Game developers will soon no longer be able to fill their shop capsules with awards and ratings on Steam. This was announced by those responsible at Valve in an official blog post. With this step, the company wants to ensure more clarity in its own shop.
It is not a new phenomenon that game developers like to advertise their works with awards they have won or good ratings in the press. Even before the triumph of digital sales, publishers printed corresponding logos on the packaging of their titles. The shop capsules on Steam, which developers use to advertise their games, often contain references to reviews or awards in addition to the game’s logo itself – but that should soon be over.
Shop capsules may only show the game artwork
Because Valve bans corresponding logos in the shop capsules from September 1st, 2022. This should ensure that users can find their way around the shop better and enjoy a “uniform experience”. Valve describes the current problem with the shop capsules as follows:
“For example, game logos are e.g. T. so small that players can only recognize the title of the game with difficulty. In other cases, graphics have so many ratings and award logos that they detract from the actual focus of the image and make it difficult to see. Some capsules contain ratings from reviews that are no longer current. Furthermore, these additional texts are mostly only presented in English and thus exclude the majority of the international Steam audience.”
So that the clarity suffers less and buyers are not overwhelmed by a flood of information in the shop capsule, the following rules apply to graphic elements in the Steam shop from September 2022:
- Banners labeled as Capsules in the store may not include reviews, awards, discount notices, advertisements for other products, or text that is not part of the game’s artwork.
- Graphic elements for seasonal events or new updates may only be used in the form of temporary artworks for a maximum of one month.
- Text elements must be translated into all languages into which the game has been localized.
- Additional text in temporary artwork may only promote new content.
Accordingly, Valve calls on developers to adapt their shop capsules accordingly so that they comply with the new guidelines. Games that do not comply with this request will be excluded from official Steam promotions and events and may have to expect their visibility in the Steam shop to be restricted.
Source: Steam
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