Valve is hard at work on a pretty large update for its PC gaming platform, Steam. The update will address a wide range of areas, most importantly of which is improved download rates. In a statement, Valve had the following to say:
“The maximum aggregate bandwidth of the system will be greater than the current system; this will help us satisfy spikes in demand when there’s a big release. “We will also be able to send content from more places, to better serve people all around the globe. All the content on the new system is sent via HTTP; this is more firewall-friendly than the current system, and will automatically take advantage of web-caching proxies installed at ISPs.”
One of the coolest new features is that Steam will now be able to download updates for games WHILE you are playing, and install them once you exit. There will also be a host of other new features being added as well helping make everything work even better, including the ability to prioritize the order of your downloads.
It is great to see a company like Valve continually updating its premiere gaming platform. Hopefully everything works as well as it has the chance to! The only thing on my wishlist is the ability to download games WHILE playing another game. Oh well, maybe we will get that feature soon! Let us know what you think in the comments below!
Source: Games Industry Biz
