Steam Bows Down to Payment Processors, Prohibits Content That Violates Their Rules

As much as we'd all like to believe that Valve is the last major gaming company one could describe as decent and Gabe Newell is the savior of PC gaming and the second coming of Christ, the reality is much more complicated than that, with even the most revered and celebrated figures sometimes making questionable and unpopular decisions.

Recently, the developer of some of the most iconic video games and the company behind the biggest PC game store made such a decision, updating the "things you shouldn't publish on Steam" section of its Rules and Guidelines with a new clause that many have understandably seen as Gaben bending to the will of Visa, MasterCard, and PayPal – effectively letting their rules apply to Steam as well.

The clause in question states that game developers are now prohibited from publishing content that may violate the policies of Steam's payment processors and related card networks and banks or internet network providers, essentially meaning that third parties with no real connection to developers or gamers can now influence what can and cannot be published on Steam.

While the rule specifically mentions "certain kinds of adult only content," the vague language leaves open the possibility that other types of games could also be taken down if payment processors decide they don't like them.

As expected, the community largely disapproved of the new rule, with hundreds of gamers across social media echoing the same question: "Why on Earth does a payment company have any say in what I buy and play?"

When the rule took effect, Steam quickly began purging NSFW content, delisting dozens of sex-related games, as documented on SteamDB.

On one hand, as you can see below, it's unlikely those games will be missed by many – and I'd even go so far as to say that a lot of people would likely view their removal as a net positive – but on the other hand, it raises the question: should some company that no one chose as an authority have the power to restrict personal freedoms and preferences, no matter how perverted or weird they might be?

So, how would you answer that question? Is the mass removal of porn games worth giving payment processors the power to take down any game they don't like? Share your thoughts in the comments below!