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As the saying goes in the digital realm, initially, nobody paid attention to the takedown of adult games on Steam. It seemed a mere glitch in the platform’s system, a vanishing act of games rarely touched, the lament of a few gamers. But as the dust settles, this Steam purge reveals implications that touch everyone personally – a digital echo of “The Wandering Butter.”
Mid-July saw a wave of adult-themed games, particularly those of a specific nature, pulled from Steam’s virtual shelves. Such actions aren’t entirely unprecedented; Steam has a history of tightly regulating adult content and has previously delisted similar titles.
However, this time, the scale of the purge raised eyebrows. It wasn’t just a title or two; it was a deluge.
This unexpected sweep sent ripples of anxiety through game developers. Some, whose games remained untouched, began to subtly alter their titles, hoping to evade detection.
If this were merely tightening the reins on adult content, the story would end there. But this goes deeper, impacting the very fabric of the digital marketplace.
Sure enough, the Australian organization Collective Shout stepped into the spotlight claiming responsibility.
This isn’t just any advocacy group; they possess a track record of considerable influence.
In 2014, they protested against GTA5, labeling it “a video game that encourages players to brutally murder women for entertainment.” That same year, two major Australian retail chains banned GTA5, an action Collective Shout attributed to their efforts.
In 2018, the organization petitioned for a ban on “Detroit: Become Human” in Australia, arguing its themes included “child abuse and violence against women.”
The question is, how did this relatively unknown organization bring Steam to its knees?
The answer lies in targeting Steam’s Achilles’ heel: payment processors.
Collective Shout supporters reportedly sent over 1,000 emails to various credit card companies, arguing that these games normalized abuse and exploitation, demanding that they sever ties with Steam.
Faced with such accusations, these payment processors couldn’t afford the reputational risk. After all, no company wants to be accused of enabling human rights violations.
Under this pressure, Steam relented. The alternative was a cautionary tale in the form of Pornhub.
Once a platform that partnered with mainstream celebrities, sold merchandise, and even optimized its titles for Chinese users, Pornhub’s trajectory shifted dramatically in 2020.
The withdrawal of credit card companies effectively strangled the platform’s revenue stream, leading to its rapid decline. Content creators sought greener pastures, leaving users with little reason to stay.
No matter how powerful a platform, it still needs revenue to operate. Without payment processing, the ecosystem collapses.
Steam couldn’t afford that risk. On July 16th, Steam quietly updated its Steamworks documentation, adding Rule 15 to its onboarding guide.
In effect, you wish to publish on Steam, you were now subject not only to platform guidelines but also to the whims of payment giants like Visa and Mastercard.
The frustration stems not from the delisting of adult games but from the perceived impotence of the gaming platform itself.
Payment processors now wield the power to determine the fate of developers and dictate what players can experience, often with bias.
Even digital mogul Elon Musk weighed into the debate, hinting at the creation of “X Payments,” potentially capitalizing on the missteps of established payment institutions.
Musk’s sentiment isn’t surprising given Collective Shout’s previous targeting of Grok’s AI girlfriend.
Why did Visa and Mastercard turn on their business partner, Steam? The answer lies in risk mitigation.
Association with adult content, regardless of its legality, can be a public relations minefield. Payment processors prioritize avoiding controversy to protect their brand image.
Suppressing adult content, on the other hand, hardly generates negative publicity; some might even commend the decision.
Collective Shout targeted the point of vulnerability. While Steam positions itself as a supporter of creative diversity and freedom of choice, payment processors are sensitive to public pressure.
Despite claims of processing all legal transactions without scrutinizing the content sold, reality paints a different picture.
Even in Japan, where certain forms of adult content are legal, platforms have felt the wrath of Visa and Mastercard.
Since the summer of 2022, payment processors began targeting adult content services, including DLsite, pixiv, and POKEDORA.
Visa Japan’s President, Kitney, addressed the issue, explaining that while Visa aims to facilitate legitimate commerce, sometimes they must prohibit certain uses “to protect the brand.”
It wasn’t a matter of profitability or legality; it was about protecting its reputation.
The vague and inconsistent standards are a significant point of contention.
Determining which game gets the axe became an arbitrary process.
The dominant voice in the public sphere often dictates the outcome, handing organizations like Collective Shout the power to shape the gaming landscape.
The implications are far-reaching, even impacting LGBTQ groups who felt the brunt of the decisions.
Previous actions against Pornhub, reportedly affected the safety and livelihood of transgender women of color. The Steam purge, according to Naomi Clark, a game designer and chair at NYU Game Center, could put the LGBTQ community at significant risk as well.
Adhering to Collective Shout’s standards would effectively ban GTA6, if violence against female NPCs is disallowed.
The organization’s previous calls for GTA5’s removal cited the player’s ability to inflict violence on virtual women.
Under this logic, Steam might as well close shop, leaving players with Solitaire, Zuma, and Tetris.
The situation underscores the power of a small group. A petition with a thousand signatures was enough to sway payment processors to influence a major gaming platform.
This power dynamic extends beyond gaming, impacting the lives of everyone.
Today, they decide what games you play; tomorrow, what you see or say.
Big Brother is watching you, and Big Brother wears stars and stripes.
United, gamers started a counter-petition, demanding that payment processors cease interfering with legitimate entertainment.
They argued that these institutions were ignoring serious issues and unfairly policing virtual content.
The petition has amassed approximately 200,000 signatures, dwarfing Collective Shout’s initiative by a factor of 200.
Other efforts, such as emailing for clarification, yielded generic responses.
These responses seem verbose, but in the end, they say nothing at all.
Reports about the situation were sometimes pulled after being initially published on sites like Vice.
Facing censorship, the authors resigned from their positions.
The International Game Developers Association (IGDA) released a statement.
Realistically, it will likely prove inconsequential, calling for increased transparency and fairness in game reviews and processes from platforms and payment processors, with little control over whether changes are implemented.
Gaming is in a downtrend. It is more likely than not that their voices will be ignored. In light of the events it will attract the public’s attention, those who refuse to surrender will persevere due to life’s tribulations.
The payment processors in charge won’t likely fall because of the strike. Their business empires are still firm.
But, if there is a chance for the people who have been impacted by the institutions, maybe people would vote for Musk’s “X payments” idea as a result.
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Original article, Author: Tobias. If you wish to reprint this article, please indicate the source:https://aicnbc.com/6315.html