The web is rampant with rumors that Google is on the verge of announcing the acquisition of game maker Valve. The Inquirer reported the story earlier today, citing nothing more than "well placed sources." But while getting into the video game business seems like an odd decision for the search giant, the site speculates the reason Google would be most interested in the company is its Steam distribution platform.

Valve has dismissed the reports, calling them a "complete fabrication," but the company has been known to be open to discussions about potential sale.

Steam's technology could actually be a good fit for Google, which is getting more and more involved in the content distribution business. The latest Steam statistics show that 1.2 million of Steam's fifteen million plus registered gamers are using the system at any one time. While the platform is currently limited to distributing games, the company has said would consider further deals to cover music and even movies as well.