Valve says stop to ads. The topic hadn't been controversial for a while, but ads in video games are back in the spotlight after a decision by the creator of Steam. The platform has just banned a slew of games containing advertising pages or videos, exposed to players without their consent and without them being able to avoid them.
Steam's terms of use have been updated to include a paragraph on this subject, causing several titles to disappear. The platform's catalog is so vast that you probably won't notice the change unless you were playing one of those titles that is malfunctioning. Steam's new rules now include the following:
From mobile to PC?
If you play on mobile, you are probably familiar with in-game ads. Most titles on portable devices, such as smartphones or tablets, finance their development and free availability thanks to ads from partner advertisers. Here and there, between two games of Gardenscapes, a short video appears with no way to skip it before 5 or 10 seconds of mandatory viewing. Other ads require your attention for at least 30 seconds in order to obtain rewards.
This is a system that no longer shocks users as it is so widespread. However, it is very little used on PC and console platforms, on which players are used to paying for their titles, at least a few euros, which gives them full access to what they are owed without having to go through mandatory advertising. This is an unspoken rule that has never been made official until now. Some developers have therefore taken advantage of regulatory void to slip through the cracks.
Valve's action is, however, full of hope for the future. This type of practice is obviously very controversial, just like loot boxes, or even micro transactions in paid games, because it aims to encourage players to consume in a world where overconsumption is already omnipresent and where prices continue to rise to enjoy digital leisure.
0 Comments