Google will take over Valve in the very near future despite the fact that Google doesn’t actually plan to become a game developer. The thing they have with Valve is the fact that it happens to have the most popular software distribution tool of the gaming world, which is called Steam.

Steam is all about digital distribution. Customers log into the service and can buy 440 different games through it. It can be used for distribution of copyrighted content. Steam is one of the few places where people still pay for PC games. It also includes a social network, and instant messenger, and it will patch and launch games that you already own. Steam has over 10 million registered users.

Valve is the creator of the Half-Life and Counter Strike franchises. Tech news site The Inquirer reported the story earlier today, stating that “WELL PLACED SOURCES tell us that Google is going to be buying Valve any second now.”

The information is according to The Inquirer, who reported the rumor from the Austin Game Developers Conference.
Google hasn't commented on the matter, so it’s not official yet. "We do not comment on market rumor or speculation," Google said in a statement. Valve didn't immediately respond to a request for comment either.

It's unclear what role the potential acquisition would serve for Google's existing platforms. The company now has several downloadable apps that include Chrome, Google Earth, or Picasa. The company also has a large infrastructure to support YouTube but isn't presently involved in the gaming domain whatsoever.