Newell: Piracy is a "non-issue" for Valve
Gabe Newell feels Steam no longer has to compete with pirates thanks to the quality of its service.
"If a pirate offers a product anywhere in the world, 24/7, purchasable from the convenience of your personal computer, and the legal provider says the product is region-locked, will come to your country 3 months after the US release, and can only be purchased at a brick and mortar store, then the pirate's service is more valuable," Newell told The Cambridge Student.
"Most DRM solutions diminish the value of the product by either directly restricting a customer's use or by creating uncertainty. Our goal is to create greater service value than pirates, and this has been successful enough for us that piracy is basically a non-issue for our company."
These latest comments echo Valve's believe that piracy is not related to pricing.
The full interview includes some interesting discussion of eSports and a reiteration of Newell's disgust with the restrictions enforced by console networks. Hit the link above for the whole thing.
Thanks, Gamespy.