Valve cracks down on bullshots – only real screenshots allowed on Steam

Valve decided to clarify the Steam rules on screenshots. From now on, Steam developers are only allowed to upload real screenshots that truthfully represent their game. That excludes any “concept art, pre-rendered cinematic stills, or images that contain awards, marketing copy, or written product descriptions” – informed Valve in a post to Steamworks users (also shared via Facepunch and Polygon). In order to set the right example Valve cleared Dota 2 page off any concept art graphics.

First, Valve had to set a good example themselves.

This way Valve makes a move to crack down on false advertising and help inform Steam users of what they are really buying. A wrong example of that was No Man’s Sky. Some of its Steam page screenshots showed off features that were nowhere to be found in the actual game, which contributed to putting the case under investigation for false advertising back in September.

Another request that Valve has made is to flag inappropriate screenshots. Pictures that some users may find offensive – e.g. showing gore or nudity – will not be shown on the home page, a new feature which is going to be implemented in Discovery Update 2.0.