Editing PC game (section)

=== Digital distribution services ===
{{Main|Digital distribution of video games}}
PC games are sold predominantly through the Internet, with buyers downloading their new purchase directly to their computer.<ref name=economist12 /><ref name="esafacts12">{{cite web|title=2012 Essential facts About the computer and Video game industry|publisher=[[Entertainment Software Association]]|date=March 2012|url=http://www.theesa.com/facts/pdfs/ESA_EF_2012.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130102205511/http://www.theesa.com/facts/pdfs/ESA_EF_2012.pdf|archive-date=January 2, 2013|df=mdy-all}}</ref> This approach allows smaller independent developers to compete with large publisher-backed games<ref name=stuart10 /><ref name=garr11>{{cite web|title=Download distribution opening new doors for independent game developers|url=http://www.statesman.com/business/technology/download-distribution-opening-new-doors-for-independent-game-1409285.html|publisher=Statesman.com|date=17 April 2011|last=Garr|first=Brian|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110421074810/http://www.statesman.com/business/technology/download-distribution-opening-new-doors-for-independent-game-1409285.html|archive-date=April 21, 2011|df=mdy-all}}</ref> and avoids the speed and capacity limits of the [[optical disc]]s which most other gaming platforms rely on.<ref name=kuchera07>{{cite web|last=Kuchera|first=Ben|title=Is Blu-ray really a good medium for games?|url=https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2007/01/6658/|website=Ars Technica|date=17 January 2007}}</ref><ref name=rage_capacity>{{cite web|title=Rage Will Look Worse on 360 Due to Compression; Doom 4 and Rage Not Likely for Digital Distribution|url=http://www.shacknews.com/article/53976/rage-will-look-worse-on|publisher=[[Shacknews]]|date=1 August 2008}}</ref>

[[Valve Corporation|Valve]] released the [[Steam (service)|Steam]] platform for Windows computers in 2003 as a means to distribute Valve-developed video games such as Half-Life 2. It would later see release on the [[Mac OS X]] operating system in 2010 and was released on Linux in 2012. By 2011, it controlled 70% of the market for downloadable PC games, with a userbase of about 40 million accounts.<ref name="forbes-gnprofile" /><ref>{{cite web|title=40 Million Active Gamers on Steam Mark|url=http://gamingbolt.com/valve-releases-pr-steam-userbase-doubles-in-2011-big-picture-mode-coming-soon|publisher=Gaming Bolt|access-date=7 January 2012|date=6 January 2012}}</ref> [[Origin (service)|Origin]], a new version of the [[Electronic Arts]] online store, was released in 2011 in order to compete with Steam and other digital distribution platforms on the PC.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://investor.ea.com/common/download/download.cfm?companyid=ERTS&fileid=475188&filekey=6d4ea4b7-0389-4c68-964f-af21a86c5a7d&filename=E3_2011_IR_Breakfast_-_6-8_-_small_file_size.pdf|title=PDF E3 2011 Investor Presentation|access-date=2012-04-26|publisher=[[Electronic Arts]]}}</ref>{{Primary source inline|date=January 2024}} The period between 2004 and now saw the rise of many digital distribution services on PC, such as [[Amazon Digital Services]], [[GameStop]], [[GFWL]], [[EA Store]], [[Direct2Drive]], [[GOG.com]], and [[GamersGate]].

Digital distribution also slashes the cost of circulation, eliminates stock shortages, allows games to be released worldwide at no additional cost, and allows niche audiences to be reached with ease.<ref name=senior11>{{cite magazine|last=Senior|first=Tom|title=Paradox sales are 90% digital, "we don't really need retailers any more" says CEO|url=http://www.pcgamer.com/2011/07/06/paradox-sales-are-90-digital-we-don%E2%80%99t-really-need-retailers-any-more-says-ceo/|magazine=[[PC Gamer]]|date=6 July 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130114030409/http://www.pcgamer.com/2011/07/06/paradox-sales-are-90-digital-we-don%E2%80%99t-really-need-retailers-any-more-says-ceo/|archive-date=January 14, 2013|df=mdy-all}}</ref> However, most digital distribution systems create ownership and customer rights issues by storing access rights on distributor-owned computers. Games confer with these computers over the Internet before launching. This raises the prospect of purchases being lost if the distributor goes out of business or chooses to lock the buyer's account, and prevents [[First-sale doctrine|resale]] (the ethics of which [[First-sale doctrine#Application to digital copies|are a matter of debate]]).

Valve does not release any sales figures on its Steam service, instead it only provides the data to companies with games on Steam,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2011-04-21-valve-no-steam-data-for-digital-sales-charts|title=Valve: no Steam data for digital sales charts|date=April 21, 2011 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Parfitt |first=Ben |url=http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/digital-charts-wont-pick-up-steam |title=Digital charts won't pick up Steam &#124; Games industry news &#124; MCV |website=MCV |date=April 21, 2011 |publisher=Mcvuk.com |access-date=2013-08-28}}</ref> which they cannot release without permission due to signing a [[non-disclosure agreement]] with Valve.<ref>{{cite web |last=Kuchera |first=Ben |url=http://penny-arcade.com/report/editorial-article/its-time-for-the-gaming-press-to-grow-up-and-ignore-the-npd-group |title=The PA Report – Why it's time to grow up and start ignoring the monthly NPD reports |publisher=Penny-arcade.com |date=2012-07-02 |access-date=2013-08-28 |archive-date=March 6, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130306103524/http://penny-arcade.com/report/editorial-article/its-time-for-the-gaming-press-to-grow-up-and-ignore-the-npd-group |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://ve3d.ign.com/articles/news/61425/Garrys-Mod-Breaks-1-Million-Sold-First-Peek-At-Sales-Chart |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130530001351/http://ve3d.ign.com/articles/news/61425/Garrys-Mod-Breaks-1-Million-Sold-First-Peek-At-Sales-Chart |url-status=dead |archive-date=May 30, 2013 |title=Garry's Mod Breaks 1 Million Sold, First Peek At Sales Chart – Voodoo Extreme |publisher=Ve3d.ign.com |access-date=2013-08-28}}</ref>
However, [[Stardock]], the previous owner of competing platform [[Impulse (software)|Impulse]], estimated that, as of 2009, Steam had a 70% share of the digital distribution market for video games.<ref name="Graft">{{cite web|url=https://www.gamedeveloper.com/game-platforms/stardock-reveals-impulse-steam-market-share-estimates |title=Stardock Reveals Impulse, Steam Market Share Estimates |last=Graft|first=Kris|website=[[Gamasutra]] |access-date=November 21, 2009|date=November 19, 2009}}</ref> In early 2011, ''[[Forbes]]'' reported that Steam sales constituted 50–70% of the $4 billion market for downloaded PC games and that Steam offered game producers [[gross margin]]s of 70% of purchase price, compared with 30% at retail.<ref name="forbes-gnprofile">{{cite magazine|last=Chiang|first=Oliver|title=The Master of Online Mayhem|url=https://www.forbes.com/forbes/2011/0228/technology-gabe-newell-videogames-valve-online-mayhem.html|magazine=[[Forbes]]|access-date=14 February 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.1up.com/news/steam-experiences-sales-growth | title = Steam Experiences Another Year of Sales Growth in 2011 | first = Chris | last = Periera | date = 2012-01-06 | access-date = 2012-02-02 | website = [[1UP.com]] | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120526021635/http://www.1up.com/news/steam-experiences-sales-growth | archive-date = May 26, 2012 | df = mdy-all}}</ref>