Steam's 30% Cut Called "Robbery" by Indie Dev

Indie Developer Criticizes Valve's Steam Commission, Calls It "Robbery" It's no secret that game developers often view Steam's commission fees as extortionate. This is especially true for indie developers, who face an uphill battle to turn a profit. Indie developer Tomas Sala, creator of the aerial combat simulator The Falconeer , recently shed light on just how much a small studio needs to earn to break even. According to Sala, an indie game needs to rake in a staggering $500,000 or more in sales just to see a modest profit. This is largely due to Valve taking a hefty 30% cut of all sales. Add to that the percentage claimed by publishers who help get games onto the platform, plus taxes and other expenses, and the developer is often left with a meager quarter of the revenue. This often fails to even cover development costs, which are frequently incurred during the developer's free time. Sala emphasized that with such a high commission, Valve often earns more …