Games

Valve bans all games that force players to watch advertisements

BBG News

In the updated gameplay, players are now free from being compelled to view or interact with advertisements before they can proceed.

Valev recently implemented regulations prohibiting games from forcing users to view ads as a condition for continued play. This shift is generally appreciated by gamers, even though some may not have previously recognized this gradual development within their favorite games.

Valve bans games that require players to watch or engage in advertisements

On the freshly minted ‘Advertising in Steam Games’ page, Valve has decided to prohibit games from their platform that require players to view advertisements as a condition for gameplay continuation.

On Steam, Valve has detailed guidelines in a freshly titled section called ‘Advertising on Steam’. This section clarifies what’s acceptable and what’s not on their platform. Among the key points, it’s important to note that developers are prohibited from using paid advertising as a source of income.

In their game, developers should avoid relying on paid advertisements as a primary business strategy. Instead, they should allow players to enjoy the game without interruptions or restrictions caused by ads. If your game uses advertising on other platforms, you’ll need to eliminate those features when releasing on Steam. Alternative strategies could be transitioning to a one-time purchase model (known as a “paid app”), or making the game free with additional content available through microtransactions or Downloadable Content (DLC).

As a gaming enthusiast, I’ve noticed a familiar pattern in mobile games: often, to advance in the game, we’re asked to watch an advertisement or even interact with it. It’s a business strategy that’s quite common in the mobile gaming world. Interestingly, this approach isn’t as widespread in PC games yet, but it seems to be gaining traction. Developers are increasingly adopting this model as a means of earning advertising income from players.

What’s allowed in ‘advertising on Steam’?

Valve sets out the guidelines for ads on Steam, which is a beneficial move for both players, developers, and advertisers alike. By making the rules explicit, it eliminates any confusion about ad policies, ensuring that games won’t accidentally violate Steam’s regulations.

  • Product Placement
    Games may contain real brands, products, personalities, etc as part of gameplay, provided such portrayals are not disruptive and are appropriate within the context of the game. For example, a racing game might feature real-life sponsor logos on its race cars, or a skateboard game might include characters wearing real-world brands. Note that all developers must obtain the relevant permission and/or licenses for any copyrighted content contained in their games.
  • Cross Promotions
    Developers can run many different kinds of cross-promotional activities on Steam, such as bundles, sale events, and more. Promotions may involve other Steam products or products/brands outside of Steam. These types of promotions are encouraged and many customers find value in them. However, under no circumstances is it okay to charge other developers to participate in a bundle or to sell access to a sale page or other page on Steam.
  • Paid Advertising Outside Steam
    Developers may want to run paid advertising campaigns to drive traffic to their Steam product pages. We recommend taking advantage of Store Widgets and UTM Analytics to help enhance and measure the effectiveness of any off-Steam campaigns.

For game developers, it’s off-limits to employ advertising as a way to deliver value to the gamers. Consequently, players will not gain any in-game advantages or unlock features by viewing ads.

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2025-02-11 07:41

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