Could a move by Valve to launch Steam on Android help curb the platform's reportedly widespread piracy issues?

That's the question being asked by Sports Interactive's boss Miles Jacobson, who suggests the PC-only digital download service has the potential to "revolutionise the market" for developers suffering from high piracy rates.

Speaking via a guest post on Wired, Jacobsaid said developers and publishers alike are "turning their back on Android due to all the problems the market has, rather than embracing it."

Part of the problem

Jacobson, who last month announced his studio's Football Manager suffered a 9:1 piracy rate on Android, detailed tweets he made when labelled those who pirate software "dicks".

"I tweeted about this 9:1 piracy ratio, calling those that had bombarded us with requests for the game and then pirated it 'dicks'", explained Jacobson.

"I make no apology for this. Anyone who illegally downloads software is a dick."

"I'm not stupid enough to think that 100 percent of pirated games are lost sales - there are, of course, some people who would not buy or play a game if it wasn't available for free, but there are also some dishonest people who pirate things they would otherwise buy, just because they can."

Finding a solution

However, when it comes to combating piracy on Android, Jacobson said it may be the platform and the marketplaces that operate on it that are the big problem.

"What we really need for Android is an online shop front that doesn't just make it easy for people to buy and access their games, but also offers services such as leaderboards and community features, alongside some customer-friendly DRM," said Jacobson.

"A system that doubles up as a way to 'matchmake' network gamers, so you can play against your friends. An online store that essentially acts like an app-only iTunes, Game Center and a social network for Android users all in one."

According to the Sports Interactive man, such a model for how to handle a major digital marketplace already exists, and it's one Google should look to ape.

"On PC and Mac there was a great innovation a few years back built by Gabe Newell and his team at Valve which does all of those things. It's called Steam," he concluded.

"Something like Steam on Android could revolutionise the market for all."

[source: Wired]