This article praises Steam as a game delivery platform and social network, but suggests that its success has just as much to do with Microsoft's mismanagement of their own online PC service as it does with Steam's merits. The Exploding Barrel's Sebasian asks readers to consider what might have happened to Valve's online space if Microsoft hadn't dropped the ball with their 'Games for Windows' initiative and LIVE for PC's pricing fiasco, and how amazing Microsoft's service could have been if done right.