Former Square Enix Manager Criticizes Steam for Not Fulfilling Its Duties

Former Square Enix business development director Jacob Navok has criticized Valve’s handling of Steam moderation as developers face long waits for games to be reviewed before publication.

Valve has acknowledged the issue, which developers have increasingly complained about.

Navok said Steam now “generates 3 times as much revenue as Roblox,” while Roblox sees “up to 1,000 times more” new games released each day than Steam.

According to Navok, releasing a project on Roblox takes “seconds” thanks to an automated review system. On Steam, the process can take weeks.

«Всё потратили на флот Габена»: Экс-менеджер Square Enix раскритиковал Steam, поскольку сервис «не исполняет свои обязанности» — Image source: Wallpaper Engine Community on Steam // 西瓜天尊

Navok said the problem is not artificial intelligence, which has sped up game development and increased the number of submissions, but Valve’s approach to moderation:

Steam is not doing its job. The creators of Roblox have invested billions in the app review process. When you create a product, its assets are uploaded to the system during development, so you don’t get a surprise rejection at release. They have spent a lot of money on research and AI systems that analyze and identify problematic content, and they also have an appeals system.

Navok said Valve “takes 30% of developers’ revenue but hasn’t invested a penny in the systems needed to handle content review.” He called the company’s conduct “absolutely shameful.”

One participant in the discussion said Valve had “spent all the money on yachts” and claimed the company employed “the biggest bloodsuckers in the gaming industry.” Navok responded briefly: “All for Gaben’s fleet.”

Valve previously discussed changes to its approach to reviewing Steam builds as it tries to adapt to the large influx of new projects.

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