Steam and Its Fight Against "Shovelware"

[Imon Spartan]

"80% of the games released on Steam in 2024 were never played.

- Key points: In 2024, nearly 19,000 games were released on Steam, but most failed to attract players or generate significant sales.
Out of the 18,992 titles launched, 14,951 games (80%) were barely played or purchased.
Only 4,041 games surpassed the popularity threshold needed to escape the "limited" status.

- In detail: Many of these games are labeled as "limited" on the platform, meaning they lack features like achievements or trading cards.
This initiative was implemented by Valve as a measure to combat shovelware (low-quality games) and potential scams.
To remove the "limited" label, a game must meet a certain level of popularity and sales, though Valve has not publicly disclosed the specific criteria.

- Impact on the platform: Despite criticism, Valve argues that its "limited games" system is crucial for maintaining the platform's quality.
Without this barrier, Steam could be flooded with games created solely to inflate statistics or exploit collectors, making it harder for players to find quality content and for high-quality developers to succeed in sales."

Source: https://kotaku.com/steam-19-000-new-games-limited-pc-valve-unplayed-80-1851738322

For those who don’t know, there was recently a scandal involving Steam following an investigation.

To summarize addresses the issue of "shovelware," low-quality games quickly created with pre-made assets, whose main goal is to flood the market and generate revenue through the sale of keys in random bundles. These practices not only deceive consumers but also degrade the overall quality of digital distribution platforms.

To give you an idea: A developer uploads a shovelware game made in about 10 minutes, priced at 50 cents. They purchase the game with multiple accounts to generate very positive reviews and then raise the game's price to $60. They repeat this process with several games and later create bundles on websites like Instagaming, priced at $5–$10, promising to provide games worth over $50 with very positive reviews.

What do you think? Personally, I like that Steam is taking the initiative, but I don’t think it’s enough yet. Recently, I’ve been noticing how the Points Shop is filling up with repetitive content. There are quite a few low-quality adult games, especially pornographic ones, uploading the same repeated content to the Points Shop (same frames, same wallpapers, etc.), and honestly, I feel like this is affecting the overall quality of the shop.

I support the inclusion of adult games focused on pornography or erotica, but there’s a clear need for proper filtering to prevent the shop from being filled with literal junk. I really wish they would enforce stricter quality control when approving new games for the platform.

That said, this is another topic for debate, and I just wanted to share with you the matter of shovelware. Have a great day!

[Haruspex]

I personally like that Valve allows the customer to dictate what games are worth it to them or not, and they provide enough tools necessary for any potential buyer to make an informed decision, and that's not even including all the outside sources of information anyone can use to make smarter purchases.

I recall Valve wrote a blog post after they opened the flood gates to games. They used visual novels at an example. Many at Valve don't see the appeal of visual novels and they would be quick to dismiss them, but some people absolutely love them. There are active Steam users who buy and play nothing but visual novels.

Therefore Valve decided not to be the arbiter of what games should and should not be on Steam, because different games hold different value for different kinds of gamers. With some simple rules to ensure a game will at least run and isn't harmful, pretty much anything goes, and the customer can decide if they want to buy it or not.

This is generally how it works, though there seems to be some inconsistencies when it comes to certain anime-styled games on Steam, as some of those get blocked even when they don't contain any adult content. That's a different issue though.

So basically if you don't want shovelware, don't buy shovelware, and stay away from those "random game bundles" you mentioned on disreputable third party web sites. If someone else buys them, that's their own problem. It's not like they didn't have access to the same information as everyone else.

[Kiryn]

. . . are we really arguing about whether a Youtuber named "BaityBait" is clickbait or not? O_o


As for big bundles of crap. . I remember the ancient days where you could find those "400 Games for $10!" CDs at the office supply store (99% card games, with each minor variation considered a 'game', etc). And publisher bundles of 3-5 older games in a single box, with 1 or 2 popular games and the others were all their B-list stuff.

Yeah, none of this is new. The only actually-new thing about it is how digital distribution gives more opportunities for people to put stuff out there. In the old days, you needed a publisher/etc to care about your product, to think it was worth pressing a CD and making a box. Now, you can just stuff a link on your X/Instagram/Facebook/Patreon page and get it into peoples' hands. (Ditto with books - don't need a publisher & editor to think it's worth sending to the printing press, just 'self-publish' your dinosaur porn PDF on Amazon.)

