Even though a lot of people criticized it (and still are) Steam marked the beginning of a new era for VALVe. One in which the studio could now sell its games directly to the players, without interference from retail shops or publishers. It’s been almost two years since Steam was launched and now even major publishers like EA (who interestingly enough has recently become VALVe’s retail publisher) are starting their own online distribution systems. So we invited Mike Dunkle, Director of Café Operations at VALVe, to a little chat, to find out where is Steam headed, what can players expect in the future from this service and to discover just what is VALVe up to in regards to the Half-Life 2 series.

     1. ComputerGames: Although regarded with skepticism at first, Steam has proven to be a very reliable online content distribution system and now even major publishers, like EA, are creating they’re own similar services. How do you feel about that?

     Mike Dunkle: Well, it’s nice to see that people have started copying you [Laughs]. I mean, come to think of it, it’s natural. If you’re successful, then other people will want to be successful as well. But it’s nice knowing that our ideas have begun to take root in other companies as well.

     2. ComputerGames: Some people have said that the launch of Steam marked the beginning of the end for the retail vendors. Do you think that online distribution channels will eventually replace retail ones?

     Mike Dunkle: No, I believe that online distribution will never replace retail. Yes, the online market will grow a lot in the years to come, but it will never replace retail vendors like Best Buy, because people will still want to own a boxed game.

     3. ComputerGames: Did you expect other producers to be interested in using Steam as a delivery platform for their games?

     Mike Dunkle: Actually, Steam was conceived from day one with 3rd party games and content in mind, whether it’s games or other content, like mods and so on, not just for VALVe titles. However, we did first have to prove that the system was viable with our games before they decided to use Steam as well [Laughs]. In this regard, our success with Counter-Strike 1.6 and Half-Life 2 proved essential for Steam.

     4. ComputerGames: Many people have asked, with the release of other online distribution systems, like gameXtreme or exent, if Steam will be inter-operable with these systems. Kind of like having one client for x number of networks.

     Mike Dunkle: No, I don’t think Steam will be interoperable with these systems. A nice analogy would be with the instant messaging clients, like AOL, MSN or Yahoo. Each are based on different technologies and different autentification algorithms and it’s really hard to combine them into one client, even though for instant messaging there are third party programs that do just this, like Trillian. After all, in the end, everyone wants to have as many customers as possible.

     5. ComputerGames: Considering the incredible success of persistent online games, has VALVe ever considered making such a game?

     Mike Dunkle: Not that I know of. However, through Steam we will support and distribute other MMORPG’s, like Pirates of the Burning Sea, so as far as content distribution is concerned, we all are set for MMO games.

     6. ComputerGames: Regarding the Source engine, will VALVe continue to add new features in order to keep it up-to-date with new technologies? After all, Unreal 3 is just around the corner :)

     Mike Dunkle: [Laughs] Yes, we will definitely continue to add new features in order to keep the Source engine up-to-date. In fact, the development of the engine is still going round the clock and the recent release of the Lost Coast level, which is used to demonstrate HDR, proves that we are committed to include the latest features in the Source engine.

     7. ComputerGames: What about Ageia? Will Source eventually support hardware physics or will you keep to Havok?

     Mike Dunkle: Hardware physics is big news right now and yes, there are talks about incorporating it, but I think that one of the Source engineers might be able to offer you more details on this one.

     8. ComputerGames: After the release of Aftermath, will VALVe continue to release add-ons for HL2? Any chance of seeing more open-ended scenarios, with multiple paths to the same objective?

     Mike Dunkle: Yes, we will continue to develop games for the Half Life 2 franchise. As for the open-ended scenarios, we are trying to tell a story as best we can, so we need to have the players focused as much as possible to the task at hand. However, I think Sin Episodes will have more options in this regard for the player.

     9. ComputerGames: Fans have been asking about a co-op mode for HL2. Is it possible, and if so, will it ever see the light of day?

     Mike Dunkle: [Thinking] Hmm, interesting question. Again, the Source engineers might be able to shed more light into this. However, the idea of a Co-op mode for HL2, with one player taking the role of Gordon and another playing as Alyx isn’t bad at all.

     10. ComputerGames: Will any of the future add-ons give an “other point of view” experience like Blueshift and Opposing Forces did for the first Half-Life?

     Mike Dunkle: It’s an option we are taking into consideration, but I really don’t know too many details about future HL2 titles. And even if I did, I wouldn’t tell you [Laughs].

     11. ComputerGames: Counter-Strike has been dominating the competitive online gaming scene for years now. Are you going to continue to update it or start working on a “replacement”?

     Mike Dunkle: Well, as you said, Counter-Strike is very popular and we are going to continue supporting it as best we can, especially regarding maps. But no, at the moment we’re not looking for a “replacement” for Counter-Strike.

     12. ComputerGames: Xbox 360 has just been launched. And since VALVe will probably release games for this next-gen console as well, have you considered bringing Steam to Xbox users?

     Mike Dunkle: Well, we don’t have yet any plans for next-gen titles. Regarding Steam on Xbox 360, it’s an interesting idea, but right now Microsoft has the very robust Xbox Live and all the new content that is to be distributed online has to go through Xbox Live. So right now we can’t do anything about that, since Microsoft hasn’t specified anything about letting 3rd party distribution systems run on Xbox 360. So it’s really up to Microsoft if Steam will ever be available on Xbox 360.

     13. ComputerGames: How will Steam evolve in the future and what can players expect from it?

     Mike Dunkle: Well, Steam is definitely going to continue to evolve, with new features being added to keep up with the player’s needs and demands. Right now we’re working on new billing systems, like PayPall or debit cards, which are very popular around the world. Also, there will be a new “Friends” system, so yes, players can expect a lot of nice things from Steam in the future.