As a seasoned gamer with years of navigating the digital landscape of Steam under my belt, I must say that Valve’s decision to tighten the reins on game descriptions is a move both expected and necessary. While I appreciate the freedom that allowed developers to creatively market their games, the reality of the web is that it’s rife with misleading links and advertisements.
A significant shift is imminent in how game developers can describe their titles on Steam. In response, Valve has set forth new guidelines that will be enforced starting in September, allowing developers time to adjust and comply with these changes for any games they offer on the platform. Among these changes, external links to other sites or separate Steam games are now prohibited, leading to a diverse reaction within the community.
In my years as a passionate gamer and a developer, I’ve come to appreciate the importance of clear guidelines for game descriptions on platforms like Steam. This week, Valve updated their rules for SteamWorks in this regard, providing much-needed clarity on what is permissible in specific sections of a game’s page description.
- The “About The Game” section
- The “Short Description” section
- Any “Special Announcement” sections
- The “Awards” section
The rules go on state the following:
- No links to other websites: This means that you cannot use your store page to link to any other website, including social media pages. There are specific link fields provided within your store page editor for linking to common social media platforms or your own website.
- No embedded imagery that mimics Steam store UI or buttons: You should not have images or animations that are meant to look like Steam UI such as images that look like wishlist buttons or game capsules or prices.
- No images, links, or widgets pointing to other games on Steam: This means that you cannot use your store page description to advertise other products on Steam. If you have related products, you can set up bundles, franchises, or developer homepages.
As a long-time gamer and indie game developer, I find Valve’s guidelines for posting social media links and prologue games on Steam to be quite interesting. In my experience, having a strong online presence can significantly boost visibility and engagement with potential players. However, it’s important to follow the rules and post these links in the Basic Info section of each game’s page.
As September marks the date when these rules are set to take place, it’s intriguing to contemplate the discussions that may arise from this. If these rules indeed prove advantageous, we’ll see which games benefit; however, there might also be some titles that face difficulties. Keep an eye on our Steam topic for more developments in this ongoing story.
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2024-08-16 02:27