[BJWyler]

Początkowo opublikowane przez Imon Spartan:

Początkowo opublikowane przez ShelLuser:

Well, you could actually do something about that.. For example by editing your original post and removing the YouTube video and instead focussing on the subject at hand. But we all know that's not gonna happen.

I'm starting to get the feeling that you're trying to provoke me in some way, as despite changing my original post, as I mentioned in that same comment, you still respond with this even though my message has already been edited.

Well discuss what you want to discuss.

Again, as mentioned, Valves measures to limit certain games is not recent, nor predicated upon the opinions of YouTubers.

So let's get back to the conversation:

Początkowo opublikowane przez BJWyler:

The thing is, with their measures, it still allows people the personal choice of what they want to buy, as it should be.

You don't like shovelware games. I don't don't like Hentai games. But I don't come to the forums discussing whether they should be sold in an online gaming store or not. People have every right to make and sell trash. Likewise people have every right to buy or ignore said trash based upon their personal preferences. The Free Market Economy will take over from there.

Początkowo opublikowane przez Imon Spartan:

Gimp, what the hell are you talking about?

Don't worry about. Just another kid salty about getting Mom's Helping Hand in the forums on an alt account.

[Aluvard]

Początkowo opublikowane przez Imon Spartan:

-snip-

Kotaku went with clickbait too (not to mention that, they are hardly even associated with quality journalism nowadays). Games are "barely played" but what are criteria for such statement? That not every game is played for hundreds or thousands hours?
Valve limited also doesn't mean that much - it's main criteria is some undisclosed popularity level. If anything it's argument against calling production a shovelware, because popularity doesn't automatically mean quality.

Personally, I've one of such productions (bought it last year). It is small, have < 50 reviews and is short. It does not deserve being called as a shovelware, because some Kotaku "journalist" said so and Youtuber parroted after him.

[Haruspex]

Początkowo opublikowane przez Kiryn:

As for big bundles of crap. . I remember the ancient days where you could find those "400 Games for $10!" CDs at the office supply store

Hey, I liked those. Usually they were just repackaged shareware normally available for free. They were actually a big source of entertainment for teenage me without Internet access at home.

[Kiryn]

Początkowo opublikowane przez Aluvard:

Początkowo opublikowane przez Imon Spartan:

-snip-

Kotaku went with clickbait too (not to mention that, they are hardly even associated with quality journalism nowadays). Games are "barely played" but what are criteria for such statement? That not every game is played for hundreds or thousands hours?

Their criteria was clearly the Valve/limited-game thing. Because that's the statistic they quoted for the rate of "barely played". /shrug

[Aluvard]

Początkowo opublikowane przez Kiryn:

Początkowo opublikowane przez Aluvard:

Kotaku went with clickbait too (not to mention that, they are hardly even associated with quality journalism nowadays). Games are "barely played" but what are criteria for such statement? That not every game is played for hundreds or thousands hours?

Their criteria was clearly the Valve/limited-game thing. Because that's the statistic they quoted for the rate of "barely played". /shrug

So it was a Kotaku clickbait. That site (Kotaku) has become a parody of what it once was.

[Imon Spartan]

Początkowo opublikowane przez BJWyler:

So let's get back to the conversation:

Początkowo opublikowane przez BJWyler:

The thing is, with their measures, it still allows people the personal choice of what they want to buy, as it should be.

You don't like shovelware games. I don't don't like Hentai games. But I don't come to the forums discussing whether they should be sold in an online gaming store or not. People have every right to make and sell trash. Likewise people have every right to buy or ignore said trash based upon their personal preferences. The Free Market Economy will take over from there.

I don't want to be misunderstood; I understand and support that everyone has the right to buy whatever they deem appropriate, whether it's a good game or a bad game, such as the recent inclusion of erotic games. I defend this right.

But you have to understand me—every fundamental right comes with certain responsibilities, and obviously, it's not the user's responsibility what gets published on Steam beyond whether someone is foolish enough to buy this kind of game. However, it is Valve's responsibility to control, in a minimal way, with fair and balanced moderation, the products that end up reaching the end user.

There should always be some form of moderation, in all aspects of life. And setting aside the main argument about personal tastes, what you say—"a game might seem like trash to me, but it might seem like gold to someone else"—I think we all agree that there’s a minimal logic when it comes to distinguishing between the publication of a game that’s simply bad versus the publication of an outright scam.

I don't think it's a bad idea for Valve to moderate the content that ends up in their marketplace. There needs to be a minimum order, a simple benchmark.

