Steam's massive rise in player count, New OpenAI restrictions + more!

Summary

Podcast Summary: TechLinked – "Steam's massive rise in player count, New OpenAI restrictions + more!"

Date: October 18, 2025
Hosts: Linus Media Group
Episode Theme:
A lively rundown of recent developments in tech and gaming culture. The episode highlights Steam’s record-breaking player counts, OpenAI’s new content restrictions, updates on mobile tech, and playful takes on how AI and big tech impact everyday users.

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Steam's Record-Breaking Player Count

Timestamps: 00:40 – 01:45

• Valve’s Steam platform hit a new high: 41.6 million concurrent users, nearly double the count from five years ago.
  • Host 1 jokes, “That's more than the population of Canada, bud,” (00:43).
• Discussion of growth boost during global events: “Seems like PC gamer growth accelerated after the WHO declared a pandemic” (00:54).
• Popular franchises (Battlefield 6, Hades 2, Hollow Knight Silksong) breaking their own records contributed to the surge.
• Hosts humorously lament gamers not playing their backlog:
  • Host 1: “People are spending more time staring at their bloated Steam backlog than actually playing…” (01:25).
  • Host 2: “It's time to finally play Disco Elysium or Red Dead Redemption 2.” (01:45)

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OpenAI's New Restrictions on Generated Content

Timestamps: 01:49 – 03:06

• OpenAI halts generation of fake Martin Luther King Jr. videos after a request from his estate due to misuse.
  • Notable moment: Host 1 sarcastically describes the absurdity of fake MLK deepfakes on low-quality platforms (01:56):
    “Filled to the brim with disrespectful depictions of MLK delivering a stirring speech on the beauty of the female form.”
  • “It's yet another feature rollback from OpenAI, who always seems to focus more on the latter part of the ‘move fast and break things’” (02:16).
• Big Tech’s controversial uses of AI:
  • Facebook cited for unwanted photo editing: “Like a cat bringing you a dead mouse” (02:27).
  • Opt-out features discussed, but buried unless users actively notice them.
    • Host 2: “Didn't absentmindedly press OK when the prompt asked you to…” (02:44).
• Calls for stronger AI rules:
  • “We should probably still want to set some ground rules for how AI is used. See MLK Jr.” (03:01).

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Global AI Regulation and The Pope

Timestamps: 03:06 – 03:19

• Pope Leo XIV hosted a seminar at the Vatican about global AI regulation, stressing AI as a tool.
  • Host 1: “So we must be careful that in using it, we do not ourselves act like tools. Amen.” (03:16)
  • Light-hearted joke about the Pope’s American accent.

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Echo Chamber Media & Ground News

Timestamps: 03:19 – 04:24

• Highlight on how algorithms create news bubbles and the need for media transparency.
• Ground News promoted for presenting news with political leaning breakdowns.
  • Example: Apple & Formula 1 streaming deal leans left in media coverage, humorously tied to racing stereotypes.
    • Host 1: “Even though this is about cars going fast, which I thought was always a conservative thing.” (03:53)
    • Host 2: “NASCAR races are just one big left turn.” (04:06)

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Phone Industry Updates: Apple and Samsung

Timestamps: 04:43 – 05:32

• Apple: iPhone Air sees low sales, with production cut by up to 1 million units.
  • “Apple is chopping production of the Air down by up to 1 million units this year. Down by up to what? The language.” (04:46)
• Samsung: Galaxy S26 Edge reportedly discontinued after poor sales of previous models.
  • “Slim phones might be on thin ice…are about to be skinny dipping in the discount bin. Got ‘em, splash.” (05:28)

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Google Workspace vs. Microsoft 365

Timestamps: 05:32 – 06:07

• Google pivots to gain business customers from Microsoft by emphasizing Microsoft 365’s reliability issues.
  • Host 1: “Microsoft 365 crashes are a question of when and for how long, not if…” (05:53)
  • Humorous take on corporate branding: “Wouldn't you rather subscribe to a workplace plan called Business Continuity or Work Transformation Set?” (06:07)

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Uber's AI Microtasks for Drivers

Timestamps: 06:07 – 07:12

• Uber launches program for drivers to earn extra money by completing microtasks for AI training (not comedy, as joked by hosts).
• Tasks include uploading photos/voice, translating documents, and more, for variable pay.
  • Host 2: “If you upload a picture from a Spanish restaurant menu, you could earn a whole shiny $1…” (06:45)
    • Host 1: “I've always dreamed of being a mental blood bag for AI.” (06:53)
  • Commentary on exploitative side of freelance labor for AI training.

