Maximum PC "I don't trust Valve." Having started his company making Half-Life expansions, Pitchford quickly couched that statement saying, "I, personally, trust Valve. But I'm just saying, honestly, I think a lot of the industry doesn't."

Of course, the idea that an independent video game developer would perceive one of the most successful digital distribution platforms for PC games in existence being controlled by essentially a competitor as troubling is ... well, it's enormously understandable. The question then is, why haven't more developers spoken out? While Apple's iTunes Music Store regularly gathers plenty of music industry grumping, Steam has coasted by on a wave of industry support.

The solution? Says Pitchford, "It would be much better if Steam was its own business." If Valve spun off the content delivery system, it would also remove the perceived conflict of interest Pitchford takes umbrage with. "Steam helps us as customers, but it's also a money grab, and Valve is exploiting a lot of people in a way that's not totally fair," Pitchford says. "Valve is taking a larger share than it should for the service it's providing. It's exploiting a lot of small guys."

Yeah. We expect to hear more on this all week long.

Okay my thoughts on this:

See...I don't know what to think about these comments, in light of the fact that Borderlands is launching in a few weeks, and will be going head-to-head with L4D2.  He's going to have to provide a far more "qualified and quantified" statement then this shit...Steam is great for alot of customers in breaking the retail chain, and it's not like it's a damn monopoly...there's direct2drive and others in the same space.  I'm gettin worried about borderland, with all his comments of late...seems like he's trying to hype Gearbox to create some buzz. 

I can only really speak as a consumer, and for me Steam is the best service out there. It works well (for me anywho), is free, and gives you a easy to use store, media, community, etc.

I think Live is very good but balk at the fee a little (not in terms of cost, it's really peanuts in many ways) just because services like Steam are free.

As a developer, well, if Valve are taking the piss a bit then they need to speak out, up and defend themselves. For Steam to work the way it does Valve need the steady stream of content, so the developers ought to be able to come together and sort something out - if there truly is something to sort out in the first place.

As a consumer, I find little beef with Steam. And, as you say, unlike say Live on 360 or PSN on PS3, it has competition right there on the same platform (PC) with D2D, etc.

Actually, saying that, I wonder what he thinks of PSN and Live?

If there is any dev that its hard to fault, its valve.

Its not like theyre a massive company, for them to set up something as great as steam is really a massive feat.

Sounds like this guy just wants a bigger cut, and isnt taking into account that most of those small guys wouldnt be able to get their games into any stores, so have any success to attribute to the steam platform.

Yeah...I thought his comments were a bit off the mark...but he tried to qualify by saying, he's fine with it, but OTHERS aren't...that's some bullshit to me.

I don't know.  I mean Borderlands is on Steam.  So obviously he trusts valve.

I imagine a lot of people bitch at what Steam asks for a fee though.  I mean they still charge retail prices.  So you gotta figure if valve gets like half that... that's a LOT of extra money still.

I dunno.  Steam is the only direct download service i ever plan on using.

Well there are other distribution services out there...he could always go with gametap, direct2drive or whatever. Most developers go with steam because its a proven platform that will usually generate more sales than going with the others.

ALREADY posted: http://vgchartz.com/forum/thread.php?id=88512