Discord Challenges Steam After Steam Challenged Discord - The UpStream

Discord Challenges Steam After Steam Challenged Discord

posted Saturday Aug 11, 2018 by Scott Ertz

Discord Challenges Steam After Steam Challenged Discord

Less than a month ago, Valve launched Steam Chat to all of its users. The feature is a near exact clone of Discord, the leading chat platform for gamers. The services had a small chance of success, being as it is built into the most popular gaming distribution client for PC games, but it had a big uphill battle against the existing platform. It is always difficult to challenge an established and beloved brand, especially in an industry that is overpopulated with brand loyalty.

Seemingly in response to Valve's attack on Discord, Discord has rolled out an almost direct attack on Valve. Rolling out in phases, the Discord Store Beta has begun selling indie videogames directly to gamers in the existing Discord client. The new tab features a curated list of games, intended to feel less like a megastore and more like a mom-and-pop shop. According to Discord,

We'll be launching a curated game store experience similar to one of those cozy neighborhood book shops with recommendations about the hottest and newest games from us to you.

We'll be showcasing a variety of titles that we think you'll like. As the store grows, we'll rely on our community and our team to make the store feel super personal and focused on games that we genuinely think you'll enjoy!

The idea of a super-focused store that highlights some favorite content will certainly set the Discord Store apart from its competitors. However, it won't generate the same kind of revenue that a larger store would generate. As such, it will require a high rate of buy-in from the community to be able to be successful. To make being in the Store and game launcher more appealing, Discord has created a universal launcher, which will scan your computer for all of your existing games and will be able to launch them, regardless of their platform.

Discord is in the same boat for buying games that Steam is in for game chatting: behind the 8-ball. Working in a niche, especially indie games, gives them a chance to compete against the established brands.

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