Steam, the widely-used digital distribution service for video games, is presently caught in a dispute regarding the elimination of numerous adult games. This move is said to be in response to heightened pressure from major credit card firms such as Visa and Mastercard, igniting discussions about censorship and the sway of payment service providers.
Traditionally, adult games have faced restrictions in specific areas, including Germany. Nonetheless, recent changes have led to the global removal of these games. Valve, the organization behind Steam, has implemented a new guideline indicating that games breaching the criteria set by banks and credit card providers will be eliminated. This mostly impacts the “Adult Games” category, with a number of titles already vanishing from the platform.
The engagement of credit card companies in this matter is based on legal issues rather than ethical objections. A significant incident took place in 2022 when a California court deemed Visa responsible for transactions linked to illegal content on Pornhub. This resulted in Visa and Mastercard enforcing a zero-tolerance policy regarding potentially illegal content, influencing platforms like OnlyFans, Patreon, and currently Steam. These companies have presented ultimatums to platforms, insisting on compliance with their regulations or risking a suspension of payment processing.
Opponents contend that this scenario exemplifies a kind of financial censorship, where credit card companies exert considerable influence over business models and the availability of content. Conversations on social media and sites like Reddit emphasize worries that this could reach beyond adult games to other genres, potentially impacting mainstream games featuring mature content.
The discussion prompts inquiries about the function of financial institutions in shaping acceptable content and the likelihood of broader consequences within the gaming sector. While options such as a Steam-operated payment system or cryptocurrencies have been proposed, they have yet to receive widespread endorsement. As long as a handful of corporations control digital transactions, the matter of power and censorship continues to be a divisive issue.