Steam rules updated to prohibit content that violates rules set forth by payment processors and banks

Internet providers too, not just banks/credit card companies get to dictate what is acceptable or not. This is a particularly bad precedent since it's Steam enforcing these terms - a store/platform normally hailed for their pro-consumer approach. That aside, the censoring in our hobby is getting beyond tedious. Yes, the games in the op are awful but that's exactly why most of us won't buy them - because we're adults who can make our own choices.
 
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Unknown? said:
Ah but you see, everything in your bank account is the Bank's money and not yours. Putting money in the bank is actually loaning the bank money, making you an unsecured creditor. That means you have no collateral you can repossess if they default. The number on your account is a ledger of what they owe you back, but until they give it back they can do whatever they want with it.
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Depends on where you are. In the EU at least all your deposits until 100k are covered by the bank by law, so if it defaults they have to give you the money back. In extreme cases the government would probably have to step-in and pay it themselves, but it's very doubtful they'd leave people hanging dry.
It's cases where you have more money than that on deposit or if you have active investments on the bank that you're fucked.
 
Unknown? said:
Ah but you see, everything in your bank account is the Bank's money and not yours. Putting money in the bank is actually loaning the bank money, making you an unsecured creditor. That means you have no collateral you can repossess if they default. The number on your account is a ledger of what they owe you back, but until they give it back they can do whatever they want with it.
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Accurate exaggeration that depends on the country. You are in most cases protected by the law as well as insurance policies.
 
GudOlRub said:
Depends on where you are. In the EU at least all your deposits until 100k are covered by the bank by law, so if it defaults they have to give you the money back. In extreme cases the government would probably have to step-in and pay it themselves, but it's very doubtful they'd leave people hanging dry.
It's cases where you have more money than that on deposit or if you have active investments on the bank that you're fucked.
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Not sure about EU laws on coverage but I'm pretty sure they have bail-in laws just like the US. That's where in a default, they can legally take your deposits(aka loans) and use it to keep them afloat. They did it in cyprus in 2013. Regardless, even there it still is legally loaned to the bank. It is not correct to call it, "your money" in the bank anywhere.

In the US they used to have to keep 10% of your deposits in reserve, but since covid that went to 0%. From fractional reserve to zero reserve banking. They operate like casinos, making bets on derivatives and stocks with what you've loaned them.

The US has FDIC insurance for 250k but is also a farce used as a false sense of security as they only have a couple hundred billion to cover 19 trillion deposits.
 
While I think that no well-adjusted people will miss any of those trashy games. Isn't it a bit disconcerting that banks has the ability to be a moral-police entity? What are laws even for then?
 
Poppinfresh said:
This is probably a good time to point out the fact that most of the payment processors who are going after distasteful digital porn games still process payments for other aspects of the porn industry, which relies heavily on human trafficking, modern-day slavery, and is heavily entwined with organized crime.
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Which is why alot of porn companies have shell companies on shell companies that actually bill you.
The CC dont want that stuff associated with them either.

In fact this very action stems from the fact they already blocked this type of video porn from their systems and are now adding said porn in the form of games.

They are just catching up with the times.

Poppinfresh said:
Yeah, it's not good at all.

It starts with removing/censoring stuff that most people find distasteful, but it's a slippery slope, and it's only a matter of time before payment processors (backed by investment companies like Blackrock) start to use their power to force other games off of services.

Your game doesn't fit our DEI guidelines? Sorry, we're not going to process any payments related to the sale of that game.

Your game is violent? Sorry, we're not going to process it.

etc...
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Slippery slope arguments are a slippery slope.



If an IPs or Payment Platform doesnt want a certain kind of thing on their service then move to another service.
When Patreon clamped down on porn people moved on to the next platform that allowed it.

So the same thing would happen here.
If Steam gets forced to remove violent videogames due to pressure from Internet Providers and Credit Card companies then a new service will pop up that allows those kind of games.

But you are so far down the hill at this point you might as well be worrying about the death of the sun.
 
No one should be excited the banks and payment processors can dictate what is sold by individual establishments, regardless of how distasteful the content is. If the content is legal, then it absolutely should not matter to a bank or processor. Just take the money.
 
