Valve’s Steam service is perhaps the best digital distribution network for downloading PC games.
(Credit: Valve)
We love it when companies just get it. Valve Software and its announcement of SteamCloud is a prime example. As reported by John Walker at Rock, Paper, Shotgun, SteamCloud will let anyone using Valve’s Steam PC game download and networking service carry over saved game files, mouse, and keyboard configurations and other player-specific info regardless of where you log in. In other words, if you’re at a friend’s house and you want to jump into a game of Team Fortress 2 on his or her PC, all you need to do is log in to Steam and all your settings are there.
Mr. Walker outlined several other features Valve is working on for Steam, including automatic driver updates and a hardware-compatibility check to make sure your PC can play the games you’re interested in before you make a purchase.
We’ve heard a lot of noise from other vendors, Microsoft specifically, about making it easier to play games on your PC, but no one else has come up with a solution that ties in so directly to the games you want to play. Best of all, Steam, SteamCloud, and all of Steam’s community and player matching services are free via a simple download.
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