Block/Hide Developers and Publishers.

[Creenshaw]

Please allow steam users to block or hide publishers and developers so that we can more easily browse through games we're interested in purchasing.

[MrL0G1C]

+1
There are some bad eggs (asset flippers etc) in the store, no reason why we should have to see their trash in searches etc.

[Meneluma]

I'd like this for hiding the AAA publishers which were caught doing unethical things.

[cinedine]

Wishmaker_Latias a écrit :

I'd like this for hiding the AAA publishers which were caught doing unethical things.

Name that hasn't. Just one.

[Meneluma]

cinedine a écrit :

Wishmaker_Latias a écrit :

I'd like this for hiding the AAA publishers which were caught doing unethical things.

Name that hasn't. Just one.

I should've categorized a little more.
Sure everyone does some bad stuff in one way or another, western ones do loot boxes, japanese do it with bad DLC practices e.g. Fire Emblem Echoes
But I meant more like the ones that use spyware and sell your data to third parties, those that blatantly go against what they promised in detail on record, etc.

For the others you can do game by game research, for stuff like spyware just ignore altogether.

[cSg|mc-Hotsauce]

Which ones use spyware to sell your data?

You should post the links or something. You brought it up but did not back it up.

[Meneluma]

Who's behind Civ 6, the reviews show it.
Most of the negative ones are about spyware and data handling.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/289070/Sid_Meiers_Civilization_VI/
Go have a look, I'm not getting anywhere near them after seeing this.

[cSg|mc-Hotsauce]

Oh... The Redshell stuff. That is all you needed to say.

[TheStoryteller01]

I thought we can that already?

[cSg|mc-Hotsauce]

TheStoryteller01 a écrit :

I thought we can that already?

Curators, sure.

[cinedine]

Wishmaker_Latias a écrit :

cinedine a écrit :

Name that hasn't. Just one.

I should've categorized a little more.
Sure everyone does some bad stuff in one way or another, western ones do loot boxes, japanese do it with bad DLC practices e.g. Fire Emblem Echoes
But I meant more like the ones that use spyware and sell your data to third parties, those that blatantly go against what they promised in detail on record, etc.

For the others you can do game by game research, for stuff like spyware just ignore altogether.

Again: name just one. If you indeed consider Redshell spyware there is none. Every bigger developer(! not publisher) uses tracking tools. How do you think statistics like "35 % of users saved this totally useless NPC in their first run" or balancing is done? They don't go by the amount of whiny forum posts for the later.

[Meneluma]

cinedine a écrit :

Again: name just one. If you indeed consider Redshell spyware there is none. Every bigger developer(! not publisher) uses tracking tools. How do you think statistics like "35 % of users saved this totally useless NPC in their first run" or balancing is done? They don't go by the amount of whiny forum posts for the later.

Most of the backlash on Civ 6 was actually about the "...to countries with looser data security laws" part, something their grand strategy rival so to say Paradox Interactive does a little better in my eyes since they said that they would send it only to places of equal security to the country they are based in.

Really it is not to me you should try writing off something as not a big deal, there's in fact a whole thread about redshell on this very subforum.
And if you have a deathwish go to the forums of some games that have Denuvo and try to write that off as not a big deal, you will notice for some people that word alone is akin to the drums of war.

Editing my post by adding the text following this part to provide reference material regarding my first paragraph. I really didn't feel like sifting through EULAs at 12 PM yesterday. Our argument might be over, but in case someone stumbles on that post of mine searching for RedShell stuff they can read it in full detail.
Thank you for a fun debate cinedine, you made me enjoy reading some EULAs again, that's really quite something...

https://legal.paradoxplaza.com/privacy?locale=en

8. WHO DO WE SHARE YOUR INFORMATION WITH?
To be able to provide you with the Services and the best possible experience, we will share your data with other companies and organisations. We will only do so if our partners can provide the same level of security to keep your data safe as implemented by us and if our partners can ensure that they comply with applicable laws and privacy regulations.

