I believe it’s a fantasy/for funsies mock-up of what the gaming store/launcher application Steam maybe could have looked like if it was done in a style similar to Windows 7’s styling and other computer applications and websites during that era. Looks like maybe MySpace and Windows Live Messenger may have been some inspiration
I hope that helps. I may be leaving stuff out or wording things oddly since I’m pretty brain foggy due to health issues, but no one had answered ya (that I can see) and I wanted to try to help ya out 😅
Thank you very much for willing to help, I hope you’re okay! 🤗
P.S.: I’ve seen your other comments (forgive me if that bothers you) and I would like to say that you’re an amazing person! I like how you always treat others with respect and kindness, this world surely needs more people like you! Please don’t forget to take care of yourself and remember that you’re loved! 👋
They’re still out there technically, but they get jankier every year. The new UI they released… last year? put the nail in the coffin for a lot of the fancy ones, but there are still options out there to skin your Steam UI.
I grew up with XP as well, and while I’m still nostalgic for it, it just feels kinda flat compared to the vista/7 aero theme. Not really boring, but not as interesting as aero imo. Still a vibe though.
You miss who you were when everything looked like this.
You were young, you were discovering the internet like a new frontier, every new app you tried or new album you found or new comedy website was like discovering a new country. You could while away hours without responsibility or care or trauma, or at least nearly as much. You were not cynical and jaded yet.
Nostalgia isn’t a longing for when things were simpler, it is a longing for when you were simpler.
Yes. I understand that and I’m well aware of what you’re describing, that is why I said I try not to let my nostalgia get the better of me.
I’m saying I enjoy this aesthetic mainly for nostalgic reasons. I am not necessarily saying this is superior to current aesthetics. I do miss this era, yes, and you are correct that is more about me than the aesthetic itself.
That doesn’t mean this isn’t beautiful or pleasant in some way, and I don’t think it’s wrong to enjoy or explore older aesthetics even if it’s out of nostalgia.
I realize the way my comment was worded made it seem like a comment about the era rather than the aesthetic.
Edit: contradicted myself there. Sorry, it’s kinda hard to get a consistent thought out on mobile.
Can you do one of these for Windows 3.1 or 95? That would be sweet!
Honestly, I hate steam (the client) so much. I have a fair sized library of games that I never play because it’s just torture to me to start that abomination of a program. Why the fuck couldn’t they give it a simple, clean, elegant, native UI that doesn’t treat my battery with wanton disrespect?
What kind of soulless psychopath leaves a window of this size unmaximized is the real question here. Also, a horizontal scrollbar in the main section, able to scroll maybe 8 pixels total to see some more of the glorious empty padding, could have been a nice touch as a consequence of the “unintended” window size.
I loved this theme! I remember upgrading from XP to Vista Aero (later win7) and being blown away! Aero based themes are still my favorite. Windows 8 and 10 looked cheap and boring.