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Blockchain Blunder: Paxos Mints $300 Trillion PyUSD

Timestamps: 07:14 – 07:58

• Paxos, PayPal’s blockchain partner, accidentally mints an impossible $300 trillion worth of its stablecoin—over double the world’s GDP.
  • Host 1: “It just seems like there’s something terribly wrong when you can just accidentally mint more money than the global GDP.” (07:34)
  • Issue claimed to be a technical error, promptly “burned” the excess.
    • Host 1: "I've been known to burn through a lot of excess money myself, but I really hope that's not what they mean." (07:51)
• Brief reassurance: “Don’t worry, guys. The coin’s still pegged.” (07:58)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “People are spending more time staring at their bloated Steam backlog than actually playing…” — Host 1, 01:25
• “It's yet another feature rollback from OpenAI, who always seems to focus more on the latter part of the 'move fast and break things'” — Host 1, 02:16
• “Like a cat bringing you a dead mouse.” — Host 1, on unwanted AI photo editing, 02:27
• “I've always dreamed of being a mental blood bag for AI.” — Host 1, 06:53
• “Slim phones might be on thin ice…are about to be skinny dipping in the discount bin. Got 'em, splash.” — Host 2, 05:28

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Tone and Style

The hosts combine fast-paced, witty banter with tech analysis. The humor is dry and self-aware, especially when discussing tech culture, AI overreach, and the state of the gaming backlog (“You go beat something off the backlog.” – 01:30).

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For listeners who missed the episode:
This summary captures all the key stories—Steam’s explosive growth, evolving AI regulation, market tremors in mobile tech, and tongue-in-cheek commentary on how tech giants try to wedge themselves into every aspect of user life. If you keep up with tech and gaming, or just enjoy irreverent news, this episode delivers sharp insights and a lot of laughs.

Transcript

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[Host 1]

In the future, tech news will be delivered by a holographic host. It'll be just like the Doctor from.

[Host 2]

Star Voyager, except it'll probably be me or Linus or Riley instead of Robert Picardo.

[Host 1]

But we are in talks with Picardo Steam has set a new concurrent player record for itself. Data from SteamDB shows that Valve's platform recently surpassed 41.6 million simultaneous users. That's more than the population of Canada, bud, and nearly double the player count from just five years ago. Seems like PC gamer growth accelerated after the WHO declared a pandemic the only.

[Host 2]

World event that was notable enough to include on their chart.

[Host 1]

I bet about half that player jump.

[Host 2]

Was from Among Us.

[Host 1]

Steam's new record High comes after Battlefield 6, Hades 2 and Hollow Knight Silksong all broke their own franchise player records as well. So clearly the lesson for gaming companies here is to keep pumping out sequels. That's what we all want, right? Do it like the movies do. That said, I can't help but notice that the total number of users increased more than the number of users in game, which reads to me like people are spending more time staring at their bloated Steam backlog than actually playing their games. Let this be a call to action. You go beat something off the backlog.

[Host 2]

It's time to finally play Disco Elysium or red Dead Redemption 2.

[Host 1]

No new games until you beat those ones. OpenAI has stopped letting people generate fake videos of Martin Luther King Jr. At the request of the late Dr. King's estate. Apparently his family wasn't jazzed about OpenAI's slop only TikTok clone being filled to the brim with disrespectful depictions of MLK delivering a stirring speech on the beauty of the female form. It's not.

[Host 2]

It was.

[Host 1]

He was doing something more vulgar. James Ah, it's yet another feature rollback from OpenAI, who always seems to focus more on the latter part of the.

[Host 2]

Move fast and break things.

[Host 1]

But at least OpenAI isn't pulling a Facebook and rummaging through your phone's local storage and editing one of your photos with AI without you even asking it to. Like a cat bringing you a dead mouse.

[Guest or Additional Host]

What am I supposed to do with this?

[Host 1]

I'm thankful that feature rolled out in.

[Host 2]

Beta this past summer and is now launching more widely.

[Host 1]

For some reason, you can opt out at any time if you're aware that it's happening in the first place and.

[Host 2]

Didn'T absentmindedly press OK when the prompt asked you to and it just popped out like, you know just how it does that and you're trying to do something else.

[Host 1]

Big Tech is looking for extra uses for AI that people don't even want. It's no wonder they're all bringing back nuclear power. And even if that is probably a good idea, we should probably still want.

[Host 2]

To set some ground rules for how AI is used. See MLK Jr.

[Host 1]

So Pope Leo XIV hosted a seminar at the Vatican this week urging global cooperation in regulating the technology. The Pope reminded attendees that AI is above all else, a tool.

[Host 2]

He's American though, right?

