Valve Just Weaponized Your Steam Library

Summary

Steam is testing a new system aimed at revolutionizing how gamers discover new titles, potentially disrupting traditional game marketing. With the current system failing to effectively promote games, Valve is introducing a personalized calendar on Steam Labs that highlights recently released and upcoming games tailored to users’ interests. This move seeks to help developers gain visibility without relying on expensive middlemen. While the system isn't flawless, it offers a promising solution to the growing problem of discoverability in the gaming industry, helping both players and developers alike.

Takeaways

• 😀 Steam is testing a new system to revolutionize game discovery, potentially disrupting traditional game marketing.
• 😀 The current marketing system for games is broken, with indie developers often struggling to succeed due to high marketing costs.
• 😀 Steam's new system aims to surface games players don't know about by offering personalized recommendations based on gameplay habits.
• 😀 A recent indie publisher highlighted the difficulty of marketing a game without significant funding, with marketing costs now surpassing game development budgets.
• 😀 Valve is developing a personalized game calendar, which filters games based on user preferences and displays them in a visual, date-based format.
• 😀 Steam's new system aims to remove the reliance on middlemen in marketing, such as influencers and traditional press, making discovery more organic.
• 😀 Traditional game marketing is often inefficient, with many high-budget campaigns yielding poor results, leaving developers uncertain of their ROI.
• 😀 Marketing costs for big games are astronomical, with some companies spending hundreds of millions to promote their titles, which diminishes the viability of indie titles.
• 😀 Steam's new system gives users a way to discover new games while already on the platform, improving the user experience and potentially boosting sales for smaller developers.
• 😀 While there are still flaws in Steam's recommendation system, the platform is taking steps to address these issues and help developers by improving game visibility.
• 😀 The ultimate goal of Steam’s new system is to help indie developers get discovered and generate sales, while also ensuring Valve’s platform remains essential for PC gaming.

Q & A

What is Steam's new test on Steam Labs aiming to solve?

Steam's new test aims to solve the problem of game discoverability. It seeks to surface new games for players, making it easier to find titles they might not know about while cutting out the traditional marketing middlemen.

Why is traditional game marketing considered broken in the current system?

Traditional game marketing is considered broken because it relies heavily on massive budgets for ads, influencers, and other middlemen, which often result in minimal return on investment. Marketing efforts can fail even with a large budget, and smaller games struggle to get noticed.

How does Steam's new calendar system work?

Steam's new calendar system organizes games into categories such as those released in the last month, the last seven days, and upcoming games, all sorted by release date. It personalizes the experience by showing games based on the user's interests and filtering out irrelevant content.

What key advantage does Steam's new system provide over traditional marketing methods?

The key advantage is that Steam's system targets players directly within the platform, where they already spend their time, making it a more organic and efficient way to discover new games, as opposed to relying on external marketing efforts that compete for attention.

How does Steam's algorithm personalize game recommendations for users?

Steam's algorithm personalizes recommendations by analyzing the games a user plays frequently and suggesting similar titles that others with similar interests have wishlisted. It also allows users to filter out early access games, mature content, and unwanted tags to refine their recommendations.

Why did the indie game 'Little Rocket Lab' succeed according to its publisher?

The success of 'Little Rocket Lab' was attributed to a combination of a successful Wholesome Direct campaign that generated significant wishlists, a Game Pass deal that recouped costs quickly, active playtesting, and a strategic $50,000 marketing spend to boost its visibility through ads and influencers.

What is the downside of relying on influencer marketing for game promotion?

The downside is the lack of transparency in tracking the effectiveness of influencer marketing. It’s hard to determine whether spending money on influencers results in actual sales, making it risky for developers who may end up spending large amounts without seeing returns.

What is the significance of Steam’s algorithm in helping new games get discovered?

Steam's algorithm plays a crucial role in helping new games get discovered by surfacing them based on a user's previous activity and preferences. However, the system also has limitations, such as potentially reinforcing existing gaming habits and not always showcasing new genres or novel experiences.

How does Steam’s calendar system address the issue of game saturation on the platform?

By offering a personalized and organized calendar of upcoming games, Steam aims to help users sift through the overwhelming number of daily game releases, ensuring that titles are not lost in the flood of content. This system enhances discoverability and gives smaller developers a better chance of being noticed.

What are some of the challenges that developers still face with Steam's new system?

Despite improvements, developers still face challenges such as needing to market their games externally to build wishlists before they can benefit from Steam's new calendar system. Additionally, the algorithm is not perfect, and games can still get lost if they don’t fit the user's established preferences or habits.