Valve opens Steam software marketplace

Steam is in our games, mobile phones, and TVs, and now it's in our productivity software. Valve today updated the digital games service's storefront with a new subsection for programs ranging from performance benchmarking suites to art creation utilities.

The initial selection of non-game software includes 3DMark Vantage, 3DMark 11, ArtRage Studio Pro, CameraBag 2, 3D-Coat, GameMaker Studio, and Source Filmmaker (some even feature achievements). Some of the software, such as modeler 3D-Coat, comes pre-integrated with Team Fortress 2's workshop to let users automatically compile their creations for the game. All the programs have been discounted by 10 percent from launch until October 9.

Steam's expansion from simple game delivery system to all-in-one digital goods destination is picking up, and the company even plans to begin a public beta of some hardware of its own next year.

Connor Sheridan

I got a BA in journalism from Central Michigan University - though the best education I received there was from CM Life, its student-run newspaper. Long before that, I started pursuing my degree in video games by bugging my older brother to let me play Zelda on the Super Nintendo. I've previously been a news intern for GameSpot, a news writer for CVG, and now I'm a staff writer here at GamesRadar.