Jonathan Blow on what Valve wants from your codebase

Overview

Jonathan Blow criticizes Valve’s approach to integrating Steam-related code into game projects. He describes a scenario in which Gabe Newell provides code samples where a developer’s function receives Steam “raw input” device data—suggesting the Steam SDK is being woven into core game logic rather than kept optional.

Blow’s Critique

Blow argues that this design is flawed because it effectively ties developers to the Steam SDK even when the game is not running on the Steam platform. He believes Valve may see the integration as a useful service, but he sees it as forcing Steam-specific dependencies into all releases and environments.

Rather than including Steam integration only when the game is actually being shipped on Steam, Blow contends it becomes a mandatory part of the broader codebase across every platform.

Suggested Principle

• Steam integration should be optional
• Steam-specific connections should be made only for Steam releases, not treated as a core requirement for all builds and environments

Presenters / Contributors

• Jonathan Blow
• Gabe Newell (referred to as providing the code samples)