In a significant shift for its platform, Valve has announced new regulations governing the operation of Steam store pages. The company revealed these changes in a recent update on its website, emphasizing a desire to streamline the user experience for gamers browsing the store.
New Limitations on External Links
Effective from early September, developers and publishers will no longer be permitted to include external links within their store descriptions. This prohibition extends to social media accounts and links to other games available on Steam. Additionally, the use of embedded imagery that mimics the store’s user interface—such as wishlist buttons—will also be restricted.
The affected sections of the store page include:
- About the game
- Short description
- Special announcements
- Awards
Valve articulated its rationale for these changes, noting a growing trend where store pages served as advertisements for other titles rather than focusing on the game at hand. “We have been seeing more and more store pages that are effectively advertisements for other store pages on Steam,” the company stated. This trend often resulted in users encountering lists of multiple games before they could even engage with the description of the title they were interested in, which Valve believes detracts from the overall customer experience.
However, the company acknowledged that there are specific scenarios, such as ‘prologue’ games, where cross-linking remains beneficial. Valve indicated that while sequels and franchises could also utilize cross-linking, existing features like bundles and franchise pages already address these needs effectively.