Valve requests developers stop offering free game keys on Steam Greenlight

Valve has requested that developers currently housing games on Steam Greenlight stop offering game keys for votes. This form of marketing can cause setbacks for the speed in which games are Greenlit.

Steam Greenlight is a community-driven program where the Steam community votes on what games will be added to the Steam Store. As a developer, getting on the Steam Store is very important as it can often mean the life or death of your game.

The previous tactic was to entice community votes with game builds, screenshots and gameplay videos; recently though, developers have begun offering free game keys for your approval.

Unfortunately, this tactic is having an adverse effect, putting extra strain on Valve's evaluation of titles. Games are taking longer to be Greenlit as it is more difficult for Valve to decipher between what the community genuinely wants and what opinions have been swayed with a free game code.

The entire practice of game keys for votes puts Valve in an "uncomfortable position."

"When you give away copies of your game in exchange for votes, you put us in a really uncomfortable position. We do not think these votes accurately reflect customer interest and it makes our job harder in deciding which games customers would actually buy and play on Steam."

Because of the way some developers are choosing to get votes on Greenlight (and the fact that it works well enough for Steam to address it) means that the practice is working. The very fact that it is working has other developers making the same offer, causing an inundation of developers thinking it's the "thing they need to do in order to get noticed."

"Additionally, when you give away copies of your game for votes, then every other developer on Greenlight thinks that is now the thing they need to do in order to get noticed. We don't think that is healthy for the system or really what customers want."

Long story short, don't expect any more free games for your Steam Greenlight approval.

[Steam Database]