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The success Valve’s digital distribution service Steam is good for retail, head of Steam Jason Holtman has told MCV.
This comes after rumours last year that chains of retailers were considering boycotting Steam-enabled titles when many worried it would discourage consumers from buying products in-store.
“…the proof in the pudding is when you look a few months after those articles and those flare-ups happen,” said Holtman. “Retailers are still stocking those games, they are supporting them. And the reason they are stocking those games isn’t because someone won a war, it’s because these products are successful.”
Holtman argued that promotions for Steam-enabled games like Left 4 Dead led to sales spikes both digitally and online, and that it will not deter consumers from buying the physical product.
“People who use Amazon still go to book stores. You can buy almost anything online, but people still go out to the High Street to buy things.”
This is a debate that seems to exist for every medium that has gone digital, whether it’s music, television, or games. However it seems unlikely that gamers will ever stop buying physical products completely, particularly with the existence of collectors editions.
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