Author Topic: Steam Greenlight to be replaced by "Steam Direct" in Spring 2017 (Read 2340 times)

Ahead · February 10, 2017, 02:57:16 PM

"The next step in these improvements is to establish a new direct sign-up system for developers to put their games on Steam. This new path, which we're calling 'Steam Direct,' is targeted for Spring 2017 and will replace Steam Greenlight. We will ask new developers to complete a set of digital paperwork, personal or company verification, and tax documents similar to the process of applying for a bank account. Once set up, developers will pay a recoupable application fee for each new title they wish to distribute, which is intended to decrease the noise in the submission pipeline.

While we have invested heavily in our content pipeline and personalized store, we're still debating the publishing fee for Steam Direct. We talked to several developers and studios about an appropriate fee, and they gave us a range of responses from as low as $100 to as high as $5,000. There are pros and cons at either end of the spectrum, so we'd like to gather more feedback before settling on a number."

Read the blog post at Steam

/discuss

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e-maxx · February 10, 2017, 03:03:00 PM

Hey that's bready good

Rainzx� · February 10, 2017, 03:05:18 PM

Fingers crossed this system will be better.

McJob · February 10, 2017, 03:30:01 PM

Not a single thing about addressing the SIGNIFICANT quality issues or the lack of certification for these titles. Steam Direct will be just as much of a failure as Greenlight is unless they put tighter controls in place to weed out the weak and the stuff.

Gytyyhgfffff · February 10, 2017, 03:33:19 PM

i think they're getting rid of the hack developers by adding the fee which makes it more of a risk to put your dog stuff that no one will buy on steam

auzman466 · February 10, 2017, 04:04:08 PM

Quote from: McJob on February 10, 2017, 03:30:01 PM

Not a single thing about addressing the SIGNIFICANT quality issues or the lack of certification for these titles. Steam Direct will be just as much of a failure as Greenlight is unless they put tighter controls in place to weed out the weak and the stuff.

this will at least help filter out the people who put the same game up multiple times under different "companies"
and hopefully the fee will increase enough to weed out even more people

Quote from: Gytyyhgfffff on February 10, 2017, 03:33:19 PM

i think they're getting rid of the hack developers by adding the fee which makes it more of a risk to put your dog stuff that no one will buy on steam

there already is a greenlight fee

beachbum111111 · February 10, 2017, 04:46:00 PM

Quote from: Gytyyhgfffff on February 10, 2017, 03:33:19 PM

i think they're getting rid of the hack developers by adding the fee which makes it more of a risk to put your dog stuff that no one will buy on steam

There is already a 100 dollar fee just to get on greenlight. There needs to be an actual quality control test. All greenlight/direct games should have some sort of demo or even alpha for steam to test.

Shift Kitty · February 10, 2017, 05:23:40 PM

I would rather have to sift through the bad games than have a huge burden for the better developers.
Just a reminder that some pretty popular and well received games (like stardew valley) were made by people who worked part time jobs and developed a game in their spare time. They wouldn't be able to pass a $5000 wall. The ones suggesting $5000 in the first place are probably only doing so because they're already 'in' and would like less competition.

beachbum111111 · February 10, 2017, 05:30:44 PM

Quote from: Shift Kitty on February 10, 2017, 05:23:40 PM

I would rather have to sift through the bad games than have a huge burden for the better developers.
Just a reminder that some pretty popular and well received games (like stardew valley) were made by people who worked part time jobs and developed a game in their spare time. They wouldn't be able to pass a $5000 wall. The ones suggesting $5000 in the first place are probably only doing so because they're already 'in' and would like less competition.

Except right now the good developers are at a disadvantage because all their stuff gets pushed to the bottom of the new releases list and they end up selling far less then they would otherwise. While 5,000 might be a little too much for some developers if far less stuff is being pushed through at the same time then they make the money back anyway.

Raising the price doesn't really help at all though. There needs to be actual quality control. I guess a higher price would work with it because less handicaps would release unfinished stuff to make a quick buck.

Shift Kitty · February 10, 2017, 05:34:16 PM

Right, slapping money on a table isn't really necessarily showing that you have a good game to submit. It just shows that you have money.

Frequency · February 10, 2017, 05:34:55 PM

What about a quality quota? If a "direct" game is consistently given poor reviews, it's canned.

Gytyyhgfffff · February 10, 2017, 06:23:20 PM

Quote from: auzman466 on February 10, 2017, 04:04:08 PM

there already is a greenlight fee

i did not know this

i didn't think a fee would stop these cunts from putting games up anyways i was just postulating that maybe that's what steam thought an increased fee would do. i mean they're loving steam they don't seem to understand that people are pissed with objectively bad stuff on their store

although i agree that steam does need more quality control. i don't think they give a stuff though because more games means more money for them and that seems to be all that they care about right now

crazies alt · February 10, 2017, 06:40:16 PM

blockland for steam direct anyone

McJob · February 10, 2017, 06:46:38 PM

Quote from: Shift Kitty on February 10, 2017, 05:23:40 PM

They wouldn't be able to pass a $5000 wall.

Yes, they would. That's chump change for most professional Indie developers, even if it is their first title.

Are you aware of the licensing/certification costs on consoles?

My point is that Valve have been, and will continue to, stubbornly refuse to put the certification system in place that defends against broken, buggy stuff. Certification is the process of making sure that a game meets a set list of criteria. While it doesn't prevent boring or ugly looking games, it's designed to prevent broken (technology) games and stop dangerous practices (such as private data collection).

The reason certification generally works at weeding out the bad games in the process is that people making bad games are looking for a quick buck, and don't want to have to go through the VERY long hurdles of the certification process (it's not uncommon to fail the process about 3 times minimum before an RC gets greenlit), as it's financially not in their interests.

But no, instead we'll keep letting PC developers piss all over PC gamers.

Ipquarx · February 10, 2017, 07:00:40 PM

Quote from: McJob on February 10, 2017, 06:46:38 PM

My point is that Valve have been, and will continue to, stubbornly refuse to put the certification system in place that defends against broken, buggy stuff.

this is probably what will happen because it means more $$$$$ for them