Gabe Newell retires and, in a somewhat surprising move, gives you Steam

[Zed Clampet]

What major changes would you make?

Since Steam is one of the most efficiently profitable companies in the world, I would hire a QA team to test and evaluate every game submitted to Steam and give them the ability to reject games base on both technical and quality reasons.

I would have several AI created:

1) An AI that would learn to properly tag games. It would then play every game in high speed and add proper tags to it.
2) An AI assistant that would play the games and scour the Steam forums and would work as a game Wiki and be available in the Steam overlay.
3) Get ahead of other people who are already doing this and create an AI that could play co-op games with the user. The developer would have to determine whether this was appropriate for their game. You don't want to allow an AI companion in games that have a competitive element to them.

I would reduce the amount Steam takes on each sale so everyone would just shut up about it.

I would bring back a physical version of the Steam Link. I would stop making VR headsets. I would move the Deck to ARM processors. I would get into the peripheral business with mice, controllers, headsets, etc.

 

[Zloth]

1. Update the forum software. The forum software we have here is more advanced than what that big, multi-billion-dollar company is using.

2. Update the browser powering Steam's client. That thing is ancient.

3. Dink with the upvote system. Repeated upvotes for your stuff by the same person will count less and less. (Used to combat the groups where everybody upvotes everything everyone else in the group posts in order to get them on the 'most popular' lists.)

4. Find somebody that's more qualified than me to run the company and hand it over. What nutcase put the computer programmer in charge!? I mean, I do know the difference between net and gross profit, but that's about as far as I go. If I don't get myself replaced fast, all our Steam games will be at risk!

P.S. 0. Set up a second account up so I have access to every game that will ever show up on Steam. Call it my golden parachute!

 

[Zed Clampet]

What nutcase put the computer programmer in charge!?

Gabe Newell started as a programmer, and he does okay.

Excellent suggestions, though.

 

[Pifanjr]

I mainly want the search filters to be expanded. It shouldn't be necessary to use SteamDb just so I can properly filter and sort my searches.

I also want to be able to include games I have access through via Family Sharing when looking up my playtime or looking for games I have in common with a friend.

I also want to be able to mess around with my library through a browser instead of needing to use the Steam client. I should be able to do pretty much anything but start games through a browser.

 

[Colif]

I would question his state of mind, and then hire someone else to run it for me.
I would be too busy on my beach

probably enforce rules about what an Early Access game is and just stop letting AAA games release games on Steam if the Early Access isn't at least 6 months.

 

[Zed Clampet]

You could require developers to include an estimate of how many hours it takes to complete the game.

 

[Pifanjr]

You could require developers to include an estimate of how many hours it takes to complete the game.

I wouldn't mind having a (rough) estimate on the Steam store instead of having to look it up myself. Would be nice if I could sort my library on estimated time as well.

 

[Maybower]

Honestly, this is a solid list—some real practical ideas mixed with a few bold swings.

QA for Steam submissions would clean up a ton of the shovelware and broken stuff clogging the store. Even just basic functionality checks would make a big difference.

The tagging AI sounds amazing and way overdue. Steam’s current system feels like the Wild West—players and devs tag stuff however they want, so it’s super inconsistent. An AI that speed-plays and adds meaningful tags would help with discoverability a lot.

The built-in game wiki overlay assistant is a really clever idea too—especially if it could break down mechanics or quest hints without spoiling stuff. Could be a game-changer for smaller devs who don’t have the resources for extensive guides.

AI co-op buddy? That’s ambitious, but I could totally see it working in stuff like Deep Rock Galactic or Vermintide where players often have to deal with janky matchmaking or soloing with bots anyway.

Reducing Steam’s cut would definitely win some hearts—even just dropping it a few percent could silence a lot of the noise from devs looking to jump ship.

Bringing back the Steam Link? Yes please. And totally agree on winding down VR—Deck’s where the real momentum is. Moving to ARM and launching peripherals could actually put Valve in a position to seriously challenge console ecosystems, which is wild to think about.

You’ve clearly put thought into this. I'd say keep sharing this kind of stuff—people do care, even if they’re lurking.