Steam bans gambling with new conduct changes
It's a very new-sy Friday here at Game Developer. We're leading with an item on Steam banning gambling, and have more news from Riot, Square Enix, Fullbright, and more. We also have a tasty feature on design lessons from Breath of the Wild for folks who are enjoying Tears of the Kingdom and want a little related reading.
Bet it all on somewhere that's not Steam.
The mention of gambling?is important, given its relationship to the?Steam marketplace. In late 2022, a video from?People Make Games?alleged that Valve was allowing third-party gambling sites to barter in-game skins for?Counter-Strike:?Global Offensive?as to get real world money.?
Being expressly against gambling in its code of conduct indicates People Make Games' video was effective in showing?Valve let gambling become?part of its business. It also calls into question how this will?effect the Community Market, where Valve gets a 10 percent cut of real world revenue sold specifically for in-game items from its titles.?
Outgoing CEO Nicolo Laurent will remain at Riot in an advisory role.
The?Open Roads?team takes the game's name for itself as Steve Gaynor is left with the Fullbright title.
Square Enix starts 2023 off on a down note, with financial dips across its various divisions and its premium games not performing to expectations.
This round-up from various conference talks, blogs, and streaming discussions is a treasure trove of insight into what made?Breath of the Wild?great.