Slippery Slope . . . I don't like payment processing having a say on any purchases. Pretty soon we'll be like one of those countries that now have to explain why you want to take $5k of your own money out of your own bank account . . . .
 
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Even though this batch of games is trash, suggesting there isn't an issue with this is a short-sighted and frankly embarrassing mentality. Why would anyone be okay with payment processors dictating what media is or is not acceptable? They are not the good guys. It also doesn't take a lot of cognition to see how this sort of policy could eventually extend to whatever is politically unpopular at the moment.
 
I don't really like payment processors having this kind of power.
I doubt anybody really cares about these games in particular not being on Steam, but payment processors basically being able to dictate what we are and aren't allowed to consume rubs me the wrong way.
Not wanting to be associated with it, doesn't even really make sense. I don't think anybody attributes any sort of responsibility to VISA/MasterCard/etc just because you can purchase things via their payment network. And besides, considering the basic monopoly they have it's not like they would lose customers. So it kind of just feels like they are morally policing for the sake of it.
 
Aenima said:
But steam should be the one to be more clear about whats allowed and what isent. Leaving the credit card companies dictate what is allowed or not is not a good thing IMO.
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Steam already isn't clear about what they do or don't allow, it's basically a roll of the dice for devs depending on who reviews their game submission & Steam doesn't allow appeals or second looks either
 
crap… hopefully my favorite game of all time: "Incest: going to another world and r*** my hot sister slave and hot aunt amputee" isn't banned yet
 
I didn't think the payment processers even saw the title of the purchases to start with . . . . right? I thought they just saw steam games purchace, and the amount.
 
"Reincarnation in another world going to rape all NPCs VR"

Speechless GIF by MOODMAN
 
digimaster7 said:
yea, mine only says a generic steam purchases without any information what I just purchased
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Yes, but the reason that Steam is taking action is they don't want processors to stop all $/€/etc. payments through Steam.

The reason processors take these actions is they don't want to get tagged by Congress, EU, whoever for supporting this stuff. Hence the rules. As you can imagine the "wind" shifts with whoever is in charge.

Steam really doesn't have much choice unless they want to invite a lot of potential trouble.
 
Poppinfresh said:
This is probably a good time to point out the fact that most of the payment processors who are going after distasteful digital porn games still process payments for other aspects of the porn industry, which relies heavily on human trafficking, modern-day slavery, and is heavily entwined with organized crime.
Click to expand...

The same happend to DLSite, and Japan DLSite was completely safe from the decision lmao
 
Maybe if Baldur's Gate 3 and the like get removed from Steam some of the moronic sycophants will finally realize just how retarded they actually are.
 
Related to my other comment about payment processors still processing payments for other aspects of the porn industry:

There's probably far worse games still on Steam that just didn't have certain distasteful words in their titles and I'm sure these same payment processors are happily taking their cut from sales of those games.

I'd have more respect for payment processors and Valve/Steam/Gabe if they just said: No Porn. Meaning payment processors stop processing payments for any sort of porn and Steam stops selling all porn games. At least then they would be ideologically consistent.

Sorry, but I find the real-life human trafficking that takes place in the porn industry to be a hell of a lot worse than a game by some geek who wants to fap to the fantasy of fucking his sister.
 
Peroroncino said:
automaton-media.com

Steam rules updated to prohibit content that violates rules set forth by payment processors and banks - AUTOMATON WEST

Valve's rules regarding what developers "shouldn't publish on Steam" have a new clause regarding standards set forth by payment processors.
automaton-media.com automaton-media.com

Looks like Steam already got busy removing some games from purchase, list includes such classics as:

jT2N5Jt.png


So far only the more "edgy" porn games are on the chopping block, so SA/loli/incest etc.

Latest app changes - steam-tracker.com

steam-tracker.com steam-tracker.com

images


goon-alert.gif
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1.jpg

Can wait for the anime adaptation
 
Payment processors dictating censorship is so abusive I'm surprised there are no laws against it already.

Visa/Mastercard have no business telling me I can't buy porn games with their cards.
And if some of that content is controversial or morally bad, it is not their job to have a say in it, it is the job of the people and elected official and actual laws to do that.
 
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