While the accusations themselves are myriad, the most concise way of summing them up is this: market manipulation. Shotbolt's allegations are based on the fact that Steam is limiting DLC purchases to their platform, forcing developers to standardise prices to keep them lower than competitors, and preventing them from releasing them earlier on rival platforms.
The descriptor used by those involved is 'locking in,' as they claim that this forces players to remain with the site, as they cannot purchase DLC or get a better price elsewhere. This in turn leads to the central force behind the lawsuit, that these practices are driving down competitiveness in the market, as there is no way for any rival companies to gain an upper hand on the PC king that Steam has become.
there is no way for any rival companies to gain an upper hand on the PC king that Steam has become.
This case is what is known as a class action lawsuit, where one person represents the masses. In this instance, Vicky Shotbolt is representing the gaming community at large, including any people who have been potentially forced by Steam's tactics and ideas to remain on their platform.
Furthermore, as NME's article by Ali Shutler alleges, if Shotbolt succeeds in winning the case, upwards of 14 million UK Steam users could get their hands on some extra cash, roughly £20-£40. So if you've got a Steam account and are a regular PC gamer, this lawsuit is certainly one to watch. It may also see a rise in a wider variety of platforms on which you can buy computer games, a shift in market pricing, and even the complete dissolution of Steam or the halt of some of the upcoming concepts for Steam consoles and more.
Keep your eyes peeled, the game Valve has been playing for the last few years is finally coming to an end, and the results promise to be wide-reaching and hugely impactful for the computer gaming community at large.