"Valve is damned if it does, damned if it doesn't"
As you have no doubt seen, Valve has opted to change the way it approaches content. Where before, every game on Steam - surprisingly - underwent some degree of human curation.
Now, the company is opening up its platform to any and all content; something that has caused a massive divide in the games community. We've spoken to members of the development and publishing sectors to see how they feel about these changes - most of these sources are anonymous to protect their careers.
One anonymous developer relations rep from an indie publisher says that the only way that Valve can get away with this is due to the sheer power the company holds.
"If this was any other store, there would be an outcry from the people that do not want a part of their earnings to help fund a place where racist games are now given a free pass," they say.
"Unfortunately, Valve holds an incredible amount of power over the games industry, and angering them can literally mean the death of your studio."
They continue: "This is another way for Valve to earn money, this time by selling games that promote racism and extreme violence. That is not the kind of company I want to work with, but I have to."
Other criticism is with regards to the rather vague language used to describe how it will be policing content. Games with 'illegal' or 'trolling' content will get the axe, but what does that mean?
"Whilst I appreciate all art having a platform to be shown, Valve's terms “not trolling” or “illegal” are very vague," an anonymous indie developer told PCGamesInsider.biz.
"For example, homosexuality is illegal in some countries. Their post reads like a blog post from a start-up company."
Meanwhile, Thomas Bidaux of Ico Partners says ultimately he is disappointed
Read more on pcgamesinsider.biz