[Nx Machina]

Początkowo opublikowane przez Imon Spartan:

The accusations of spamming are starting to really bother me. No, I didn’t post the video as if it were an absolute truth, I don’t know where you’re getting that nonsense from.

You should really remember what you post, because you placed emphasis on that YouTuber.

Początkowo opublikowane przez Imon Spartan:

but this YouTuber is actually one of the most respected figures in the Spanish-speaking community, having even won awards for his investigative videos related to the gaming industry.

Ironically you then followed up with:

Początkowo opublikowane przez Imon Spartan:

The video and the YouTuber don’t matter, they are just context;

And yet you removed that context by editing the opening post.

[Start_Running]

Początkowo opublikowane przez Imon Spartan:

Początkowo opublikowane przez BJWyler:

So let's get back to the conversation:

I don't want to be misunderstood; I understand and support that everyone has the right to buy whatever they deem appropriate, whether it's a good game or a bad game, such as the recent inclusion of erotic games. I defend this right.

But you have to understand me—every fundamental right comes with certain responsibilities, and obviously, it's not the user's responsibility what gets published on Steam beyond whether someone is foolish enough to buy this kind of game. However, it is Valve's responsibility to control, in a minimal way, with fair and balanced moderation, the products that end up reaching the end user.

That's n a lot of words to say that valve should screen out games you don't like.

Początkowo opublikowane przez Imon Spartan:

There should always be some form of moderation, in all aspects of life. And setting aside the main argument about personal tastes, what you say—"a game might seem like trash to me, but it might seem like gold to someone else"—I think we all agree that there’s a minimal logic when it comes to distinguishing between the publication of a game that’s simply bad versus the publication of an outright scam.

Yup. Scam would imply that the game advertises features that do not actually exist in game. And there's already a mechanism for dealing with that. You can refund such games and you can report such games via the storepage.

Początkowo opublikowane przez Imon Spartan:

I don't think it's a bad idea for Valve to moderate the content that ends up in their marketplace. There needs to be a minimum order, a simple benchmark.

There is.

Is it a game?
Does it have the features it advertises?
Dopes it break any laws?

if the answer to all 3 is yes, then it's good to go.

[Imon Spartan]

Początkowo opublikowane przez Nx Machina:

Początkowo opublikowane przez Imon Spartan:

The accusations of spamming are starting to really bother me. No, I didn’t post the video as if it were an absolute truth, I don’t know where you’re getting that nonsense from.

You should really remember what you post, because you placed emphasis on that YouTuber.

Początkowo opublikowane przez Imon Spartan:

but this YouTuber is actually one of the most respected figures in the Spanish-speaking community, having even won awards for his investigative videos related to the gaming industry.

Ironically you then followed up with:

Początkowo opublikowane przez Imon Spartan:

The video and the YouTuber don’t matter, they are just context;

And yet you removed that context by editing the opening post.

I included this video as an initial context to explain the origin of the investigation. I emphasized that it’s not a YouTuber looking for clickbait but someone who puts effort into their videos. I tried to explain that the important part of my topic isn’t the video that the video doesn’t matter for my question or my inquiry to the community.

And yet, despite all of this, people are incapable of understanding me and keep insisting on the nonsense about giving views to a Spanish channel in a place where the majority of people only speak English. So, as is understandable and because I don’t want to be accused of spamming, I deleted it.

Anything unclear?

[Nx Machina]

Początkowo opublikowane przez Imon Spartan:

I included this video as an initial context to explain the origin of the investigation.

And placed emphasis on it and the YouTuber as though it was gospel.

Początkowo opublikowane przez Imon Spartan:

but this YouTuber is actually one of the most respected figures in the Spanish-speaking community, having even won awards for his investigative videos related to the gaming industry.

Not gospel? And yet ironically you argue it is not clickbait.

[Imon Spartan]

Początkowo opublikowane przez Start_Running:

That's n a lot of words to say that valve should screen out games you don't like.

You talk as if I were advocating for the censorship of game publications, when in reality, it's simply about having a basic quality control. Not long ago, this platform had a feature called Steam Greenlight, which in some way provided the quality control I’m referring to. Maybe it wasn’t the best solution, and perhaps a few deserving games were lost in the process, but it existed.

I don’t see what the drama or issue is. Personally, if instead of 40,000 games being released per year, only 10,000 were published, I would see it as a healthy change allowing each game released to have a better chance of receiving the attention it deserves.

