<p class="p1">Steam is one of the most popular video game distribution platforms in the world. To better understand how it played a role in the gaming evolution, the experts at The Gamers Reality took a closer look.</p>
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<p class="p2">Read on to learn how Steam changed the game for gamers and game developers before exploring some useful <a href="https://thegamersreality.com/blog"><span class="s1">The Gamers Reality</span></a> tips on using the platform.</p>
<h2 class="p3">The Humble Beginnings of Patching Video Games</h2>
<p class="p1">When Valve introduced Steam back in 2003, its purpose was to provide patches for video games. Gamers could automatically update their favorite games, but only those by Valve.</p>
<p class="p2">There wasn’t a clearly-visible option to buy games on the platform, and download speeds were incredibly slow. The user interface was quite basic and clunky, but then again, you only needed to get updates to continue your gameplay. No one cared much about the visual elements.</p>
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<h2 class="p3">Becoming the Go-To Game Distribution Platform</h2>
<p class="p1">A few years after its launch, Steam introduced a digital storefront for third-party games as well. According to The Gamers Reality, that’s when it started growing rapidly and becoming the Steam we know and love today.</p>
<p class="p1">It added community forums and various filters for searching games, such as New Releases and Top Sellers. It added lots of functionalities and configuration options, all for a more seamless user experience.</p>
<p class="p1">The best part about Steam for gamers is all the discounts that Valve started offering regularly. More and more gaming enthusiasts began signing up to get their desired games at discounted prices.</p>
<p class="p1">It had become simpler for game developers to release their games on the platform, too. They no longer needed to pay a portion of their profits to use Steam. The platform introduced a fixed fee of $100 for anyone looking to distribute their games on it. This happened in 2017 when Valve launched Steam Direct.</p>
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<p class="p2">It also created Steamworks, a set of tools to help game developers and publishers get the most out of the platform.</p>
<h2 class="p3">How to Set up a Steam Account</h2>
<p class="p1">For all you Steam newbies, The Gamers Reality has shared the simple steps of opening a Steam account. It’s very straightforward &#8211; just like opening any other online account.</p>
<p class="p1">Here’s what you need to do:</p>
<ul class="ul1">
<li class="li4">Go to Steam, click on the “Login” button, and provide your email address.</li>
<li class="li4">Click on the verification link in the confirmation email you’ve received.</li>
<li class="li4">Click on the “Create My Account” button.</li>
<li class="li1">Create your Steam account name, come up with a password, and click on the “Complete Sign-up” button.</li>
</ul>
<p class="p1">Steam will automatically sign you into your new account. What’s left is to install Steam on your device. The supported operating systems include Microsoft Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, and Windows Phone.</p>
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<p class="p2">To install Steam, click on the “Install Steam” button on the website. Follow the instructions in the installer client, and log in once the installation is complete.</p>
<h2 class="p3">How to Install Games on Steam</h2>
<p class="p1">Every Steam user automatically has a Steam Library upon signing up. That’s where you’ll find all the games you purchase and install.</p>
<p class="p1">You can access the Steam Store to look for games and add them to your shopping cart with a single click. If you wish to play free games, you can play them instantly, without adding them to your shopping cart.</p>
<p class="p1">When you add a game to your shopping cart, you can choose to buy it for yourself or as a gift for somebody else. Everything you buy will appear in your Library, where you only need to click the “Install” button to get it up and ready to play.</p>
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<p class="p2">It’s just like installing a game on your computer, except you have a dedicated platform for it.</p>
<h2 class="p3">Engaging with the Steam Community</h2>
<p class="p1">Thanks to its forums, Steam is excellent for engaging with the gaming community. You can engage in discussions and workshops and chat with friends directly on the platform. You can share links, exchange patches for games, post questions on discussion boards, enter game-specific discussion rooms, and more.</p>
<p class="p1">You can even exchange digital gift cards with anyone on your friends’ list. They can redeem them for a host of other purchases on the platform.</p>
<p class="p2">The Gamers Reality offers an array of digital gift cards, including a Steam Wallet Gift Card. It adds credit to your Steam Wallet and supports any Steam purchase. You can use it to buy games, software, hardware, or anything else you can find on the platform.</p>
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<h2 class="p3">Are You on Steam?</h2>
<p class="p1">Join the growing community of Steam gamers and game developers today. Sign up for a Steam account and take a look at their extensive library of games.</p>
<p class="p1">Feel free to reach out to The Gamers Reality if you’d like to find professional advice about Steam or any other gaming platform. They’re happy to answer your questions about their gift cards as well, so don’t hesitate to give them a shout.</p>

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