Steam is loved by many gamers, and they fear that a change in leadership will have a very negative impact on its operation and further development.
Recently, Chris Stockman, design director of the first Saints Row, spoke with Esports Insider. They also discussed the concerns of the gaming community about the future of Steam.
There is an opinion that at some point Gabe Newell or his successor will decide to sell Steam to another company, such as Microsoft, and this will negatively affect the service.
Chris Stockman believes:
«I think if Microsoft or someone else buys them, you should definitely be worried about that. I think that's all it would take for another marketplace, like Epic, to take a dominant position. A serious mistake. If Gabe were to sell it to someone, I think Microsoft would be the only one who would be willing to buy Steam at this point. Do I believe it will ever happen? I would say 60 to 40%. [Valve] doesn't need the money. They are rich beyond measure. They have practically a monopoly on the computer game market, or at least on the distribution market. Something crazy would have to happen for [Steam to be sold]. I can't even imagine a scenario in which this could happen».
According to the developer, if Microsoft somehow managed to buy Steam, then "it wouldn't be an instant "kiss of death", but I think it would be a slow descent to the end".
