Valve has shed light on its game recommendation system for Steam’s popular game festivals, addressing developer concerns about exposure and player complaints regarding low-quality titles.
Random First Two Days, Then Personalization
During a recent Steam Indie Connect event in South Korea, Valve’s Marc Wilkinson revealed how the Steam Festival’s main page recommendations operate. For the initial 48 hours of any event, the games showcased are presented to players on a purely random basis. Following this initial period, Valve’s personalized recommendation algorithms take over, aiming to highlight games that individual players are more likely to be interested in.
Balancing Exposure and Quality
Wilkinson acknowledged that the random selection in the early stages is intentional. The primary goal is to ensure that every developer, regardless of their game’s genre or perceived marketability, gets a fair shot at being seen by potential players. This approach also aims to prevent developers from strategically gaming the system by participating early solely for exposure.
“We know that comes at a cost, which is that lower-quality games also get visibility,” Wilkinson stated. “We absolutely understand that, and we have a lot of people thinking about how to solve that.”
This admission comes in response to feedback from some developers and players who have voiced frustration over the perceived lack of discoverability and the presence of numerous low-quality or “AI garbage” games, particularly during the early days of the festivals. The random element, while intended to be equitable, inevitably means that less polished titles can appear alongside highly anticipated ones.
A Long-Standing Challenge
Tom Giardino, another Valve employee, echoed that these types of complaints are not new. He recalled similar discussions occurring years ago, even back to the days of Steam Greenlight. Developers have consistently sought ways to filter out or avoid recommendations for games they deem undesirable.
Giardino elaborated that Valve’s fundamental philosophy isn’t necessarily about strictly filtering out low-quality games. Instead, the company’s focus is on improving the store’s overall discoverability mechanisms. The aim is to create an environment where superior titles naturally rise to the top and capture player attention, rather than imposing restrictive measures on developers wishing to join the platform.
The Future of Discovery on Steam
While Valve acknowledges the challenges of balancing equitable exposure with quality control, the company appears committed to refining its recommendation and storefront algorithms. The ongoing dialogue with developers and the continuous analysis of player feedback suggest that improvements to how games are presented during events like the Steam Festival are a priority. The exact solutions remain under development, but the core principle of fostering a discoverable platform for quality games remains central to Valve’s strategy.
