Make way – Steam has gone casual

One of the leading powers in triple-A online games distribution Valve has opened a brand new portal dedicated purely to casual titles – a move that is likely to leave many online sellers more than a little nervous.
Whilst digital distribution is by its very nature a fairly fragmented market, the Steam network is undoubtedly one of the leading figures in the field. It currently enjoys partnerships with the likes of Ubisoft, LucasArts, THQ, Capcom, Activision, NCsoft and Rockstar.
Owner Valve is also the developer behind some of the biggest IP in the industry - think Half-Life, Portal, Counter Strike and Left 4 Dead to name but a few.

The new Family Gaming portal currently includes the likes of Cake Mania, Plants vs Zombies and Luxor as well as collections form companies such as MumboJumbo and PopCap.
Some would argue that the days of paying for downloads are numbered with the modern casual industry very much focusing on browser-based titles, but the entry into the sector of a player as big as Valve is certainly a game changer.

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