HomeWinBuzzer NewsValve to Pull 23,000 Games from German Steam Store in November

Valve to Pull 23,000 Games from German Steam Store in November

German regulations make it mandatory for every game on digital platforms to display age ratings, something Steam enforces now.

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Valve has announced that thousands of titles will vanish from its German Steam store by mid-November. These games lack age ratings required by law, meaning they’ll be hidden from users in Germany unless developers submit the missing information soon.

Steam’s global library contains around 88,000 games, with 65,000 already updated with age ratings in places like Germany and Brazil. However, approximately 23,000 games could still be removed in Germany due to missing ratings, especially those published before Valve made it mandatory to complete a content questionnaire for age verification.

Developers Must Act Quickly

German regulations make it mandatory for every game on digital platforms to display age ratings, something Steam enforces through a questionnaire that developers fill out when publishing games. Though most recent games follow this process automatically, older games, some of which date back years, haven’t gone through the same steps. Developers now face a deadline of November 15 to fix that or risk their games disappearing from the German store.

The content ratings for games are managed through the German Commission for the Protection of Minors, which has mandated that all games available in Germany must be rated for appropriate age groups. Valve has been warning developers for months to complete the required questionnaires to avoid their games being removed.

Pressure on Indie Developers

Well-known indie games, including titles like “Return of the Obra Dinn” and “Slay the Spire,” were among those at risk but have since updated their ratings. This shows that compliance is possible for most developers, although many smaller or older titles might not get updated in time.

The games that will be most affected by this regulation are generally those published before 2020 when Valve started enforcing its age rating system more strictly. Developers can access a special page created by Valve to check whether their games are missing ratings, giving them a chance to fill in the necessary details before the removal date.

Why This is Happening Now

Germany’s laws around age ratings for video games have been around for many years, but they became stricter recently. Previously, there was some flexibility around whether older games had to follow the same rules as newer ones, but it’s now been made clear that all games need to meet these standards, no matter their release date.

The most significant change came in 2003 with the implementation of the German Youth Protection Act (Jugendschutzgesetz or JuSchG). This law made it mandatory for every computer or console game intended to be publicly accessible to minors to undergo a legally binding age classification process before release.

Key aspects of this law include:

  • Requiring age rating symbols on all games sold on physical media
  • Making it illegal to sell or supply games to minors below the rated age
  • Giving the USK a formal role in the rating process, working in conjunction with state authorities

In 2021, the German parliament passed an amendment to its youth protection law that further addressed digital challenges, including:

  • Requiring clear labeling of games with age ratings on platforms with over 1 million users in Germany
  • Potentially restricting games with loot box mechanics from being sold to minors

These laws have made Germany’s video game rating system one of the strictest in the world, with a strong focus on protecting minors from potentially harmful content.

Brazil has similar rules, but this recent push seems to be more focused on Germany. The regulatory body responsible for ensuring compliance, BZKJ, requires that any game sold digitally in the country be clearly rated for content, and Steam’s catalog has many games that don’t meet this requirement yet.

Developers are encouraged to complete Steam’s content survey, which helps determine the rating for each game, so they can continue to sell their titles to German players.

Steam’s Rating System and Developer Response

The content survey that developers need to complete asks them to specify if the game includes anything that might be considered inappropriate for certain audiences, such as violent content or adult themes. This process is meant to ensure that players in countries like Germany can make informed decisions about what they’re purchasing.

Valve’s decision to start enforcing these regulations came after the updated German child protection law made it mandatory for all digital platforms. Developers who fail to update their titles before mid-November will see their games removed from the German Steam store, though they can still be sold elsewhere.

Last Updated on November 7, 2024 2:33 pm CET

SourceValve
Markus Kasanmascheff
Markus Kasanmascheff
Markus has been covering the tech industry for more than 15 years. He is holding a Master´s degree in International Economics and is the founder and managing editor of Winbuzzer.com.

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