Removal from Steam

[h2]Why I decided to publish on Steam[/h2][p]Steam offers a unique suite of tools to distribute games without worrying about the financial or technical aspects of shipping a game, plus a workshop where users can share their unique creations and achievements, artworks, screenshots shareable across the platform. In my case, it has also offered me some publicity, i.e the possibility to have a community without advertising. I feel grateful.[/p][p]Making games is not my job, however I have learnt immensely about software by shipping to thousands of users and it's been a pleasure to express my creativity and provide regular updates.[/p][h2]
Lack of standards[/h2][p]Anyone can publish on Steam. This means tens of thousands of rubbish products appear every new year - and anyone who joins the platform is treated equally with them.[/p][p]Historically, engines and asset stores already enabled many to create fake products. In the age of AI, no evidence remains that any effort went behind a new game.[/p][h2]
Porn and unethical games[/h2][p]The most blatant example are the adult games actively promoted by the platform. Steam has stubbornly refused to remove games related to harm and incest until payment processors like Visa and Mastercard courageously stepped in and froze their accounts, despite having no financial interest to censor the platform. The UK government also courageously stepped with its Online Safety Act, encouraging them to restrict sensitive purchases behind a credit card, however Steam has chosen the rogue path and the same games continue to be distributed to minors through retail keys.
[/p][p][/p][p]Steam is very clear that it now has no interest in ethics, effectively tainting its partners while it maintains its interest in its 30% share - nearly half of the money.[/p][p]Why are ethics important? As long as humans have existed, we have lived in a world that has always been filled with violence, war, denying each's other rights, minorities rights, destruction of animals and the environment, including sexual violence, today promoting global leaders such as Tr*mp or Put*n or local ones who have also committed the same violence both in their public and private life. While God is the obvious remedy against the wicked, they sometimes sleep on the job and artists and the platforms not only have a right to say in what is right or wrong but also they show what they are worth when they do so or not.[/p][h2]
Scammers[/h2][p]There is no oversight. This means:[/p]

• [p]Anyone can create a fake product and list it for $200.[/p]
• [p]Anyone can generate keys to create scams and generate unfair competition with Steam prices. In the case of Humble Bundle, it was used to support charity. In case of DailyIndieGame, G2A, Eneba, Kinguin, there is no legitimate use other than harming Steam and developers.[/p]
• [p]Anyone can update their game, replacing the files with a virus.[/p]
• [p]There is a Terms of Service covering some of these issues, but infringements are not monitored or punished even when done in plain sight.[/p][p][/p]

[p][/p][p]A community has formed around these problems called Sentinels of the Store — a positive group of users who spend time reporting abusive or fraudulent listings. They’ve filed thousands of reports and flag issues diligently; unfortunately, the totality of those reports are ignored. [/p][p]https://steamcommunity.com/groups/Sentinels_of_the_Store[/p][p][/p][h2]Double standards[/h2][p]Steam locks features behind a Profile featured limited checkmark, which acts like a yellow badge for Jewish people—a mark that signals exclusion. This status is not possible for indie developers to obtain unless they pursue aggressive wealth and success. Steam has misrepresented the purpose of this feature—it does not prevent low-quality games from flooding the platform and getting vetted—but it can block legitimate developers from gaining trust and visibility, which in some cases is crucial for their survival.

For some vetted publishers, this status is granted historically and automatically to all their new games. This means that even a new and unsuccessful game, such as "Sex Adventures - GangBang Surprise", can receive this elevated status despite having achieved no recognition, success, or quality by any metric.[/p][p][/p][h2]
Fake popularity[/h2][p]While Steam highlights its expanding revenues and users, the platform is actually flooded with bots. Developers are routinely contacted not only by scammers and rogue key retailers but also by services offering reviews, wishlists, and simulated user activity. Games that get involved into these questionable third-party services tend to perform better—a practice that the platform inexplicably allows.

In a place where you can't distinguish the fake from the real, anyone could accuse you of anything and smash a tomato in your face - imagine you also happen to have family and friends watching and worrying about what other people are doing to you - that's not a good place to be, right? [/p][h2]
Future actions[/h2][p]I will continue to be a user on Steam for the charity and sales events, but I am no longer interested in selling software here unless significant changes are made. Perhaps publishing free software on Steam could be the answer.
[/p][p]Thank you again for your attention, understanding and support
Paul Demanze[/p]