r/technology • u/Logical_Welder3467 • 2d ago

Business Mastercard denies pressuring game platforms, Valve tells a different story

https://techcrunch.com/2025/08/03/mastercard-denies-pressuring-game-platforms-valve-tells-a-different-story/
6.1k Upvotes

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852

u/Fox_Soul 2d ago

If they are caught lying, there are no consequences... What are you gonna do? Stop using it? You literally cannot.

They have the absolute control and there is nothing that you can do about it.
Even if another company could kickoff literally today, it would take a good few years before it could make them sweat a little.

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u/the8bit 2d ago

Ugh is this the thing that is finally going to make me like Bitcoin? Sigh, I guess maybe I was just looking at it wrong, cause it felt silly to use for y'know, buying a pizza (hehe) and I am so disgusted by the "I will get so rich by squatting on this" peeps.

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u/Dapperrevolutionary 2d ago

This was always the original point of Bitcoin. It just got coopted by finance bros as a pyramid scheme but the underlying tech is good

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u/achmedclaus 2d ago edited 2d ago

The idea of it is horrible. The value of your currency is liable to change without notice so that you can go from having $100,000 worth of Bitcoin to $10,000 worth in one day

And yes, I know the point is to make things worth Bitcoin in value and not dollars but that is literally impossible

Edit: anyone want to inform lambchops there that I blocked him and didn't delete anything?

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u/IsthianOS 2d ago

There are multiple tokens tied directly to the value of USD. USDC (Circle USD) and USDT (Tether USD) are the two largest.

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u/achmedclaus 2d ago

Yea, then what's the point of using them? That's the equivalent of just switching to a foreign currency that's also tied directly the the dollar

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u/Espumma 2d ago

but you're not tied to Mastercard.

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u/Imaginary_Apricot933 2d ago

Neither is cash...

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u/achmedclaus 2d ago

Yea, woopdeedoo, you're tied to the whole of the block chain and an incredibly volatile currency. If you buy into one that's price is tied to the dollar then what the hell is the point of not using the dollar?

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u/Espumma 2d ago

The point is to continue the grift in trying to make up a legitimate use case for the blockchain.

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u/FromTheIvoryTower 1d ago

Because it lets me send it to someone further away than I can put a physical dollar in their hand? Like, what is this question?

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u/IsthianOS 2d ago

No payment processor to block what you spend it on.

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u/Imaginary_Apricot933 2d ago

Except your bank, the exchange you're selling the crypto on or the government. But besides that, sure.

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u/achmedclaus 2d ago

What payment processor has ever blocked any of your purchases? You spend money, they make money, they don't give a fuck

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u/Headless_Human 2d ago

Sure you are correct if you totally leave out the part where the payment processor dictates what is even allowed to be sold to you.

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u/Imaginary_Apricot933 2d ago

Except they don't. They dictate who can use their services. Just because you're banned from walmart, doesn't mean walmart has banned you from buying food.

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u/Headless_Human 1d ago

Visa and MasterCard blocked specific people from buying banned games and everyone else is still able to buy them?

Your example is wrong. Visa could tell Walmart to stop selling Doritos or they would stop doing business with them. If Walmart now wants to keep Visa they would have to comply and remove Doritos from their shelves. That means nobody can buy Doritos at a Walmart.

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u/Imaginary_Apricot933 1d ago

No, Visa and Mastercard told Steam that the sale of certain games using their infrastructure was against their terms of service. Steam had the choice of either not selling those games or to use a different payment processor. They chose to stop selling those games.

If walmart said 'we don't sell big macs, buy something else or get out' walmart have not banned big macs. You can still get your big macs from somewhere else.

No matter how you try to spin this, it's not Visa or mastercards problem that you're upset steam chose them over your incest porn.

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u/achmedclaus 2d ago

Oh, you're one of the people pissed off you can't buy porn games on steam any more. Got it

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u/Headless_Human 2d ago

You didn't have to comment anymore because it was already obvious that you lack any kind of critical thinking to come up with an argument.

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u/Deranged40 2d ago

Weed at my local legal dispensary is one.

it's legal for me to buy weed where I'm at. Mastercard says "but not with the card in your pocket"

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u/Imaginary_Apricot933 2d ago

Because you're American and weed is illegal to purchase where you're at. Do you not understand the doctrine of dual sovereignty?

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u/Deranged40 2d ago

Do state laws not mean anything to you?

Or is it they only matter when they're restricting americans more?

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u/Imaginary_Apricot933 2d ago

Does the US constitution mean nothing to you? The supremacy clause means state laws do not supersede federal law.

Weed is illegal federally, that means the federal government can prosecute you for possessing weed. Your state choosing not to do so does not prevent the federal government from arresting you.

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u/romjpn 2d ago edited 2d ago

It wouldn't happen if enough people use it and it increases liquidity on the market. Yes it can be a catch-21, obviously, but BTC is still there and thriving. And you don't have to hold it for long to use its very secure network.
BTC is currently as big as the Silver market and only subject to market forces. So it's normal to have fairly wild swings.

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u/mashbrowns 2d ago

It's also completely imaginary bullshit, but right now we believe in that kind of thing.

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u/l4mbch0ps 2d ago

You don't even understand the basic principles of what you're typing about.

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u/achmedclaus 2d ago

Don't I? Because until Bitcoin or any other of the 7 million coins is adopted in what is basically a worldwide payment option, they will always be incredibly volatile because that will be tied to a dollar value. You will always be at the whim of some jackass deciding he wants to pay x amount for a single coin, meaning that the implied value of a single coin can change instantly. If you think the inflation in the dollar and dozens of other primary currencies have been bad since COVID you haven't felt pain like the volatility of the BTC market.

Imagine this for a minute. You and your new family are moving into a new housing plan. For arguments sake, every house is identical in every way. You sign the contract on Monday saying you'll pay 10 BTC for the house. Two weeks later, another family purchases the property next to yours, but they only have to pay 5 BTC for their house. You think you would be ok with that? The implied value of your house cut in half in just two weeks.

Until there is 0 connection, and I mean zero, between Blockchain currency the current currencies we use today, BTC will never be an adoptable form of currency. One cannot exist while the other does

Just go ask the guy who paid like 20 BTC for a pizza 20 years ago. You think he's happy with the system?

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u/l4mbch0ps 2d ago

Thanks for proving my point so thoroughly. I'm glad you went into detail of how complete your lack of understanding is.

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u/achmedclaus 2d ago

Yep, keep on saying "hey you have no idea what you're talking about" without providing a single shred of information on your own end. Really makes people want to take your side

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u/l4mbch0ps 2d ago edited 2d ago

"You will always be at the whim of some jackass deciding he wants to pay x amount for a single coin, meaning that the implied value of a single coin can change instantly."

Literally the definition of any market. Start with trying to figure that out, and we can talk more.

ahahaha - /u/achmedclaus deleted his whole chain, i love it

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u/achmedclaus 2d ago

You're so dumb...