Valve changes Steam game art rules

pcgamesinsider.biz:

There are now new rules in place on Steam governing what developers and publishers are allowed to have in their graphical assets.

In a post on the Steamworks site, Valve is now saying that creators should not have any award logo, review scores or discount banners in their game's key art. There also shouldn't be any text save for a release's name and – if necessary – subtitle.

Developers and publishers have about a month to get their house in order as these new rules come into effect on September 1st.

"It's our goal to make it as clear and straightforward as possible for customers to find games to buy and play on Steam," Valve wrote.

"Recently, we've noticed more text, award logos, and even review scores being included by game developers in their graphical asset images. This made us realize our guidelines haven't been as clear as they should be. As a result of not having clearly-defined rules, we've seen additions to graphical assets that are creating a confusing and sometimes even inaccurate experience for customers."

"We understand that developers want to communicate with their players about the quality of their games, and Steam already has spaces on game store pages to present most of this information. Press review quotes, press review scores, and special awards each have dedicated spaces on Steam store pages where it can be presented consistently and where customers can expect to find that information."