Valve is about to enforce some German laws that will make things harder for gamers in Germany, as well as video game developers everywhere.
As reported by GameReactor, German law requires that video games get age ratings as a prerequisite to being sold in the country.
The ESRB’s rating system in America is the best known example of such a system. Each rating title actually indicates a different age category, and they have established norms of what kinds of content warrant what ratings each games get.
These ratings systems are more than a convenient guide for consumers. For years, it was anathema in the US video game industry for games to get Adults Only ratings. At the time, that could limit what retailers would be willing to buy those games, and that could be a kiss of death for new or struggling developers.
Of course, things have changed completely now. While the ESRB still rates games to be sold in the US, most video game sales occur digitally, and the market for brick and mortar video game retailers has shrunk. Subsequently, the teens who were frustrated they couldn’t play Adults Only games then are themselves adults now. And those adults, men and women alike, comprise the largest age category for the gaming market.
Getting back to Steam in Germany, Valve explains that game developers can see their games get delisted in the country if they don’t comply with German laws by November 15, 2024. Thankfully, Valve has set up an internal ratings system of their own, so that the developers don’t have to work with Germany’s state video game ratings authority, the Unterhaltungssoftware Selbstkontrolle (USK for short).
Valve’s system is simply a questionnaire, that allows Valve to set the age ratings based on what content developers say is found in their games. We do wonder if this is one of many systems that Valve has set to automation. If that were the case, there would definitely be huge questions if it will come down harder on games that may contain questionable content but should reasonably be allowed to more gamers.
Still, Valve also states that “there are certain kinds of content that are not allowed for sale to customers in Germany.” We may not be experts in German law, but the world knows very well that those laws ban anti-Semitic hate speech and spreading Nazi propaganda. We are sure other kinds of content are also banned, but what matters to developers the most is that meeting the age ratings requirement does not guarantee that their games will be sold in Germany.
Valve has demonstrated a willingness to abide by each country and region’s laws and regulations to be able to do business around the world, so don’t expect them to change their mind on this at any point. And Germany is hardly the first country/region to make such demands from Steam and Valve. It is certainly something game developers have to worry about in the current landscape of the industry.
