The steam platform economy

From retail to player-driven economies

Dados Bibliográficos

ID12656945
AutoresAnne Mette Thorhauge (0000-0002-5100-5587, University of Copenhagen, autor correspondente)
Ano2022
Volume26
Fascículo4
Páginas1963-1983
Data de publicação2022-03-07
Peer ReviewedSim
Open AccessSim
TipoARTICLE
PeriódicoNew Media & Society (JOURNAL)
Identificadores do periódicoISSN: 1461-4448 • E-ISSN: 1461-7315
EditoraSAGE Publishing (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1177/14614448221081401
OpenAlexW4220652555
IdiomaEN
Citações recebidas4
Referências citadas23

In this article, I analyse the Steam platform as a configuration of several market contexts. I argue that Valve, the owner of Steam, maintains a classical retail market catering to large game publishers, while the emphasis of Valve’s own game titles is in alternative market contexts based on player-driven economies. I first discuss Steam as a distinct type of platform economy due to its roots in player-driven game economies. I then introduce the notion of ‘markets as fields’ as my analytical framework. Based on this framework, I describe three different contexts of economic transaction: the Steam Game Store, the Steam Community Workshop and the Steam Community Market. I analyse how the approximately 46,500 game titles published on the platform are distributed across these contexts and how these games can be ranked with regard to current player numbers, and discuss Valve’s position as combined platform owner, game developer and game publisher

Business · Commerce · Database transaction · Economics · Economy · Game theory · Industrial organization · Microeconomics · Business Strategy and Innovation · Computer Science · Digital Games and Media · Digital Platforms and Economics