this post was submitted on 18 Jan 2026
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But Steam's totally not a monopoly, you guys.
No, the word does not mean competitors don't exist. It means they don't matter.
No, the label does not mean we have to shatter Valve. Having market dominance and abusing it are different things, but we still need to recognize when a company fffuuucking obviously has it.
If Gaben suddenly announces he's sold it all to Larry Ellison, that has ruinous implications for the entire PC gaming market, despite the fact Valve does not strictly own PC gaming. They don't have to, to be an outsized influence, to the point most people will readily admit they only buy from one store. We have a word for that.
Yeah I don't think anyone can form a good faith argument claiming Steam doesn't have a monopoly.
The thing is, all a competitor has to do to take away Steam's monopoly is to make a product as good or better than Steam
I've had dozens of people pile on to insist Steam is not a monopoly. They're the ones I'm quoting about it being the only store they use. They're the ones downvoting me, and only me, for pointing out it is a monopoly, while they upvote you for also saying it's a monopoly, but in a yeah-but phrasing.
I'll be honest, I downvoted you, but because of the incredibly condescending tone, and for arguing against a point that literally no one has brought up in this post. I'm sorry you've run into dumbasses elsewhere that have wrongly tried to claim Steam isn't a monopoly, but complaining about them and arguing against them in a post that they haven't shown up in isn't productive.
I refuse to be shamed on tone when every approach sees the same response.
A coy eye-roll which you cannot imagine anyone disagrees with gets brusquely scoffed at. Pointing out that people absolutely disagree with it gets treated like heavy messing.
Dry statements get downvoted.
Direct responses get downvoted.
Detailed overviews get downvoted.
Oblique implications get downvoted.
Direct application with context gets downvoted.
If I can't win I don't play. Steam is a monopoly and people are fucking weird about it. You supposedly agree with me and you're still treating me the same way these "dumbasses" do. If I pretend they don't exist I get more predictable bullshit. If I acknowledge they exist it's my fault somehow. How about no?
I'm not asking you to feel shame, just explaining why I thought your comment was deserving of a downvote. It wasn't intended to be personal, just informational.
And which angle would not receive the same "information?"
What?
They seem to ask how to phrase the same thing in such a way that you can't come and reply that their tone is condescending.
Much passive, very aggression, I find it hard to side with people this snarky :(
Even when I ask what should I say instead?, people go 'ooh, no, I wouldn't say it like that' instead of answering the fucking question.
I've had this argument in a wide variety of contexts and tones-of-voice. All of them get the same asinine responses. This goes beyond resting bitch font, where people interpret whatever I write in the shittiest way possible. I'm starting to think the topic is just cursed. Like it's impossible to have a sensible conversation about Valve's market share. All efforts descend into snipping about the commenter, or spiral out into nonsense and denial.
I beg of you, prove me wrong. What should I say instead?
Yeah, I can't answer your question either, because I find it may be either hard or impossible to come up with an answer
Then it's not a me problem. And you shouldn't act like it is.
I really want you to understand that no one in this thread is out to get you
They said, continuing to make this about me, instead of the actual topic.
Still offering a fat lot of nothing in terms of constructive criticism for this tone-policing.
I still think there is some communication issue, but I re-read your original comment and I am quite lost about what your point was: you say Valve is monopoly BUT it's not evil (from another thread you linked) and you don't propose to dismantle it. So, what should the readers do with the newly acquired knowledge?
If you want to warn, then warn directly, if you want to call to action, do so. If you want people to just think for themselves, you will get nothing except people thinking you fail to make a point and arguing with you because they came up with that result by thinking for themselves
What would that look like, besides what I've done?
I don't think any of you know what you want. You act like I've done something wrong, and when pressed on what exactly that is, you cannot provide a reason, but will not re-examine the assertion. Any amount of context is the wrong amount, any approach is the wrong approach, any tone is the wrong tone. The nature of bad faith is that there is no right answer.
And this is over agreement. I'm used to people getting weird when they insist Steam isn't an obvious monopoly. The exact same weirdness becomes novel when it's from people insisting it's too obvious. I'm getting shit on both for explaining why being a monopoly is not intrinsically evil, and for explaining why we should be concerned about them anyway... and I'm getting shit on as though I did neither of those things... in the same comment. Baffling.
You're not being downvoted here because you're wrong. You're being downvoted here because you're bringing up this argument you had with other people outside of this thread in a way that provides zero context and in an accusatory tone.
Even your "Dry statement" was just uncalled for. We get it. You learned what monopoly means and you wanna share it with the world. You even go so far as to say Alan Wake took so long to make a profit because Valve is a monopoly. OK sure Valve is a monopoly. Maybe, it's one reason AW took forever to turn a profit. But you know what else could cause that? Epic absolutely sucking.
People fall over themselves to demonstrate what I'm saying.
I mention that it's a monopoly - 'shut up, no it isn't.' I mention the people who say it isn't - 'shut up, of course it is.' I start from scratch - 'shut up, what are you talking about.' I provide two years of context - 'shut up, that's not in this thread.'
What sequence of words would avoid this abuse? What possible sentence would address the actual issue, without people acting like I've insulted their mother's cooking?
Maybe not saying anything.
Further abuse.
Nobody cares about what you have to say, don't agree with your point, or don't find it relevant to the conversation so don't be surprised when people tell you so. If all you want to do is people agreeing with you, start a community with like-minded people. I honestly don't know what else to recommend you. Good luck on the internet.
If I have demonstrated anything in all my years online, it is that I am ready and willing to argue. But it's not an argument if the other side is just saying words recreationally. That seems to be the case here, when no amount of pleading for specifics or alternatives results in anything besides 'shut up.'
Meanwhile:
The actual topic remains that Valve is a monopoly. In what universe is that not relevant to this article about their largest competitor being so unimportant they can't give things away? If everyone here takes that for granted, great... so why am I getting the same response as the many times people deny it? Even the meta discussion about phrasing is fraught and confrontational, regardless of what I've actually said. Have I offended you in some way?
No one here disagreed with the fact that it's a monopoly.
You very first comment in this thread was in a condescending tone as if to say we here don't agree with you. Then we told you about your tone. Then you said you refused to be silenced due to tone.
Nobody is arguing here and then you started mentioning how others in other posts argued and told you to shut up.
Like what the fuck do you want? You came in here swinging and bitch when people engage. So fuck off.
Troll.
What?
Besides, I think part of the issue is that you argue with different people as if they were the same people
Epic offering a game for free, only to be treated as advertisement for its sale on Steam, is the headline of this submission. What do you mean, what? Do you speak English?
I've demonstrated I keep notes on these arguments. Not that it seems to matter, when even the people who agree that Steam is a monopoly pile on, like I'm the asshole for pointing it out. I have asked you, specifically, what I should say differently, and your response was 'well I dunno.' Great! Thanks! How distinctly useful!
No, not for pointing out
Empty insults mean less than nothing.