After controversies regarding adult games and inconsiderate content, Valve has decided to take a definitive stance on games on its platform. Now, so long as a game 'isn't straight up trolling or illegal', it'll be allowed on Steam. In a post on Steam called "Who gets to be on the Steam Store", company staff described the troubles of trying to regulate games, as well as deal with laws in multiple different countries. Citing these issues, and the climate after the removal of the school shooting game Active Shooter, and the panic over adult content being targeted for removal, Valve wants to clarify that it's time to disclose their new policy.

"Everything" will now be allowed on the Steam Store, so long as it doesn't break any laws or isn't considered trolling ("trolling" was not defined) meaning developers will be allowed to distribute their games with no fear of removal. According to Valve, this will let them focus on other important features or components to the company, rather than "policing" content.

To combat potential issues this may raise, you'll now be able to block certain types of games, such as overly gorey, hentai games, and other undesirable subject matter. Valve states that even though controversial games that deal with racism, sexual themes, violence, varying quality levels, etc will make it through approval to be on the Store now, it does not mean Valve supports these types of games internally. If a game does turn out to be an issue, they will handle things on a "case by case basis".

Source

 

[Steena]

On the other, I'm really concerned that this might potentially see the spawn of a lot of racially/culturally charged games making it in

Like Battlefield 5 you mean? These games just seem to get some minor discontent and everyone moves on, i think we'll be fine.

 

[KingVamp]

Hopefully consoles do the same. Even if the people that want A rated games have to jump through some hoops, to get them.

 

[TotalInsanity4]

Like Battlefield 5 you mean? These games just seem to get some minor discontent and everyone moves on, i think we'll be fine.

Honestly, no, I was thinking more along the lines of pro-Nazi narratives (not necessarily the same as playing as a Nazi portrayed historically accurate) and blatantly anti-imigrant sentiments, for example

 

[Deleted User]

Hopefully consoles do the same. Even if the people that want A rated games have to jump through some hoops, to get them.

I will abandon gaming if that happens.

 

[KingVamp]

I will abandon gaming if that happens.

lol Do you mean A rated games or just laxer policing in general?

 

[Deleted User]

lol Do you mean A rated games or just laxer policing in general?

Laxer policing.
I like how with Xbox and Nintendo I know which games to check out, but Steam and Playstation are so cluttered and oversaturated.

 

[Xzi]

I will abandon gaming if that happens.

Lol, you honestly think the PSN/XBL store are any better than Steam? Like 75% of the games there started on Steam.

Edit: give it like two years and the Switch eShop will be just as full too.

 

[RedBlueGreen]

Laxer policing.
I like how with Xbox and Nintendo I know which games to check out, but Steam and Playstation are so cluttered and oversaturated.

You could easily just ignore bad games or look up information about games to see if they're bad. This whole "games I don't like games I think are bad shouldn't exist" thing needs to stop.

 

[gamesquest1]

Honestly, no, I was thinking more along the lines of pro-Nazi narratives (not necessarily the same as playing as a Nazi portrayed historically accurate) and blatantly anti-imigrant sentiments, for example

the Nazi uprising has been totally over exaggerated, 99% of Nazi-esque statements online are just trolls trying to get a rise out of those of a nervous disposition

 

[Deleted User]

You could easily just ignore bad games or look up information about games to see if they're bad.

And waste hours of my leisure time working out what I don't like, instead of actually making a purchase and having fun with it.

 

[HaloEliteLegend]

And once again, Valve says "fuck it" to content curation of any kind and allows the Steam store to further saturate with utter trash. As if the store wasn't a cesspool already. There's a reason indie games are taking their business to other storefronts, such as GOG or the Nintendo eShop, and making a lot more money there than on Steam. A good indie game is utterly buried in the tidal wave of trash asset flips that floods in every day and barely has a chance at being discovered among the garbage heap. It's a horrible situation for indies, and a horrible situation for customers who are looking for good games to buy. Breaking down content walls is partially a good thing, but my god, there has to be some form of quality control!

 

[RedBlueGreen]

And waste hours of my leisure time working out what I don't like, instead of actually making a purchase and having fun with it.

