Valve Try To Clarify The Steam Store Stance

After a run of bad publicity thanks to titles like Hatred, Active Shooter, and *shudder* AIDS Simulator being available to purchase on Steam, while other games (often visual novels) are banned for being "inappropriate", Valve have tried to clarify how they decide which titles are approved or rejected for sale.

In a recent blog post, Valve have outlined the "particularly challenging" problem of deciding which games should and shouldn't be allowed on Steam, given the fact that laws and standards differ around the world, among individuals, and even within Valve itself. The long-and-short of it is that after lengthy consideration, they won't be dictating what is considered "appropriate" and "inappropriate", instead leaving it up to the player to decide what they wish to consume. 

While some people have praised Valve for not dictating what developers should and shouldn't do with their games, others such as outspoken journalist Jim Sterling have criticised the company for tacitly endorsing games that are not only offensive, but often just plain bad.