All of their EULAs pretty much establish the whole we are in Sweden and go by their laws thing, and this is an example of being true to their original EULA, so the reaction to using data collection for Paradox wasn't nearly as bad.
https://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum/index.php?threads/section-5-of-the-new-eula-of-2-6.964673/
I didn't find any traces of negative review spikes for their games at around that timeframe for that specific reason.

One other big thing that may drive people nuts with the RedShell thing is that it is not a custom built thing from the studio's in house team, but instead bought from a third party which can monitor the data flow between you and the publisher, copy it and then who knows what they can do with it.

[cinedine]

Wishmaker_Latias a écrit :

And if you have a deathwish go to the forums of some games that have Denuvo and try to write that off as not a big deal, you will notice for some people that word alone is akin to the drums of war.

I already voiced my opinion on Denuvo. And guess what: it's not a big deal. WEll, as long as the implementation is not entirely ♥♥♥♥♥♥ up and the service calls home like 10,000 times a second.
Else it is not noticable by a legal customer and prevents ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ DRM measures like non-resettable activation limites, always online, or - god help - StarForce and every other DRM back then that actively prevented you from starting your game if you "bad" software installed.
I also think it is ridiculous to complain about DRM on a freaking DRM service.

Anyway, exactly this outrage culture is why it will probably never implemented. Why bother with Steam if half the user base blacklists you because a developer that parted ways with your company tweeted that he doesn't like cat picutres on the internet? HOW DARE HE!!!

And the fact people than complain that game XY is not on Steam and buy it elsewhere. Just because they blacklisted the developer four years ago.

[Crashed]

cSg|mc-Hotsauce a écrit :

Oh... The Redshell stuff. That is all you needed to say.

:qr:

I wonder if Redshell's logo is a violation of Nintendo's rights, as it looks like a red Koopa shell?

[Gus the Crocodile]

cinedine a écrit :

Again: name just one. If you indeed consider Redshell spyware there is none.

So what though? You say that like it highlights some sort of inconsistency, but if someone wants a feature to let them stop seeing products by companies engaging in unethical practices, and that turns out to mean all the big publishers, then they can use it for all the big publishers. That’s okay. Even taken together, EA, Activision etc produce a small fraction of PC games.

cinedine a écrit :

Anyway, exactly this outrage culture is why it will probably never implemented. Why bother with Steam if half the user base blacklists you because a developer that parted ways with your company tweeted that he doesn't like cat picutres on the internet? HOW DARE HE!!!

”Why bother with Steam if I can invent a hypothetical scenario that sounds bad but isn’t based in reality” is a nonsense argument.

[cinedine]

King of Pain a écrit :

cinedine a écrit :

Name that hasn't. Just one.

What about say CD Projekt?

Never heard anything bad about them.

Same "fake graphics" complains as Watch Dogs received. Might have been overblown and certainly not of the same level.

Okay, that was just an appetizer. ;)

Booster packs ("kegs") in Gwent are still lootboxes with every caveat to be applied. One card comes at more than one dollar, even if bought in the "best price" offer (60 kegs * 5 cards ~ USD 75, numbers might have changed since beta, though).

They tried to trademark "Cyberpunk" for games. Which is basically the same move as trademarking "Scrolls" by Zenimax/Bethesda.
https://www.polygon.com/2017/4/6/15208078/cyberpunk-2077-trademark-vs-copyright

Sending letters to people who allegedly pirated The Witcher 1 and 2 with legal fines up to EUR 1,000 to prevent a lawsuit.
https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2012-01-12-cd-projekt-red-to-immediately-cease-threatening-alleged-witcher-2-pirates

And the usual crunchtime and "hate it or leave it" attitude that is ongoing in the games industry.
https://www.polygon.com/2017/10/16/16481736/cd-projekt-red-reviews-glassdoor-open-letter
(Note the wording in the quoted reply. Not denying anything and very telling.)

... so yeah, they are just like any other studio. (And of course they too have a telemetry engine running within Witcher 3. Again: every bigger developer has. Even freaking Unity supports it.)