Games By James Plafke Feb. 4, 2014 11:31 am
Remember Software on Steam? No? That’s because the initiative didn’t quite explode in popularity like Valve would’ve hoped. The most notable additions to Steam’s Software library are the countless GameMaker and RPG Maker iterations that flood the category. Now, Valve is moving its efforts to a new non-gaming initiative, Steam Music, but it’s being handled differently than Steam Software. Probably for the better.
Instead of having a store stuffed full of music you can purchase on Steam, Valve’s new program will scrape your local music libraries and add them to one cohesive library within Steam. Borrowing a tactic from a plethora of iOS and Android games, Steam Music aims to let you listen to your own music while you game through Steam, rather than having to listen to a game’s audio tracks on which some poor guy worked too hard to just be bulldozed by your Panic! At the Disco discography.
Steam Music will offer the same comforts of any music player, such as allowing you to organize your library using various filters, and make and manage playlists. It won’t — for now, at least — have a store where you can purchase music. You’re still stuck with Amazon or iTunes.
Seeing as how the Software initiative didn’t explode and become the number one App Store on the internet, Valve appears to be making a smart decision by using the music you already have to populate Steam’s library. Whenever you’re stuck on public transportation or in the bathroom and peruse iOS and Android game reviews out of morbid curiosity, one of the most popular complaints is that the game doesn’t allow you to listen to your own music while playing.
Valve is now mollifying that complaint and giving us the option, although why anyone would want to disrupt the carefully crafted atmosphere of their favorite game by listening to The Used or Nicki Minaj is beyond us.
Valve will launch a beta of the service for Steam Big Picture mode and SteamOS (which are essentially the same thing) soon. To sign up, you can join the group at Steam Music’s community page.
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Instead of having a store stuffed full of music you can purchase on Steam, Valve’s new program will scrape your local music libraries and add them to one cohesive library within Steam. Borrowing a tactic from a plethora of iOS and Android games, Steam Music aims to let you listen to your own music while you game through Steam, rather than having to listen to a game’s audio tracks on which some poor guy worked too hard to just be bulldozed by your Panic! At the Disco discography.
Steam Music will offer the same comforts of any music player, such as allowing you to organize your library using various filters, and make and manage playlists. It won’t — for now, at least — have a store where you can purchase music. You’re still stuck with Amazon or iTunes.
Seeing as how the Software initiative didn’t explode and become the number one App Store on the internet, Valve appears to be making a smart decision by using the music you already have to populate Steam’s library. Whenever you’re stuck on public transportation or in the bathroom and peruse iOS and Android game reviews out of morbid curiosity, one of the most popular complaints is that the game doesn’t allow you to listen to your own music while playing.
Valve is now mollifying that complaint and giving us the option, although why anyone would want to disrupt the carefully crafted atmosphere of their favorite game by listening to The Used or Nicki Minaj is beyond us.
Valve will launch a beta of the service for Steam Big Picture mode and SteamOS (which are essentially the same thing) soon. To sign up, you can join the group at Steam Music’s community page.
More...