The time you spent complaining in this thread is at most how long it would take to Google search a game.

And once again, Valve says "fuck it" to content curation of any kind and allows the Steam store to further saturate with utter trash. As if the store wasn't a cesspool already. There's a reason indie games are taking their business to other storefronts, such as GOG or the Nintendo eShop, and making a lot more money there than on Steam. A good indie game is utterly buried in the tidal wave of trash asset flips that floods in every day and barely has a chance at being discovered among the garbage heap. It's a horrible situation for indies, and a horrible situation for customers who are looking for good games to buy. Breaking down content walls is partially a good thing, but my god, there has to be some form of quality control!

It's almost like there's a section for user reviews on the store page of every game to tell you how good or bad people find it. And nobody is forcing you to check out these bad games either.

 

[gamesquest1]

And waste hours of my leisure time working out what I don't like, instead of actually making a purchase and having fun with it.

idk, I feel most people tend to generally know what they are looking for before going to the shops, want a good game that isn't just a asset flip or broken buggy game, but from a proper publisher (although even those have their issues)

want to get something cheap and unknown....well you get what you ask for

 

[Deleted User]

Lol, you honestly think the PSN/XBL store are any better than Steam? Like 75% of the games there started on Steam.

Edit: give it like two years and the Switch eShop will be just as full too.

XBL is nowhere near as bad as PSN. PSN is oversaturated with fanservice games. Xbox still has a lot I'm not interested in, but the smaller quantity makes it easier to pick out the good ones.

 

[Xzi]

There's a reason indie games are taking their business to other storefronts, such as GOG or the Nintendo eShop

Suggesting these are mutually exclusive. Just about every game that gets released on GoG or the eShop also gets released on Steam, because it's pointless to turn down revenue from one particular source. A lot of eShop games are older Steam releases.

XBL is nowhere near as bad as PSN. PSN is oversaturated with fanservice games.

If you say so. Fewer games is fewer games, and a big part of the reason why XB1 hasn't seen anywhere near the success that PS4 has.

 

[RedBlueGreen]

XBL is nowhere near as bad as PSN. PSN is oversaturated with fanservice games. Xbox still has a lot I'm not interested in, but the smaller quantity makes it easier to pick out the good ones.

You already know you dislike these games so why bother obsessing over how bad they are? You should know to just not click them at this point.

 

[Deleted User]

Suggesting these are mutually exclusive. Just about every game that gets released on GoG or the eShop also gets released on Steam, because it's pointless to turn down revenue from one particular source. A lot of eShop games are older Steam releases.

They do tend to be some of the more popular ones. I don't really play indie games but I'm assuming indie devs can't get away with poor quality as easily as big names.

 

[HaloEliteLegend]

Suggesting these are mutually exclusive. Just about every game that gets released on GoG or the eShop also gets released on Steam, because it's pointless to turn down revenue from one particular source. A lot of eShop games are older Steam releases.

By this, I mean it's a well-documented fact that good indie games are faring worse on Steam nowadays than before, and the reason is a lack of discoverability among the large influx of mediocre shovelware. Indie developers used to clamor to get on Steam as that was usually a very large revenue source for them. Nowadays, we're hearing reports that many indie studios make the majority of their money outside of Steam, earning large sums from GOG or the eShop. That did not use to be the case. Game developers are visibly upset by Valve's lax content policies, as it's hard for your potentially great game to shine among the 50 other shovelware titles released that day.

 

[RedBlueGreen]

They do tend to be some of the more popular ones. I don't really play indie games but I'm assuming indie devs can't get away with poor quality as easily as big names.

Poor quality is defined subjectively. I could call GTA V poor quality because it doesn't appeal to me since I don't care for the whole do whatever you want with violence thing anymore. That doesn't make it objectively bad though. And not all games with fan service are bad either. As much as people like to bitch that games like Senran Kagura only sell because of anime tiddies people buy them because they're fun. It's a beat 'em up game so it's mindless fun like Dynasty Warriors with the bonus of fan service and a lot of character customization.

Poor quality to me (and probably a lot of others) means buggy, glitch filled messes with bad collision and mechanics.

 

[KingVamp]

Sounds like companies just need a better sorting/staring system.