In an effort to streamline the browsing experience for users, Valve has announced new guidelines for game developers on Steam, set to take effect in early September. These rules are designed to address the increasing issue of store page descriptions being cluttered with promotional links to other games and websites.
Starting in September, developers will no longer be allowed to include links to external websites or other Steam game listings in most sections of their game’s store page descriptions. Additionally, embedded images that mimic parts of the Steam interface, such as animated GIFs of cursors clicking wishlist buttons, will also be prohibited.
Valve outlined these changes in a recent Steamworks blog post, expressing concern that many store pages had essentially become advertisements for other Steam pages. This can be confusing for users who visit a game’s store page intending to learn more about the game itself, only to be confronted with links and banners promoting the publisher’s other products. Valve suggested that developers use bundles, franchises, or developer homepages to promote related products instead.
These new rules come on the heels of updates made in July, aimed at refining how demos are presented on Steam. The July changes allowed developers to create dedicated store pages for demos without incurring additional listing fees, clearly indicating to users when they are viewing a demo. The forthcoming restrictions on store page links are expected to further mitigate the recent “prologue game” trend, where demos are released as separate game listings to boost visibility.
Valve emphasized that they are not banning the use of the term “Prologue” in product names. However, they encourage developers to use demos as a more effective way to build an audience and direct players to their full games.
Importantly, developers will not face penalties for failing to remove links from their pages. When the new rules are implemented in September, Valve plans to release a Steam update that will automatically detect and hide unauthorized links in the relevant sections.
By refining these guidelines, Valve aims to enhance the user experience on Steam, making it easier for gamers to find and learn about new titles without unnecessary distractions.
