News doing the rounds at the moment, is that Valve seem to be tightening their rules concerning games with sexual content.
Here's developer Lupiesoft as an example, who made Mutiny!!, a visual novel with puzzle mini-games, ship combat and it even supports Linux:
We've just received some troubling news today that @steam_games has decided to pull down our titled "Mutiny!!" within 2 weeks for 'reports of pornographic content'. Now those of you who know @Lupiesoft know that we don't put that on Steam, or advertise that content on Steam.
— Lupiesoft (@Lupiesoft) May 18, 2018
The developer continued on from this tweet, to mention that their publisher even met with Valve previously and apparently they didn't have a problem then.
Here's another example from developer HuniePot, who made HuniePop which also supports Linux:
- IMPORTANT NOTICE -
— HunieDev (@HuniePotDev) May 17, 2018
I've received an e-mail from Valve stating that HuniePop violates the rules & guidelines for pornographic content on Steam and will be removed from the store unless the game is updated to remove said content.
Honestly, I don't really get what Valve's doing. There must be some ridiculous business-type decision behind it. Perhaps they think such games are putting off some bigger publishers, as if somehow they think it makes Steam look less attractive? I do always find this odd, that content of a sexual nature is so often frowned upon, when games where you brutally murder people for 90% of the gameplay are often promoted by Valve.
Worth point out, that itch.io is a rather open store, as I understand it developers themselves set the amount they wish to give to itch out of their sales (even if it's nothing) and they even have an open source client which is due a big upgrade soon. As much as I personally like Steam (it is my favourite store), I do wish more games were available on itch.io. Competition is healthy, the bigger players need it to keep them on the straight and narrow and we all know this.
https://endsexualexploitation.org/articles/steam-announces-release-new-app-makes-easier-access-exploitative-content/
sudo apt --purge remove steam
Quoting: GustyGhostsudo apt --purge remove steam
If it's true that the reason is they have been distributing content that they now have learned is sexualizing minors, I'm sure they would prefer to loose a little business than loose millions of dollars in a lawsuit and the incredible PR smear campaign that it would bring against their name & brand.
Am I correct in noticing that the Shakira series is not under threat of removal? If so, I would say the developers under question have deliberately created content with the intent of passing it off as something it's not -- in their own words they say that the girls in the content in question are 30-years-old when they look 12 - 15 at most.
I also notice that they are hiding behind trending activism by identifying themselves as a "queer studio", as if they are the victims of some incredible injustice and aren't using commonly-validated underage cartoons with the intent of profit. It's a racket for sure.
Last edited by ElectricPrism on 18 May 2018 at 8:41 pm UTC
Quoting: ElectricPrismAccording to other articles on the web, some of the images in the game, though cartoon have girls that appear to be underage. Underage sex, consensual or not is in most places still illegal.
Oh give me a break. They are cartoons. They can appear to be anything. They are not real. They cannot consent to anything, and you cannot hurt them. They are figments of somebodys imagination.
Nobody is promoting underage sex here. It's all about somebodys subjective perception of what age the cartoon character looks like. You cannot with a straight face say that you can tell the difference between a cartoon depiction of a 16-year old, and a 25-year old.
Quoting: LinasQuoting: ElectricPrismAccording to other articles on the web, some of the images in the game, though cartoon have girls that appear to be underage. Underage sex, consensual or not is in most places still illegal.
Oh give me a break. They are cartoons. They can appear to be anything. They are not real. They cannot consent to anything, and you cannot hurt them. They are figments of somebodys imagination.
Nobody is promoting underage sex here. It's all about somebodys subjective perception of what age the cartoon character looks like. You cannot with a straight face say that you can tell the difference between a cartoon depiction of a 16-year old, and a 25-year old.
That's your opinion.
My opinion is that yes there is content in the game that looks like the characters represent girls under the age of 18.
Here is a link to the art in question -- a topless girl (censor blurred out)
Here's a poll I made if people would like share their opinion so we could determine what the community thinks.
Quoting: GuestIt reads like satire.
Yeah, but they're serious. These people frighten me. I hope they don't have children.
HuniePop is on sale at Humble.
Quoting: LinasYou cannot with a straight face say that you can tell the difference between a cartoon depiction of a 16-year old, and a 25-year old.This.
See more from me