I hate to break it to you, bud, but Valve is not consumer focused and are definitely focused on maximising profits.
Sure Valve might be more interested on maintaining good relations with customers, but that is just because they want to keep you around so you can make them more money in the long term. Maybe this in itself is worth praising, but at the end of the dat Valve is just another corporation who want your money and I really wouldn’t go out of my way to defend or get emotionally attached to them.
And Valve want to invest in Linux because they are scared that Windows is going to do something to force them out of the PC space. Linux provides a fallback to this. Also, Linux allows them to undercut any potential Windows competition in the handheld gaming space as they can save on a Windows license. Eventually Valve hopes to corner the emerging market here by doing this. Linux support is very much a business and not altruistic move on Valve’s behalf.
Beans!