With no launch date announced for Steam China, Valve’s DJ Powers elaborates on the company’s strategy in the country.
Here’s the gist of what he told Eurogamer following yesterday’s announcement of launch titles for the platform.
- Steam China will provide better experience for Chinese users. All content will be localized. Local payment methods will be available. All servers are in the country allowing for faster download times. The platform will also have features such as forums that have been blocked for the global Steam. However, unlike in the rest of the world, there might have to be some moderation for Steam forums.
- Powers, who is on Valve’s business development team, is unsure about how the idea for Steam China appeared.
- Steam China will be an opportunity for Valve to test how the audience responds to a curated storefront experience, something that is absent from the international version of Steam.
- The general strategy for Steam China is to do whatever the local laws prescribe.
- There will be no exclusives on Steam China. If a game ships on Steam China, it ships on Steam elsewhere.
- Chinese users will be able to move their library, data and saves to Steam China when it arrives.
- As far as Steam global is concerned, Valve’s intention is to keep it as it is right now, which is freely accessible with no VPN necessary. However, there are “externalities” that Valve can’t control, so it might not be up to them to eventually decide what happens to Steam global in China.
- When will the company reveal the exact launch time and more details about the interface? According to Powers, “hopefully pretty soon.”