PC gaming is dead! That’s the sort of rhetoric you’ll keep hearing from those who favour console gaming – but nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, the high price and current lack of compelling “next gen” console games has probably helped PC gaming gain a bit of pre-eminence. On the back of the soon to be over sale, Steam’s reached new concurrent user records.
According to today’s Steam stats, the digital delivery games service peaked at over 8 million concurrent users today, which is about 10 per cent of the number of registered users the service has. That’s an awful lot of people.
Looking at the same stats annually, we can see that Steam – and by inference, PC gaming – gaining traction rather quickly. Steam hit 7.6 million concurrent players in December 2013, up from 6.6 million the year before – signalling some rather rapid growth for PC gaming.
To nobody’s surprise at all, Dota 2 is the most popular game on Steam at the moment, with 775,279 playing the game in the last 24 hours. Valve’s games take up the next two spots as well, with Counter-Strike: Global Offensive bagging 163,421 players, and Team Fortress with 78,227.
Those are some impressive numbers. It would be great to compare them to the Xbox Live, the PSN and yes, even Nintendo’s Network – but none of those services are quite as transparent about their numbers.
You have very, very little time left to grab those specials that are likely responsible for the jump in Steam traffic. I decided that I have too much to play as it is, so my wallet escaped the sale unscathed. If you have managed to bag some deals, let us know what you got from this year’s Steam Summer Sale.
Last Updated: June 30, 2014
Praise Lord GabeN
June 30, 2014 at 09:21
(Rubs nips)
Hammersteyn
June 30, 2014 at 09:23
Lord Gabens nips or your own. Or each others? 😛
Admiral Chief Cyber Commando
June 30, 2014 at 09:27
NipPortals
Xx_-Gaben_of_Gamen-_xX
June 30, 2014 at 13:31
(Rubs nips and dips them in custard)
Hammersteyn
June 30, 2014 at 09:24
That’s a lot of players all right. Went to BT games this weekend and the only new games I was mildly interested in was Sniper Elite and Transformers. Will wait for the reviews first.
Admiral Chief Cyber Commando
June 30, 2014 at 09:30
Awesome stats that.
I wonder what the console stats are, and also how the Steam stats and console stats are for each country
Alien Emperor Trevor
June 30, 2014 at 09:43
You can get Steam stats per country for bandwidth used. Don’t think for anything else though.
Kensei Seraph
June 30, 2014 at 09:31
I bought Dark Souls: Prepare To Die Edition and Borderlands 2: Game of the Year Edition.
Admiral Chief Cyber Commando
June 30, 2014 at 09:32
Got Payday2 and crapload of DLC, BL2 GOTYE, thinking about Shadow Warrior, also got Call of Juarez and Metro Last Light Complete Edition
Hammersteyn
June 30, 2014 at 09:34
Which Call of Juarez? Hopefully not The Cartel?
Admiral Chief Cyber Commando
June 30, 2014 at 09:42
Gunslinger
Hammersteyn
June 30, 2014 at 09:44
Thank heavens!
Admiral Chief Cyber Commando
June 30, 2014 at 09:44
I take it the other one is bad then
Hammersteyn
June 30, 2014 at 09:45
That game would make EA proud
Admiral Chief Cyber Commando
June 30, 2014 at 09:55
I take it the other one is REALLY bad then
Hammersteyn
June 30, 2014 at 10:01
Inderdaad
Rory Leschinsky
June 30, 2014 at 10:25
Gunslinger is short and the levels are a bit linear but the actual arcade shooting is a barrel of fun. The only way it could be improved is with an arcade style light gun and an oculus rift.
Hammersteyn
June 30, 2014 at 09:35
I bet that dip after the peak are all the Dota rage-quitters 😛
Alien Emperor Trevor
June 30, 2014 at 09:35
I’m quite happy. I got all the games I was looking for & a few impulse buys too – so I’m set for a good while again. The whole team thing was a nice little addition. Still think they should find a better way of showcasing more stuff that’s on special though.
Admiral Chief Cyber Commando
June 30, 2014 at 09:43
Also, they had more games on special in the voting segment.
Alien Emperor Trevor
June 30, 2014 at 09:44
Yes, that was also a nice addition. Should keep that.
Admiral Chief Cyber Commando
June 30, 2014 at 09:45
I saw some software on special for 80% off, its nice that they did that as well, for the aspiring game-makers and musicians.
