Valve’s founder Gabe Newell was recentlyordered to ensure his in-court presence to testify in person for the ongoing lawsuit between Wolfire Games and Valve.
For those unaware, Wolfire Games filed a lawsuit in April 2021, alleging that Steam has created a monopoly over the PC industry and has become a medium through which Valve is suppressing competitors with the 30% cut the platform holder takes on each sale that happens through Steam. Moreover, the organization says Valve takes an “extraordinarily high cut from nearly every sale”, which not only puts the financial integrity of independent developers at stake but has become a key reason behind how the operation of Steam affects others. Wolfire Games says that their lawsuit is to protect “gamers and game developers that are being harmed by Valve’s conduct”.
According to GamesIndustry.biz, the US District Court for the Western District of Washington saw an order being filed on November 16, in which Wolfire Games demanded the in-house presence of Gabe Newell, claiming that he is “uniquely positioned to testify on all aspects of Valve’s business strategy”, and that his deposition would help the court assess his credibility. Despite the fact that Newell requested a remote deposition due to possible COVID-19 contraction, the court ruled that Newell presented “insubstantial evidence to suggest that he is at particularised risk of serious illness”.
However, the court has instructed the in-attendance members to ensure COVID-19 protocols, having made it mandatory for all participants to wear masks during the deposition. In terms of what the outcome of the lawsuit will be, you can never be certain, especially since there have been instances in the past where Steam was dragged into court for unfair practices.
The news comes just after the UK Competition Appeal Tribunal ruled that the mass lawsuit against Sony’s digital monopoly can now go to trial.
