The Steam 20th Anniversary Sale has finally begun, and you know what? The discounts are not only for Valve games! You can find a different array of video games at discounted prices!
Valve’s gaming platform, Steam, has reached an impressive milestone, marking two decades of transforming the gaming industry and captivating players worldwide. Valve has prepared something special for its user base to honor this momentous occasion. The Steam website has undergone a delightful transformation, taking us back to the platform’s early days, and evoking nostalgia and fond memories for long-time Steam enthusiasts.
As you visit the revamped Steam website, you’ll be greeted by a design that pays homage to the platform’s humble beginnings. This iconic design, reminiscent of a bygone era, serves as a reminder of how far Steam has come since its inception. It’s a journey down memory lane, and for many of us, it’s a trip worth taking.
What games are available on Steam 20th Anniversary Sale?
The Steam 20th Anniversary Sale has many games from Valve’s library on sale, like Portal, Half-Life, and Left 4 Dead, with discounts as high as 90%. Some are now less than a dollar, while Half-Life Alyx is $20.39.
But the sale isn’t just about Valve games. After sharing interesting facts from 2003-2023, players can find discounts on top-selling games of each year. Besides Valve titles, you can get deals on games like Arma 3, Total War Rome II: Emperor Edition, Watch Dogs, Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel!, Assassin’s Creed Origins, and all Call of Duty games (except Modern Warfare 3 from 2011). Battlebit: Remastered is also discounted.
The new layout came with the Steam 20th Anniversary Sale
In addition to the website’s nostalgic makeover, Valve has introduced a dedicated Steam 20th Anniversary Celebration page. This digital treasure trove invites users to explore fascinating trivia and witness the evolution of the premier PC gaming platform over the years. From its earliest days to the present, this page offers a captivating glimpse into the history of Steam. Furthermore, it highlights the top games from each year, providing insights into the ever-changing landscape of gaming trends.
Valve’s celebration doesn’t stop at a website redesign and a stroll through gaming history. As part of the Steam 20th Anniversary festivities, all of Valve’s games are on sale today. This includes classics like Half-Life, Portal, and Team Fortress and newer releases such as Half-Life: Alyx. It’s a fantastic opportunity for both newcomers and longtime fans to grab these titles at discounted prices.
While we celebrate Steam’s 20th birthday with enthusiasm, it’s worth noting that the platform wasn’t always met with open arms. In fact, when Steam made its debut on September 12th, 2003, it faced significant skepticism and even outright hostility from some quarters of the PC gaming community.
Steam’s rocky start
At its inception, Steam raised eyebrows as it appeared Valve was attempting to replace traditional multiplayer server browsers and physical DVDs with digital alternatives. This shift in the gaming landscape didn’t sit well with everyone, and many gamers were skeptical about the platform’s intentions.
One particular moment that fueled the controversy surrounding Steam was the release of Half-Life 2 in 2004. Gamers who purchased physical discs of the game were surprised to find that they still needed Steam to play it. This move essentially turned Steam into a form of digital rights management (DRM), a development that sparked further debates within the gaming community.
Additionally, game publishers were left pondering why they should partner with Valve and Steam when they could potentially develop their own digital distribution platforms. This led to the emergence of competitors like EA’s Origin and Ubisoft’s UPlay, all vying for a piece of the digital gaming market.
In hindsight, these early challenges and controversies seem like distant memories. Steam has not only weathered these storms but has become the behemoth of digital gaming we know today. With its 20th anniversary, Valve invites us to celebrate not only its own history but the history of gaming itself.
Featured image credit: Hamed Taha/Unsplash
