Valve’s storefront has a reputation for its uniquely permissible publishing requirements, which is a different way of saying that the PC platform sure has a lot of adult games. But things might be about to change for prospective games with sexual content on Steam based on a confluence of recent incidents involving rules, payment processors, and game takedowns.
As highlighted by SteamDB, an account that chronicles all things Valve, Steam’s onboarding process for game developers has been adjusted to outline a new type of prohibited content for the platform — but it’s a confusing one. Content that violates “the rules and standards set forth by Steam’s payment processors and
related card networks and banks, or internet network providers,“ aren’t allowed now, and special attention is being paid to adult games that may infringe on this regulation.
The ostensible issue is two-fold. One, Valve isn’t giving real specifics to game developers, and vague rules may be difficult to adhere. The second problem is that this means that Valve is abdicating its role in deciding what is or isn’t restricted on the platform to a totally different entity with a specific set of moral judgments.
This tweak to the onboarding process coincides with another happening, where a slate of about 22 adult games have been pulled from the platform. It’s possible that many of these titles did not meet quality standards based on the viewable thumbnails. But most of the affected titles have one thing in common: they include incest.
Valve did not immediately respond to a request for comment or clarification on the changes, but historically, payment processors like Visa, MasterCard and PayPal have proven squeamish when it comes to sexual content. Platforms that do things like sell erotic stories or sexual services, or otherwise host adult media, have faced issues with payment processors who deem this type of content as obscene. In some instances, payment processors say that their guidance is an effort to prevent illegal material, like content that may depict non-consensual acts. Payment processors also make room for educational sex content.
But in practice, payment processors tamp down on things for being sexual, period, regardless of the context or legality. It’s an ongoing tension that’s affected pretty much every corner of the internet, and most entities acquiesce because it’s pretty difficult to run a business where money cannot exchange hands. Another complicating factor is the reality that content-based rules like this are enforced more heavily in adult games, whereas big budget titles that depict sex don’t face similar pressures.
In this case, the affected games may depict something that is objectionable for most audiences — but without additional clarity, it will be difficult to gauge whether or not the rule will be enforced fairly.