Valve Launches Non-Game Software On Steam

As promised, Valve has launched non-game software offerings on Steam, albeit a little behind schedule. Starting today, you can use Steam to purchase software other than games, though at first, the amount of software on offer is going to be a little bit slim. Game developers will definitely want to check out the Steam storefront today, however, as most of the software that has launched on Steam is aimed directly at them.

There are seven different programs to purchase on Steam today: GameMaker Studio, 3D-Coat, ArtRage Studio Pro, 3DMark Vantage, 3DMark 11, Camera Bag 2, and Valve's Source Filmmaker. GameMaker Studio and the Source Filmmaker are both free (and the Source Filmmaker has been available for a while already), whereas the other programs will cost you some dough. Camera Bag 2 is $14.99, 3DMark Vantage and 3DMark 11 are $19.99 each, ArtRage Studio Pro is $59.99, and 3D-Coat is $99.

In typical Valve fashion, though, all of this software has been discounted by 10% as part of a launch day promotion. The software will probably remain discounted for at least a few more days, but if you want any of these programs, better to buy now and save some money than wait and possibly pay full price. At the moment, all of these programs are Windows-only, though we expect some software that's compatible with Macs to begin popping up soon.

Likewise, it won't be long before there's a healthy offering of software on Steam. As an added bonus, these games take full advantage of the Steamworks platform, with all programs getting automatic updates through Steam and some (like GameMaker Studio) compatible with the Steam Workshop. We're definitely excited to see what Valve does with this, so keep it tuned here to SlashGear for more information.