Valve’s new restriction narrows the open-content posture in its 2018 policy to allow all but illegal or trolling games. Rather than judging individual titles only through that broad standard, Steam is drawing a line around game designs that issue or exchange cryptoassets.
The later copyright-infringing AI-art policy shows the blockchain rule fits a more selective approach: Steam can reject specific implementation risks without imposing a blanket ban on an entire technology.
First-order effects
Developers whose games issue or enable exchanges of cryptocurrencies or NFTs lose access to Steam unless they remove those features.
Steam’s publishing review now has an explicit basis to reject blockchain-enabled titles, while Steam users cannot acquire those titles through the store.
Second-order effects
Blockchain-game developers must choose between redesigning for Steam distribution and seeking storefronts that accept their existing exchange mechanics.
Epic Games Store becomes a more consequential alternative for developers excluded by Steam, even though the supplied coverage does not establish Epic’s policy response.
Third-order effects
Steam is moving from a largely permissive catalog policy toward rules that target specific legal, rights, and transaction-related risks in game production.
If this pattern persists, PC game distribution will be shaped less by whether a technology is novel than by whether a storefront is willing to administer the obligations attached to it.
The trend: Major PC storefronts are becoming active gatekeepers of game business models and production inputs, not just distributors of finished titles.
Community: A few minutes ago, we were notified that @Steam will be kicking *all blockchain games* off the platform, including Age of Rust, because NFTs have value. Behind the scenes, we've had good communication and have been upfront with Steam. #blockchaingames #NFT 1/4 https://…
Epic Games Store will welcome games that make use of blockchain tech provided they follow the relevant laws, disclose their terms, and are age-rated by an appropriate group. Though Epic's not using crypto in our games, we welcome innovation in the areas of technology and finance.…
Steam's point of view is that items have value and they don't allow items that can have real-world value on their platform. While I respect their choice, I fundamentally believe that NFTs and blockchain games are the future. It's why I started this journey with all of you. 3/4
You literally can use Steam's features to do everything NFT and Blockchain promise. But you can do it without extreme, unnecessary energy consumption, and you can do it with customer service support, which is actually something you want. https://twitter.com/...
Disappointed to see short-sighted decisions that are directly impacting our adopters like @SpacePirate_io. @TimSweeneyEpic @EpicGames let's chat? https://twitter.com/...
The next frontier: 1. web3 version of Steam 2. crypto as payment rails - wallet, exchange, core chain that's interoperable to other chains 3. DAOs for every game 4. NFTs as access to super guilds / discord equivalents 5. Decentralised streaming network to incentivise gameplay htt…
Can we please stop acting like epic is some small underdog going against the big bad steam now? Since day 1 they've always been a huge corporation and people put taking digs at whatever people they don't like over acknowleding epic is just as capitalist themselves. https://twitte…
Valve banning NFTs & blockchain games because they involve digital transactions of real world value makes sense. Games already faced risk of regulation due to loot boxes being akin to gambling let alone people earning and losing real money as tokens & NFTs https://www.theverge.co…
I remember back in my late 00s EA days, Steam were the innovators to catch up with, driving the retail evolution from physical to digital & entirely new experiences. Decisions like this will only mean they'll fall behind. Hope they review in due course. https://www.theverge.com/.…