I don’t think I’m saying anything absurd. I just have the personal opinion that a basic quality control system would benefit both the games being published and the platform as a whole.

[Imon Spartan]

Początkowo opublikowane przez Nx Machina:

Początkowo opublikowane przez Imon Spartan:

I included this video as an initial context to explain the origin of the investigation.

And placed emphasis on it and the YouTuber as though it was gospel.

Początkowo opublikowane przez Imon Spartan:

but this YouTuber is actually one of the most respected figures in the Spanish-speaking community, having even won awards for his investigative videos related to the gaming industry.

Not gospel? And yet ironically you argue it is not clickbait.

In Spain, we have two sayings for this type of redundant conversation we’re having: “Tener una conversación de besugos” and “Darle la razón como a los tontos.” Seeing as it’s turning into the former, I’d rather apply the latter.

[BJWyler]

Początkowo opublikowane przez Aluvard:

Początkowo opublikowane przez Kiryn:

Their criteria was clearly the Valve/limited-game thing. Because that's the statistic they quoted for the rate of "barely played". /shrug

So it was a Kotaku clickbait. That site (Kotaku) has become a parody of what it once was.

To be honest, most gaming journalism jumped the shark with their "Gamers are Dead" collusion pieces. There's only one or two sites I actually follow for worthy information now.

Początkowo opublikowane przez Imon Spartan:

Początkowo opublikowane przez BJWyler:

So let's get back to the conversation:

I don't want to be misunderstood; I understand and support that everyone has the right to buy whatever they deem appropriate, whether it's a good game or a bad game, such as the recent inclusion of erotic games. I defend this right.

But you have to understand me—every fundamental right comes with certain responsibilities, and obviously, it's not the user's responsibility what gets published on Steam beyond whether someone is foolish enough to buy this kind of game. However, it is Valve's responsibility to control, in a minimal way, with fair and balanced moderation, the products that end up reaching the end user.

That's a hard disagree. That, again, is someone making the determination of what type of art someone else is allowed to be exposed to. Whether you do it, or whether Valve does it, it makes no difference. The only curation that needs to happen is in regards to legal boundaries, which most certainly happens. Valve even goes beyond that and will kick devs off their platform if they egregiously violate the TOS of the platform. There is no way to be fair and balanced in a subjective medium like gaming - just look at the complaints from the anime/hentai crowd on what games get blocked from Steam or categorized as adult only.

Początkowo opublikowane przez Imon Spartan:

There should always be some form of moderation, in all aspects of life.

Certainly I agree in that regard. But I am also a big proponent of personal responsibility. No society can exist without limits on what people to hold as core freedoms. That's just a fact of human nature, but one of those core facets is the belief that one should be able to make decisions for oneself in terms of what type of things they expose themselves to. Of course some things may have to be more restricted for practical purposes, such as affects on one's own well being. But when it comes to consumption of art and subjective entertainment, certainly there can, and should be, less restrictions and no one should dictate what art another person may be exposed to (within legality).

Początkowo opublikowane przez Imon Spartan:

And setting aside the main argument about personal tastes, what you say—"a game might seem like trash to me, but it might seem like gold to someone else"—I think we all agree that there’s a minimal logic when it comes to distinguishing between the publication of a game that’s simply bad versus the publication of an outright scam.

Of course there is. One is subjective. The other, presumably, violates laws or regulations. And again, in the case of the latter, Valve takes action against those games. But thousands of games are released every year on gaming platforms, and no platform has the capacity to curate every single one of those games to make a determination on if it violates a law or not. That's where the report feature comes in.

But as I am fond of saying, just remember, what you think might be a scam, might actually not be a scam in terms of the law, or the Steam TOS.

Początkowo opublikowane przez Imon Spartan:

I don't think it's a bad idea for Valve to moderate the content that ends up in their marketplace. There needs to be a minimum order, a simple benchmark.

And who is going to determine that? Should it be me? If that's the case, then Hentai games don't meet the minimum requirements, and should be removed from the store. See, where this is going? What if my bar is that no game with the name Warhammer in it is allowed on the store? Valve does moderate the content that they allow to be sold on their platform, but they do it in such a way that does not limit the choice of art one can expose oneself to or purchase, as crappy as some of that art may be. No system will be perfect by any means, but what you want is already in place. You just seem to not want to accept the fact that that means stuff you don't approve of has as much right to be sold as the stuff you approve of.