Also called "Chat Programs". These applications are installed on a PC by a user, and allow immediate "chats" between other users of the program. Some of these programs also allow audio or video conferencing as well as the ability to execute file transfers.
Steam is a gaming chat client that allows players to set up their own gaming communities. Aside from Text based chat, it also has voice capabilities. Players can set up their steam account to work with numerous PC games to integrate voice and other chat to augment each games multi-player experience.
