But today sees the release of the first fiction film on Steam, thanks to Devolver Digital. The film is titled Motivational Growth, and is apparently a sci-fi comedy. "Ian is a depressed recluse whose beloved television set has just died; after a botched suicide attempt, he begins to take life advice from the smooth-talking chunk of aspergillus in the 104-minute game- and pop culture-inflected joyride."
According to a press release in my inbox, "This will kick off an ongoing project wherein Devolver Digital will be bringing curated film content to the Steam marketplace."
I don't really know what Steam's requirements are for these films. Is it stipulated that all films on Steam have to relate at least tangentially to video games That's been the case so far, with a small smattering of video game documentaries and the like.
Or is this part of a larger strategy on Valve's part to enter the film market right around the time its SteamVR platform releases After all, virtual reality's potential for film is almost as impressive as its potential for games, whether you're watching fully-360-degree video (like parts of Zero Point) or just watching regular films in a VR movie theater.
And either way, the question remains: Do you even want to purchase films through Steam I'm perfectly content keeping Steam as a hub for games and software, personally--the store's crowded enough as is. My inner lazy-person can see the appeal in having one hub for all entertainment, though.
It's something to keep an eye on. Perhaps we'll be seeing a new "Film" tab on Steam's front page soon.