In hindsight, I should have picked up the Skyrim Leg Ed…But I got the BL2 GOTYE instead, which is nice
Alien Emperor Trevor
June 30, 2014 at 09:48
I was surprised by that one, was cool. I think they had personal finance software on one of their flash sales too if I remember right.
BL2 is good.
Alex Hicks
June 30, 2014 at 09:54
Actually spent money on GOG instead this time around. Picked up a couple of indie titles I’ve been waiting for … (do Don’t Starve and Sir, You are Being Hunted count as indie?) I only picked up one game from steam (Bad Company 2); and that was from money made while selling cards.
Good sale.
FoxOneZA
June 30, 2014 at 09:55
I remember some chitter-chatter on a another thread last week about KZ: Shadowfall averaging 1000 players online at any given time.
PS: Just saying…
Viking Of GabeN
June 30, 2014 at 09:57
The List:
Velvet Assasin
Stronghold HD
Dead Island Collection (Dead Island and Riptide, got Epidemic mahala)
Farcry 3: Blood Dragon
The Orange Box
Marlow Briggs and the Mask of Death
Brutal Legend
Titan Quest Gold
Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning
Assasin’s Creed: Revelations
Alan Wake Bundle (Alan Wake and American Nightmare)
Cthulhu Saves the World & Breath of Death VII
Also got Gifted:
E.Y.E Divine Cybermancy and Some Terrible flash horror game
And I only spent $43.83 (that’s roughly R465) 🙂
Admiral Chief Cyber Commando
June 30, 2014 at 09:58
Dat Blood Dragon!
Viking Of GabeN
June 30, 2014 at 09:59
I have played ity before, I just needed it in the Library! I take it you’ve finished the Story?
Admiral Chief Cyber Commando
June 30, 2014 at 10:49
Heh, I’ve finished EVERYTHING except the story XD.
Everything is unlocked and done, except story
Viking Of GabeN
June 30, 2014 at 10:57
I See, Dat last sequence is the Greatest thing in gaming ever…..
Praise Lord GabeN
June 30, 2014 at 11:32
I was busy playing it and as luck would have it, my wife walked in right in the middle of the animated sex scene. I can no longer play games with a closed door… 🙁
Admiral Chief Cyber Commando
June 30, 2014 at 12:30
Too late, saw it, thanks a lot dude
Praise Lord GabeN
June 30, 2014 at 13:25
Sorry man. Rex Power Colt having sex with a dinosaur was too good not to share.
Eric
June 30, 2014 at 10:05
Got Wolf Among Us(pretty good game!)
The Walking Dead Season 2
AC3(even when people complain it’s bad, it was too cheap to ignore)
FTL
Fez(because I won’t give Phill the satisfaction of getting the game full price tbh)
Dishonoured
Banished
Dark Souls
Alan Wake(think I got it all)
Already had a ton of the other games from previous sales.
Alien Emperor Trevor
June 30, 2014 at 10:12
I just started TWD Season 1 a couple of weeks ago, was so impressed with that season 2 & Wolf Among Us were insta-buys.
Rory Leschinsky
June 30, 2014 at 10:23
OI, I may have gone overboard this year.
On the steam summer sale I managed to bag *gasp*:
Mirror’s Edge
The Witcher 2
Fallout 3 GOTY + New Vegas DLC
Metal Slug 3
Monaco
The Stanley Parable
Risk of Rain
Castle Crashers
Battleblock Theater
Skullgirls
Mount & Blade: WFaS
Call of Juarez Gunslinger
E.Y.E Divine cybermancy
Sins of a Solar Empire: Rebellion
FEZ
Gone Home
Guacamelee
Bit.Trip Presents Runner 2: Future Legend of Rythm Alien
State of Decay
Maz Payne 3
Shadow Warrior
Spelunky
I think I may have gone overboard, BUT I WANT THEM ALL!
Exalted Overlord Geoffrey Tim
June 30, 2014 at 10:30
O_o…how’s that backlog looking?
Rory Leschinsky
June 30, 2014 at 23:55
It’s like looking into an infinite void and having it stare back at you.
…
So pretty swell is what I’m saying.
Rags
June 30, 2014 at 10:41
Only got Tomb Raider, and YNAB for a friend. Run out of games I am interested in buying even at -80% like the Witcher games. So steam has no effect on me any more 🙂
justlikemo
June 30, 2014 at 10:45
Who said we r dead, just going strong in the background, keeping quiet, watching the newbs play with their pretty consoles.
Kromas
June 30, 2014 at 11:57
Spent loads of money but picked up a gem with 7 days to die.