SteamDB Creator Pavel Jandik (opens in new tab) We recently found evidence of a “back in the year” feature similar to what Spotify and Nintendo offer in the Steam API. Djundik provided screenshots of the evidence and a brief description of the functionality.
Screenshots provided by Djundik include playtime on various platforms such as Linux, Mac, Windows, Deck, and peripheral device information such as controller and VR playtime. Total playtime per year seems like a particularly serious metricā āI spend a lot of time on Steam. It will be like a reminder of how much time of your life is spent sleeping and going to the bathroom.
Steam already keeps detailed logs of how long users have been playing on the serviceā āat PC Gamer already develop an unhealthy obsession with (opens in new tab)Still, there’s something special about year-end roundups, and they can probably put your spending habits into perspective.
When Nintendo told me that the most-played Switch game of 2021 was Beamdog’s Baldur’s Gate port to the system, it felt like an indictment from above. , some kind of sickly tactical RPG actionāwhat was I thinking? Similarly, listening to Doom (2016) or Furi’s great soundtracks while you’re working out, “Video Game Music” pops up on Spotify. It could become one of the top genresā .
Jokes aside, I think a service like this is a rare and enjoyable result of the constant digital surveillance that we are subjected to on a daily basis. It can make how we interact with our digital media of choice enjoyable and possibly worthwhile. The PC Gamer team has Destiny 2 players, and we’re seeing triple-digit numbers in December.
