Analiza architektury informacji platformy Steam.

Purpose/Thesis: The purpose of this article is to present and analyze the information architecture used in the digital distribution service Steam. It discusses both the strategy informing the design of the Steam and the practical application of the service's systems. Approach/Methods: A significant part of the analysis was carried out on the basis of the book entitled Information architecture. For the web and beyond. Four main systems identified in the book are considered. For each of them, conclusions were drawn with regard to the operation of the entire platform. The analysis was supported by content provided by the platform's producers. Results and conclusions: The conducted research allowed the author to identify and characterize the methods for organizing information employed by the Steam platform in the light of the basic elements of information architecture. Originality/Value: Steam is one of the most popular digital video-game distribution platforms. Nevertheless, it is a relatively new and underexplored field in the context of information architecture studies. The platform's enormous financial success warrants research into its information architecture as it yields insight into the operations of this type of information services. Research limitations: The main challenge encountered during research was the limited access to official information concerning the mechanics of Steam's information architecture Therefore, the article partly relies on the analysis of the platform's interface as accessed by its users. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]