There's a lot of places where developers can have their game logo across Steam, and some developers have been going pretty overboard with noisy images filled with extras. Valve is putting a stop to it.
Announced in a Steamworks blog post Valve mentioned how they've "noticed more text, award logos, and even review scores being included by game developers in their graphical asset images" and that "some game logos themselves have become so small that it's hard for players to tell what the name of the game is" resulting in various graphical assets that are so noisy they're "distracting and hard to read". They also noted in most cases it's all in English too "isolating much of the Steam audience that doesn't speak English".
Hard to really argue with that, as a Steam customer it has become something of a nuisance. The example they included shows a small part of the issue:
There's plenty that did it far worse than their funny example images, but obviously Valve doesn't want to call out developers directly.
New rules come into effect on September 1st, with these clarifications:
There are a few little exceptions of course, like adjusting the images to tastefully note the latest update which is never really a problem. Valve added a special bit for developers to override an image for one month.
Some developers aren't happy about it though, as it has been another small way to perhaps pull in a bit more attention, with images that have awards some Steam customers might be more likely to click and take a look. I get that developers want to do a little showing off but quite a number really took it too far and Steam has dedicated parts of store pages to list awards and other things.
In other Steam news, Valve has increased production of the Steam Deck!
Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
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Finally! I wish it could be done with movie covers/posters too :P
8 Likes, Who?
soulsource Aug 1, 2022
I want to play those fake example games soooo much. Someone really needs to make the Custard Castle: Small Claims Court.
10 Likes, Who?
I want to play those fake example games soooo much. Someone really needs to make the Custard Castle: Small Claims Court.
I just wanted to google for "It's probably fine"
2 Likes, Who?
Finally! Game thumbnails with titles that are too small to read don't make me want to click through to learn more. 
Also, +1 for Custard Castle: Small Claims Court - I would play that for sure.
Also, +1 for Custard Castle: Small Claims Court - I would play that for sure.
1 Likes, Who?
Nice. Not the worst abuse I've seen though. That honour goes to the dev that renamed their games to prefix them with !" in order to get sorted on top.
7 Likes, Who?
soulsource Aug 1, 2022
Ultra-short design pitch for "It's probably fine":
You play a notoriously bad driver who has been hired to do deliveries by car. What the character does not know though is that the delivery business is just a dummy company for a car repair workshop, and that the driver's real job is to cause small accidents, bringing more customers for the repair shop. Your job as the player is to guide the notoriously bad driver through the city, and you need to drive bad enough to cause actual damage (repair costs are your score), but not so bad that your character can't decept themself into thinking "it's probably fine" and continue their "important delivery" without stopping.
Once the driver starts to actually doubt that it's probably fine, your turn is over, and your score gets counted.
You play a notoriously bad driver who has been hired to do deliveries by car. What the character does not know though is that the delivery business is just a dummy company for a car repair workshop, and that the driver's real job is to cause small accidents, bringing more customers for the repair shop. Your job as the player is to guide the notoriously bad driver through the city, and you need to drive bad enough to cause actual damage (repair costs are your score), but not so bad that your character can't decept themself into thinking "it's probably fine" and continue their "important delivery" without stopping.
Once the driver starts to actually doubt that it's probably fine, your turn is over, and your score gets counted.
10 Likes, Who?
Ultra-short design pitch for "It's probably fine":I'd play it!
You play a notoriously bad driver who has been hired to do deliveries by car. What the character does not know though is that the delivery business is just a dummy company for a car repair workshop, and that the driver's real job is to cause small accidents, bringing more customers for the repair shop. Your job as the player is to guide the notoriously bad driver through the city, and you need to drive bad enough to cause actual damage (repair costs are your score), but not so bad that your character can't decept themself into thinking "it's probably fine" and continue their "important delivery" without stopping.
Once the driver starts to actually doubt that it's probably fine, your turn is over, and your score gets counted.
0 Likes
"No text or imagery promoting a different product. This includes no marketing of sequels or other titles in the same franchise"
chapter 2 count as marketing of sequels?
chapter 2 count as marketing of sequels?
