Note that the main argument Wolfire is making is that game marketplaces (buy/download the game) and game platforms (online features, mod distribution, social pages) need to be decoupled. By integrating the two, Steam is vertically integrating, amortizing the cost, and then forcing every other marketplace to bear the cost of a platform in their pricing.

If you bought a game and paid for platform services separately, then competition can better exist for both of those roles. Which is good for consumers.

I typically try to buy games from gog if available and on epic if not and steam if it's on sale. The only harm I see is how janky the other storefronts are and how frequently they break or refuse to load and that's not steams fault. I don't play a lot of online games but epic and gog are my primary platforms to play on.

I'm not defending steam but I also don't see how the advantage a platform like steam has is a direct result of any anti consumer practices. Honestly I prefer a storefront over rootkits and heavy handed drm any day not to mention downloading gamepatches directly from the publishers website.

This is true that it is a likely reason. It is also possible that Gabe Newell runs his company in a very deliberate way because he thinks it's a net benefit to both his company and gaming in general. From what I have heard, which of course may be a flawed understanding of the man, it seems like he has certain principles. I guess the question is whether or not a person believes intent matters or only the end result.

Their VR is all open as well for the good of the universe. Perhaps have a little deeper look.

I don't idealize them, I use the other storefronts (gog epic) potentially more because they often don't sell games with any form of drm. I just don't get it because as far as my experience goes they're all about the same minus more jank on the other two.

I've actually spent the most time with Rockstar games launcher thanks to GTA V and RDR2 and that one is a real piece of work tbh.