Most PC gamers today have their own Steam accounts, with Valve’s gaming platform having virtually no significant competitors other than the Epic Games Store. But Steam’s journey to where it is today has been a bumpy one, and September 10th marks the anniversary of the first Steam account being created.
Also on this occasion, Steam users created a discussion about the history of Steam and shared memories of its cumbersome, difficult-to-use days when most Steam gamers downloaded it just to play Counter-Strike. Here, many people also found a Steam account considered to be the “oldest”, created on the first day of Valve's platform. It is called AbacusAvenger and is now 21 years old – older than many gamers on Steam itself.
Last year, in honor of the service's 20th anniversary, Steam introduced a special 20-year badge that used the iconic original Steam green color scheme. The badge was only available to accounts created in the platform's first year, and was meant to honor Steam's oldest supporters while also honoring the long-gone aesthetic. However, the 21-year badge was generic, with a yellow and pink design that left many people complaining about its design.
It took a while for Steam to establish itself as the game distribution powerhouse it is today. Since its early days, the parent company has continued to develop controllers, gaming systems like the Steam Machine and Steam Deck, and even the Valve Index, the company’s virtual reality headset. Although some fans would like to see more games developed directly by Valve than they do today, and if so, the upcoming Deadlock could be Valve’s answer.
