Valve bans games with mandatory in-game advertising on Steam
Valve has updated Steam's rules to ban games that require players to view adverts to continue playing or receive bonuses. This decision is aimed at preventing the emergence of monetisation models on the platform that are typical for mobile games, where players are forced to interact with ads to access content.
Here's What We Know
According to the new rules, Valve prohibits any form of in-game advertising that restricts or interrupts the gameplay. This includes requiring players to view ads in order to continue playing or receive in-game rewards such as power-ups or in-game currency.
At the same time, product placement remains permissible, provided it is not intrusive and appropriate to the context of the game. For example, logos of real-life sponsors on cars in racing games are considered acceptable.
In general, this decision is a preventive measure, as such monetisation models have not yet been implemented on Steam. However, given their popularity in mobile games, Valve decided to set clear restrictions in advance.
Source: Steam
