Jun 2
Valve Introduces Steam Cloud
Few will argue that Steam, Valve’s Digital Distribution platform for the PC, has drastically changed the PC gaming realm. The ability to download our games and play them in coffee shops and internet cafes is pretty sweet, and most gamers prefer Steam to other less attractive forms of DRM. Valve is once again seeking to revolutionize PC gaming by making our game saves and settings accessible online.
Normally, Steam will allow users to download game content from the central servers, but all other data is stored locally only. Valve’s Steam Cloud technology allows the user’s saved game files and personal settings to be stored on Valve’s remote servers to be downloaded from any Steam-equipped PC.
Valve will be adding the Steam Cloud functionality to most of their current catalog such as Half-Life: 2, Team Fortress 2 and Counter-Strike: Source. Steam Cloud will be available to all developers through the Steamworks SDK, so the responsibility lies with developers to add Steam Cloud functionality to existing and future titles.
I’m excited about the concept of Steam Cloud. I’ve been to several LAN parties where I’ve been forced to reinstall games via Steam. My control settings are catered to my own playing style, and I’m very picky about having my controls exactly as I want them. Steam Cloud will end the days of having to constantly adjust my mouse sensitivity when I’m playing on a new machine, and I can’t tell you how thankful I am for that.
The release date for Steam Cloud is set for “the near-future.” Valve is currently hard at work dreaming up other ways to make the PC gaming experience much more enjoyable for gamers such as automatic driver update notifications. Do you guys like the Steam Cloud concept, or do you think Valve should be working to improve other issues with Steam?
[via Gamasutra]
Categories: PC, Steam1 Comment so far
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This looks awesome!