[Host 1]

He did the accent. It was weird. And so we must be careful that in using it we do not ourselves act like tools. Amen. And amen to our sponsor, Ground News, who are trying to do something about the fact that algorithms have divided up the Internet into these information bubbles that stop you from getting a more complete picture of what the heck's going on.

[Host 2]

Because you're packed in there with so many people you agree with and their.

[Host 1]

Breath is fogging up the glass.

[Host 2]

Ah, pop that bubble with Ground News. They aggregate news stories, breaking down the.

[Host 1]

Political leanings and ownership of each outlet.

[Host 2]

Take for example, the recent story about.

[Host 1]

Apple and Formula One signing a five year exclusive streaming agreement, 38% of the coverage leans left while only 13% leans right. Even though this is about cars going fast, which I thought was always a conservative thing.

[Host 2]

Even though NASCAR races are just one big left turn.

[Host 1]

I guess I gotta question my biases. Find out who's reporting on what so.

[Host 2]

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[Host 1]

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[Host 2]

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[Host 1]

Picardo frequently collaborates with director Joe Dante.

[Host 2]

Who just so happens to be one of the quick bits for favorite directors. Gremlins is a Christmas classic, and Phil Hartman is sublime in Small Soldiers.

[Host 1]

Small Soldiers? Yeah, Kip Kelligan.

[Guest or Additional Host]

We need a sequel to that. I'll take a sequel to that.

[Host 2]

There may have been a sequel to that.

[Host 1]

I don't think so. Apple is apparently cutting production of the new iPhone air. According to Japan's Mizuho Securities. While the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max models are seeing higher sales than their predecessors, the new iPhone Air is a sales letdown. Now Apple is chopping production of the Air down by up to 1 million units this year. Down by up to what? The language. Similarly, A report from NewSpim in Korea alleges that Samsung has halted work on the Galaxy S26 edge, letting employees know that the product line is to be discontinued. The news isn't totally unexpected. The S25 Edge didn't sell well, and like Gizmodo said, slim phones might be on thin ice. Well, it looks like these thin phones.

[Host 2]

Are about to be skinny dipping in the discount bin. Got em splash.

[Host 1]

You got em so good Google Workspace is trying to steal some of Microsoft's business customers with the power of SaaS. SaaS or sauce if you're in the UK after calling out the architectural brittleness in Microsoft's infrastructure and saying Microsoft 365 crashes are a question of when and for how long, not if, which I'm.

[Host 2]

Pretty sure is the software engineer's equivalent.

[Host 1]

Of a glove slap, Google talks up its new cost effective Google Workspace plans meant to help businesses transition away from.

[Host 2]

Office, which is now called Microsoft 365.

[Host 1]

What a boring and confusing name. Wouldn't you rather subscribe to a workplace plan called Business Continuity or Work Transformation Set? Wouldn't you? Uber is launching a new program that allows its contractors to earn additional cash by telling jokes as they drive. You know, testing out new bits. I'm just joking. It's additional cash by completing micro tasks that train AI models.

[Host 2]

That's way worse.

[Host 1]

These tasks include everything from voice recordings to capturing and uploading images, to submitting documents in a certain language in exchange for variable rewards. In this example, if you upload a.

[Host 2]

Picture from a Spanish restaurant menu, you could earn a whole shiny $1 a greenback. I've always dreamed of being a mental.

[Host 1]

Blood bag for AI. This move could help Uber use its army of freelance workers to challenge companies that train AI models by having humans annotate and label data.

[Host 2]

And besides, they're already constantly feeding customers via Uber Eats. Why not feed the hungry machine your.

[Host 1]

Time, energy and knowledge as well? It's the same thing.

[Guest or Additional Host]

That's my job.

[Host 1]

And PayPal's blockchain partner, Paxos, mistakenly minted $300 trillion in PyUSD stablecoin. As pointed out by both CNBC and Engadget, 300 trillion of these stablecoins are worth more than double the world's estimated total GDP. It just seems like there's something terribly wrong when you can just accidentally mint more money than the global gdp. Thankfully, this all appears to be a.

[Host 2]

Huge and embarrassing gaffe. And don't worry, PAX was tweeted to.

[Host 1]

Assure folks that the issue was a.

[Host 2]

Technical error and that their customers funds are safe.

[Host 1]

Paxos even says they've burned the excess PyUSD.

[Host 2]

I've been known to burn through a lot of excess money myself, but I.

[Host 1]

Really hope that's not what they mean. The coin's still pegged.

[Host 2]

Don't worry, guys.

[Host 1]

And you should know what I mean when I say peg when I tell you to come back on Monday for more tech news.

[Host 2]

I can't promise you we'll have holograms by Monday, but I swear I'm working.

[Host 1]

Really hard on Picardo. Limu Emu and Doug.

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