Now this will come as somewhat of a shock I know but…. Steam is popular! *minds blown everywhere*. Steam is so popular that according to some people, it accounts for 70% of game sales / downloads on the net. As the New York Times put it:

It has since become for games what iTunes is to music

Now according to the NYT, EA wants Steam. With the bomb of Origin who would blame them. the Rumor Mill is saying they are even willing to pay out 1billion for it. However, thats pretty unlikely to happen. To use what Desctrutoid said:

Gabe Newell simply said it wouldn’t happen — or at least, that he’d rather Valve disintegrate and send its employees out into the world than sell up to another major publisher.

Now what Gabe really said was

It’s way more likely we would head in that direction than say, ‘Let’s find some giant company that wants to cash us out and wait two or three years to have our employment agreements terminate

Either way, Bad ass Gabe and Valve. Bad ass

Sources:
New York Time
Destructoid
QJ