LAS VEGAS -- The next big game-machine war won't be fought over graphics or fancy controllers, says Valve founder Gabe Newell. Instead, victory will go to the hardware firm that helps connect software publishers with their customers.
Kicking off the 2009 DICE Summit Wednesday evening, Newell's keynote speech revolved around videogames as a service-based industry. Through its Steam game download platform for PC, Newell said, the company is able to monitor sales and user activity in real time -- leading to deep, broad insight about the performance of its games.
Newell values this more than anything, and believes that any game console maker who gives publishers such insight will garner the most developer support in the next round. "Consoles will succeed or fail to the degree to which they enable better customer/publisher relationships," he said. "It's a critical battleground among the various console holders."