1 Likes, Who?
ElamanOpiskelija Aug 1, 2022
Ultra-short design pitch for "It's probably fine":I'd play it!
You play a notoriously bad driver who has been hired to do deliveries by car. What the character does not know though is that the delivery business is just a dummy company for a car repair workshop, and that the driver's real job is to cause small accidents, bringing more customers for the repair shop. Your job as the player is to guide the notoriously bad driver through the city, and you need to drive bad enough to cause actual damage (repair costs are your score), but not so bad that your character can't decept themself into thinking "it's probably fine" and continue their "important delivery" without stopping.
Once the driver starts to actually doubt that it's probably fine, your turn is over, and your score gets counted.
These all were part of the Summer Sale riddles. I don't remember the pitches but they were all quite good. Anyway, the clue for that one was:
No actions to take or choices to make. This passive adventure prefers that you wait.
3 Likes, Who?
StalePopcorn Aug 1, 2022
Finally! I wish it could be done with movie covers/posters too :PI think you hit the nail on the head in explaining why I ignore that approach to marketing and wait for (non-IGN) reviews. I can see where many take advantage of Steam, until now, allowing a laissez-faire attitude to include such marketing.
That being said, kudos to Steam in defense of the consumers.
1 Likes, Who?
No text or imagery promoting a different product. This includes no marketing of sequels or other titles in the same franchiseNot sure how I feel about that one, tbh.
At least for sequels/DLC I don't see why that would be so bad.
All things in moderation, of course.
1 Likes, Who?
MisterPaytwick Aug 1, 2022
I think you hit the nail on the head in explaining why I ignore that approach to marketing and wait for (non-IGN) reviews.
I may sound jaded as hell, but until specific reviewers (ie Sseth / Mandalore) give me a good idea of what a game is about, I tend to actively take those awards and all that as reasons to _not_ pick the game.
The note on movie posters is very on the nose with the "By the producer of X", well fuck me sideway if it means quality, producers could throw money at a steaming pile of shit if it was printing greenbacks with enough marketing, and a good enough RoI. In a way, it's pretty much the same thing here. And before we have people going around BAFTA (for example), we got to keep in mind how many AAA games get those rewards, and such.
They aren't bad because of it, but it used to actually point out to something, but when there is so many awards and shit, it doesn't mean anything anymore...
And for movies, I'll even point out an example I love to use for this:
Spoiler, click me
Man Bites Dog is a 1992 belgian movie following a killer named Ben. Awards wise? It flex on lots of movie, but this isn't why one should see it. The themes, the shots, the buildup to the climax. It's extremely well made, but the awards don't explain that, they may support someone claiming they are good, but they aren't anything but that. (nor that it's a student movie). Beware, it's a brutal movie.
5 Likes, Who?
"No text or imagery promoting a different product. This includes no marketing of sequels or other titles in the same franchise"
chapter 2 count as marketing of sequels?
That probably falls under the "tasteful exceptions" described in the article:
There are a few little exceptions of course, like adjusting the images to tastefully note the latest update which is never really a problem.
Just make sure "chapter 2" is only on marketing material specifically for "chapter 2", and not, for example, on "chapter 1"
1 Likes, Who?
All in all, I suspect most developers will end up just as happy. I mean, it's kind of an arms race--if everyone else is doing it you maybe feel like you have to do it to keep up, but if nobody can do it you can relax.
2 Likes, Who?
At least for sequels/DLC I don't see why that would be so bad.Binding of Isaac: Repentance anyone? (know that's a Linux-only case, but it was still a dick move)
Last edited by namiko on 1 August 2022 at 10:09 pm UTC
0 Likes
Seeing review scores on game covers doesnt make me want to play the game more...... Scores dont mean much anyway since everyone has a different opinion on what the scores means...... To me 7/10 is good but to others 7/10 is mediocre, which to me mediocre would be 5/10....... I would like to see review scores abolished across the board......
1 Likes, Who?
Comandante Ñoñardo Aug 1, 2022
I think is a good idea, but don't remove "from the creators of...."
0 Likes
These all were part of the Summer Sale riddles.Yeah, I remember them, haha.
I still wish that they'd actually make them.
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