Valve delisted "A Kiss for the Petals - Maidens of Michael" (visual novel) due to a false user report.
https://www.reddit.com/r/Steam/comments/8kskf9/valve_delisted_a_kiss_for_the_petals_maidens_of/

Disgusting person... There's a really huge problem with the report feature in youtube, valve and even inside games, the people in charge seems to work as bots, now that I know part of the truth, maybe I wish I didn't, I don't know what to do with this disgust... But at least I know what happen with people like that, they had nothing else going on their life.

He can say what he wants to help his ego, but truth is that not even Steam is stupid enough to remove a game because of one report. This was either Steam wanting to ban VNs already or some big group mass reporting it.

W/e the case, it was removed, so either Valve don't care or their system is just like YT content ID where anyone can claim to have copyrights to anything and they immediately remove it taking their word for it. Guilty before proven innocent. But at least in YT case you can reliably repel those claims. In Valve case it seems you can't do anything, so yea. Glad they run away from steam and I hope all other VN will do it as well. Find place where they don't have unnecessary censored freaking 18+ games. That is just ridiculous and Valve was doing it from the very beginning to VN, unlike all other games.

In Valve's defense, mass reports are more often than not legitimate. Steam's current Direct system has bred so much shovelware, bait and switch games, games that do not come with an executable file, asset flips, sample games masquerading as original titles, etc. that when a large number of people report a game for having content that is objectionable, it's hard to NOT take it as face value. Steam's store front is trash, and unfortunately, and has resulted in an environment where Valve can not feasibly review every product before coming to a consensus.

THAT BEING SAID, that is also entirely their own fault. Their increased insistence over the years on relying on algorithms and automated processes, all in the name of avoiding having to pay another human being to assist with quality control, and their platform being open beyond the point of reason is what directly led to the Steam store front being the way it is now. And now honest devs who are legitimately trying their best to make a product that people might actually want to play are suffering for it. It's ridiculous.

On that note, though, I don't believe this has anything to do with Valve having any preconceived disdain for visual novels or anything like that. Visual novels just happen to be easier targets because they're cheaper, comparatively easier to make, and usually don't have the backing of AAA publishers who can sway them legally and financially. It's unfortunate, but I don't think it's malice on Steam's part. My main problem with this whole ordeal isn't even so much that it happened, but the fact that they are less than transparent about it. They issue these threatening letters that retroactively threaten games that have been on the platform for years with no guidelines or anything to help devs know what they need to do or even what they did wrong in the first place, and then expect them to comply with it or risk getting booted off the service. Communication is key here, and so far Valve has not effectively communicated to its clients.

In lighter news, though, Valve has sent an email to all the devs that have received the letters and asked them to disregard it. So apparently they have caught on to the fact that the reports were fraudulent and are currently working with devs to make sure it still fits within the guidelines set forth when the games were originally published on Steam.

Source: http://blog.mangagamer.org/2018/05/18/regarding-recent-inquires-into-steam-content-policy-notices/

I hope that Maidens of St. Michael is eventually brought back to Steam. Nothing against MangaGamer at all, but I don't like having stores that mostly sell adult stuff on my credit card history. I'm a prude, lol.

last edited at May 24, 2018 5:38PM

Hanlon's Razor applies, as always.

Tara posted:

On that note, though, I don't believe this has anything to do with Valve having any preconceived disdain for visual novels or anything like that.

VN and games similar to them were unnecessary forced to be censored even when they are 18+ unlike every single other game there is on their platform. And it was like that since beginning of Steam. It is hard to believe Valve doesn't have some issue with them.

last edited at May 24, 2018 5:46PM

Nevri posted:

Tara posted:

On that note, though, I don't believe this has anything to do with Valve having any preconceived disdain for visual novels or anything like that.

VN and games similar to them were unnecessary forced to be censored even when they are 18+ unlike every single other game there is on their platform. And it was like that since beginning of Steam. It is hard to believe Valve doesn't have some issue with them.

I'm not denying that Valve are extremely hypocritical and contradictory with their policies, especially in regards to VN's. There are definitely games that have raunchier, more explicit depictions of sex that Steam has absolutely no issues with whatsoever. That's shit, and it needs to be changed. I certainly don't deny that.

But once again, I attribute this more to the fact that even the more expensive visual novels normally do not have the financial sway of other games. In the end, Valve is a corporation, and corporations tend to like money more than they tend to dislike specific game genres.

EDIT: Should go without saying, but in case it's not obvious, I'm not saying this to defend Steam or anything. Just saying that I think the problem stems from something other than what is being levied.

last edited at May 24, 2018 6:18PM

Tara posted:

But once again, I attribute this more to the fact that even the more expensive visual novels normally do not have the financial sway of other games. In the end, Valve is a corporation, and corporations tend to like money more than they tend to dislike specific game genres.

I get that. It is just that actually forcing 18+ games to be censored is both more work on developer part as well as for people who need to review them later. It just make no sense to do it, especially when there are already other games that are not censored at all. Having more money behind them, really doesn't change anything. I bet those VN would actually have more appeal and bring more people, if they weren't forced to be censored, when they are already marked as adult games. My point it, is seems like just waste of time and resources and there is no clear gain for Valve from doing it. Hence, I can't help but think that Valve have some issue with anime and anime styled games specifically.

Only other alternative I can think of there is some behind the curtain deal, where big corporations pay certain amount to have their game not be censored, smaller developers can't afford. That I could understand how Valve would profit from.

Nevri posted:

Tara posted:

But once again, I attribute this more to the fact that even the more expensive visual novels normally do not have the financial sway of other games. In the end, Valve is a corporation, and corporations tend to like money more than they tend to dislike specific game genres.

I get that. It is just that actually forcing 18+ games to be censored is both more work on developer part as well as for people who need to review them later. It just make no sense to do it, especially when there are already other games that are not censored at all. Having more money behind them, really doesn't change anything. I bet those VN would actually have more appeal and bring more people, if they weren't forced to be censored, when they are already marked as adult games. My point it, is seems like just waste of time and resources and there is no clear gain for Valve from doing it. Hence, I can't help but think that Valve have some issue with anime and anime styled games specifically.

Only other alternative I can think of there is some behind the curtain deal, where big corporations pay certain amount to have their game not be censored, smaller developers can't afford. That I could understand how Valve would profit from.

I mean you're absolutely right. It's silly, contradictory, hypocritical, and a waste of everyone's time and resources.

But it's not a problem with backroom deals... or, rather, it's not a problem with JUST backroom deals as I'm sure there are plenty of those, too. It's just simple human greed. For every game purchased on Steam, a portion of that sale goes to Valve. This is a sustainable form of income for big-name publishers, because they have big revenue spikes and slower, more gradual declines. Most visual novels, on the other hand, do not. Visual novels, particularly independent visual novels, tend to have a one, big revenue spike that peters out rather quickly. Sometimes interest will spike again due to an update or an abrupt cult following, but not often. Simple business smarts says that people are going be nicer to those that benefit them the most, and more money is more benefit to Valve. They are probably more lenient on other games, because they're still getting money off of them. In this case, there doesn't NEED to be any kind of shady, backroom deal to not have the game censored, because most of these games essentially pay for themselves.

As I said in my edit, I'm not saying this to defend Valve. Just saying that it's a problem, but not the same problem being levied as far as I'm aware.