It’s no secret that Palworld is taking the world by storm, as the developers at Pocket Pair are celebrating over 4 million copies of the game sold in only a matter of days.
Over 14,000 games were released on Steam in 2023
04.01.2024 - 19:41 / rockpapershotgun.com
Over 14,000 games were released on Steam in 2023, according to according to data tracked by SteamDB. The number is nearly 2000 games more than in 2022, and continues a steady trend of growth on the digital storefront.
The number of games released on Steam has increased every year since the platform's launch, with the exception of 2019. That decline from 2018 is because 2018 was the year Valve launched Steam Direct, letting developers release their games onto the platform without an approval process and thus prompting an unrepeatable deluge of back catalogue and previously rejected games.
At the time of writing, 102 games have been released on Steam in 2024.
I always feel ambivalent about the increasing number of games released on Steam. I like anything that suggests that video games are growing, because the more people who make them, the more interesting they will become; on the other hand, I'm not sure Steam is the boulevard through which all of these games should be flowing.
"The vast majority of these sell 0 copies, many are 'my first game'-type projects," commented Tyler Glaiel on X, developer on The End Is Nigh and the upcoming Mewgenics. "Everyone's gotta start somewhere but it is somewhat odd how much game dev communities are funneling people to immediately jump to trying to sell games instead of just getting plays and feedback first.
"Kinda feels like the hobbyist and professional sides of game development got merged together sometime over the last 15 years and I'm not so sure that's a good thing," Glaiel continued. "Back in the 00s I could post my shitty ass still-learning projects on newgrounds and immediately get 1000 reviews."
Seemingly 3618 of the games released on Steam last year were free games. That figure includes those that are free-to-play, or otherwise monetised via alternate methods, but it's theoretically possible to release a game on Steam as a hobbyist. Steam's curation tools, which are so essential for highlighting quality games among the flood, seem to guarantee that beginners are not going to receive the vital feedback or support Glaiel is talking about, though.
On the other (third) hand, I'd much rather that hobbyist or beginner designers release their games on Steam than produce work trapped within the walled gardens of Roblox or Fortnite. So it can always be worse.
The website gametalkz.com is an aggregator of news from open sources. The source is indicated at the beginning and at the end of the announcement. You can send a complaint on the news if you find it unreliable.
Top Authors
Popular Topics
gamesradar.com
22.01.2024 / 17:53
Palworld's had over 50,000 bug reports, but the good news is that save data can be potentially restored
Palworld players have filed over 50,000 bug and error reports since launch, but the good news is that lost save data might be able to be restored.
thegamer.com
22.01.2024 / 17:44
Baldur's Gate 3 Player Deals Over 11,000 Damage With An Owlbear
The Adamantine Forge in Baldur's Gate 3 is as tough as mithril nails. You have to fight a giant towering construct in what is one of the game's most unconventional bosses. Swinging a sword and casting spells aimlessly won't get you anywhere. You have to soften it up with lava, lure it to the central pillar, and crush it over and over again. Or you can just dive on it with an owlbear, I guess.
gamingbolt.com
20.01.2024 / 05:17
Palworld Hits 530,000 Concurrent Players on Steam
With an elevator pitch like “Pokemon with guns”, Pocketpair’s monster-catching open world survival game Palworld was always bound to turn a few heads, though it turns out it’s been more successful than most would have guessed. The game launched in early access earlier this week, going on to hit 300,000 concurrent players on Steam promptly after release- and it’s only gained more momentum since then.
destructoid.com
19.01.2024 / 17:17
Palworld is already seeing over 300,000 concurrent players on Steam
I keep hitting refresh on the SteamDB page of Palworld. Each time I do, the numbers keep shooting up. Despite the fact that Pocketpick’s new game has only come out today – in Early Access as well – the numbers suggest it’s going to be a big hit.
techradar.com
18.01.2024 / 12:07
Rock Band 4 will receive its final DLC next week after over 8 years of weekly releases
Harmonix, the team behind Rock Band 4, has announced that the game is set to release its final DLC next week on January 25. After over 8 years of weekly releases, Harmonix shared in a blog post that this will be the final DLC release for the Rock Band 4 era as the studio shifts its attention toward other rhythm action games — like Fortnite Festival.
videogameschronicle.com
18.01.2024 / 11:29
More PS4 games were sold in Europe last year than Xbox Series X/S games
PS4 game sales were higher than Xbox Series X/S software sales in Europe last year.
gamesradar.com
17.01.2024 / 22:17
Dev of chill sailing game "blown away" as player count jumps over 282,000% following 2.4 million downloads as Epic Games Store freebie
The chill and appropriately titled sailing game Sail Forth was originally released in December 2022 on basically all platforms, but it was only recently given out for free via the Epic Games Store on PC. This freebie went live on January 11, 2024, and that same day the game's player count had apparently jumped a staggering 282,041% according to creator David Evans, who says he's been "blown away" by the response.
techradar.com
16.01.2024 / 10:59
Nintendo is donating over $340,000 to the Japanese Red Cross Society to support Noto Peninsula earthquake victims
Nintendo has announced that it’s making a donation to the Japanese Red Cross Society to support those affected by the Noto Peninsula earthquake, which struck Japan on January 1.
gamerant.com
16.01.2024 / 06:36
SMITE 2 Explains Why Skins Won't Carry Over from First Game
SMITE 2 has revealed that the skins from the first game cannot be ported to the sequel, as doing so would take 246 years, according to the developer. SMITE is one of the most iconic MOBAs ever produced and is back in the spotlight because of SMITE 2.
gamerant.com
14.01.2024 / 14:51
Escape from Tarkov Has Banned Over 11,000 Cheaters in 2 Weeks
Developer Battlestate Games gives players an update regarding BattlEye and how it deals with cheaters in Escape from Tarkov. The developer says that over 11,000 cheaters have been banned from Escape from Tarkov in just over two weeks.
gameinformer.com
12.01.2024 / 09:18
Game Informer Reader Vote 2023 Results
This year represented one of the most difficult game of the year discussions we’ve had in some time; 2023 was overflowing with fantastic games. But our opinions are not the only ones (you can read Game Informer's top 2023 10 list right here).