Steam concurrent user growth rate up 300 per cent compared to 2012, 6.6 million peak

[wraggster]

http://media.edge-online.com/wp-content/uploads/edgeonline/2013/01/Steam-610x3431.jpg (http://media.edge-online.com/wp-content/uploads/edgeonline/2013/01/Steam-610x3431.jpg)Valve’s digital distribution service Steam is currently growing 300 per cent faster year-on-year according to newly released figures. And the service hit 6.6 million concurrent users last Sunday – compared to January 2012′s peak figure of 5 million. The 6 million mark was only hit in November last year, which is how PC Gamer calculated the eye-opening growth factor (http://www.pcgamer.com/2013/01/29/steam-concurrent-users-growing-300-faster-than-start-of-2012-dota-2-players-rising-steadily/).It’s not necessarily natural growth, however, as the vast number of recently released free Dota 2 beta keys caused a spike – the game itself peaking at 237,414 concurrent users. The next highest concurrent figure belonged to Football Manager, which achieved 78.488 users.While the jump may be aided by a big release, it’s likely that we’ll see a few more spikes throughout the year as the first thirdparty Steam Boxes – like Xi3′s Piston (http://www.edge-online.com/news/valve-backed-xi3-mini-pc-unveiled-is-this-the-steam-box-or-just-the-first-of-many/) – and Valve’s own hardware debut (http://www.edge-online.com/news/gabe-newell-confirms-linux-based-steam-box-reveals-valves-controller-and-mobile-plans/). Steam’s Big Picture mode, which was released to the public in December (http://www.edge-online.com/news/valve-releases-steam-big-picture-mode-to-the-public/), will no doubt fuel new audiences, too – though it may take longer for that message to get out.

http://www.edge-online.com/news/steam-concurrent-user-growth-rate-up-300-per-cent-compared-to-2012-6-6-million-peak-users/