Did steam change it's ToS stance on WEB3, Generative AI, Block Chain Tech, Crypto and/or NFTs recently?

[Vental]

I swear back in 2021 they made a policy update somewhere (struggling to find where) that made it not allowed in games on the platform. But out of no where, I'm seeing games popping up that use pretty much all of these things.

I'm just curious if something changed, or if this is a mistake. I'm not even seeing a required disclosure on the web3 stuff on store pages.

[BJWyler]

Nope. It has not changed. If you see it, report it. Just remember that devs can list a stripped out version of the game on Steam and sell a crypto version elsewhere.

[Vental]

Originally posted by BJWyler:

Nope. It has not changed. If you see it, report it. Just remember that devs can list a stripped out version of the game on Steam and sell a crypto version elsewhere.

I don't see how those 2 statements aren't mutually inclusive. To me that's like saying you can't have game design here but you can have game design there where game design is what the game is built around. I personally lack the imagination on how a game can 1000% strip out part of it's foundational infrastructure in totality.

[Chika Ogiue]

Originally posted by Vental:

I personally lack the imagination on how a game can 1000% strip out part of it's foundational infrastructure in totality.

Look at adult games with content Valve personally don't like. They release a stripped down version on Steam. One of the silliest examples is Nukitashi. The Steam approved version of the game has a read time of 2 hours. The full version has over 40 hours of content.

With a crypto/blockchain game, a Steam approved version would remove all crypto/blockchain reliance either by altering its content to not use it or stripping out all the content that does use it.

[76561199519988851]

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[Vental]

Originally posted by Chika Ogiue:

Look at adult games with content Valve personally don't like. They release a stripped down version on Steam. One of the silliest examples is Nukitashi. The Steam approved version of the game has a read time of 2 hours. The full version has over 40 hours of content.

With a crypto/blockchain game, a Steam approved version would remove all crypto/blockchain reliance either by altering its content to not use it or stripping out all the content that does use it.

I get what your saying but what you are failing to address is those aren't comparable. You are comparing an "asset" to actual game design elements.

How does this work for online extraction shooters where the loot is the blockchain asset? You can't remove the loot because that's the core to the gameplay. You can't remove the purchasability from it cause that just gives players on other platforms a competitive advantage, which goes against steams compete clauses.

I'm not talking about something superficial like "assets". I'm talking about stuff thats baked into the fundamental game design; balance and structure. You can't just "censor" structure. If it can just be "censored out" then what you are referring to is something superficial and not what I am referring to, hence why I struggle to imagine it in the first place.

[C²C^Guyver |NZB|]

Originally posted by Vental:

I swear back in 2021 they made a policy update somewhere (struggling to find where) that made it not allowed in games on the platform. But out of no where, I'm seeing games popping up that use pretty much all of these things.

I'm just curious if something changed, or if this is a mistake. I'm not even seeing a required disclosure on the web3 stuff on store pages.

Adult games were made allowed on Steam in 2018

[Phénomènes Mystiques]

Generative AI can be used but it must be declared to Valve and stated on the game's hosting/landing page.

[Ben Lubar]

Here's the official list of what games are not allowed to have in them on Steam: https://partner.steamgames.com/doc/gettingstarted/onboarding#5

You are correct that blockchain and cryptocurrency are on that list.

However, a game can be about cryptocurrency or include fictional cryptocurrencies without violating that rule. Stardeus has cryptocurrency mining as a late game mechanic. At least one of the Two Point games advertises a fictional cryptocurrency in a radio broadcast.

[Vental]

Originally posted by Ben Lubar:

However, a game can be about cryptocurrency or include fictional cryptocurrencies without violating that rule. Stardeus has cryptocurrency mining as a late game mechanic. At least one of the Two Point games advertises a fictional cryptocurrency in a radio broadcast.

I was not referring to depiction of such things in a fictional sense, I'm talking about the actual technology of it being implemented within the games design, as showcased with my last reply to Chika Ogiue. The exact game I was referencing in that comment was Off the Grid. If you read the reviews, it doesn't seem like any of the banned material is fully removed from the game. The game has been on epic game store for a good long while and epic forces publishers to disclose those aspects about games that use them. And while such transparency isn't being directly mentioned on the steam page, on their epic store page[store.epicgames.com] you can see the details way more clearly.

I'm not sure what is going on here and am not educated enough on the topic, but if this IS against the Steam Distribution Agreement, then please report it on my behalf. I'm just very confused on what is going on here.

[Chika Ogiue]

Originally posted by Vental:

I get what your saying but what you are failing to address is those aren't comparable. You are comparing an "asset" to actual game design elements.

They're totally comparable. It's more than just assets that are removed from some of these games. One of the Mary Skelter games, for example, had to have an entire minigame removed. The point is, if developers want to sell these games on Steam, they will find a way to comply with Valve's requirements.

Originally posted by Vental:

then please report it on my behalf. I'm just very confused on what is going on here.

You're the one who thinks Steam's rules are being ignored, so you're the one who needs to report it. It doesn't matter if you're right or not. Valve will decide when they review your report.

Thanks for the points. It's always nice when someone tells the world they can't handle a fact =D

[D. Flame]

They changed their stance on AI but not the others