Valve boss Gabe Newell has been directed by the court to personally appear as a defendant in an ongoing antitrust lawsuit filed against Valve by Wolfire Games. The lawsuit alleges that Valve's dominant position in the market allows it to take an excessively high cut from game sales on its PC platform.

The order, filed by Wolfire Games earlier this month, insists that Newell must appear in person despite his request for a remote deposition due to health concerns related to COVID-19. Newell had stated that he has taken extensive measures to minimize exposure to the virus. However, Wolfire Games argues that there is insufficient evidence to suggest that Newell is at a higher risk of serious illness and believes his testimony is crucial to understanding Valve's business strategy.

Wolfire Games maintains that Valve's practice of taking a 30% cut from all sales passing through its store exploits both publishers and consumers. The company asserts that Valve's market dominance allows it to unfairly benefit from nearly every transaction, and aims to evaluate Newell's credibility on these matters.

Initially, Wolfire's antitrust claim was dismissed in November 2021, but the company was granted the opportunity to file a further complaint in May 2022.

Valve, on the other hand, recently hinted that an upgraded version of its handheld gaming device, the Steam Deck, may not be released in the near future due to limitations in available technology. Valve engineers revealed in an interview that they are adding new features to the Steam Deck OLED model, which were not feasible during the original Steam Deck's release. Additionally, Valve mentioned that it is currently working on multiple game projects that are tailored to the existing performance levels of the Steam Deck.

As the legal battle between Wolfire Games and Valve intensifies, the gaming community eagerly awaits the court's decision on the antitrust claims, which could have significant implications for the industry.

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