There’s been a number of issues with Steam when it comes to getting approved and launching an app on the digital distribution service, many times surrounding the content within the game. However, some developers are facing a new issue with interactive movie games, where software considered as “movie type apps” are being withheld.
The issue stems around Bmc Studio’s movie-like games that are the equivalent of a choose-your-own-adventure.
According to tweets from indie developer CaffeineMeme, the Steamworks account for the French-Canadian developer Alain Lagacé from Bmc Studio was disrupted and he’s no longer able to add new games to the Steam database. Lagacé is known for making full-motion video titles, but that could be coming to an end if Valve decides to put a halt to said apps.
CaffeineMeme posted a Twitter thread on April 23rd, 2020 detailing the issue, writing…
“[Alain Lagacé from BMC Studio ] Recently got all of his games terminated from Steam. However, in a case nobody would really expect, it wasn’t due to any TOS violations, ban evasion, or something you usually see from devs effectively removed from the platform.
“Steam has recently enacted a new rule where any app that could be considered a ‘movie type apps’. While many Bmc games could fall under this, it’s important to keep in mind that these are also often interactive, there’s a sense of gameplay to them.
“Hell, even recently, there were various plans for Bmc games to be full-fledged games, only one of which was released, that being Jekoosware, along with his first release, which was more game [than] movie, Kimulator.
“The oddest part about this scenario is that Alain also hasn’t been banned. His formerly upcoming game, Each Sale I Drink a Glass of Water, was eradicated, however the rest of his games (as of writing) are still up.”
If you check the SteamDB listing for Bmc Studio, his games are still in the Steam database. They also still show up under a general search on the Steam store.
However, it’s also true that Bmc Studio’s newer game, Each Sale I Drink a Glass of Water, has been banned from the Steam store.
The SteamDB entry shows the following notice for the game’s app approval…
“At the request of the publisher, this app has been retired. You may not be able to buy or get it.”
This is actually untrue. Lagacé did not request for the game to be removed and it was originally scheduled to launch May 1st, 2020.
Well my newest game is taken down. Which I hope can also be fixed since it was becoming viral 😕
— Alain Lagacé (Bmc Studio) (@AlainBmcStudio) April 24, 2020
CaffeineMeme went on to point out that this was an “egregious shift” in Valve’s policies, writing…
“@Steam This is an egregious shift of policy and also one of loose [judgment]. Like it or not, Bmc games have interactivity, and by definition, can be considered games. They maybe have many aspects of movies, but they are such a unique [titles] that it’s unfair to judge them as films.
“This has also affected many others besides Alain. Actors, animators, developers such as me, and more were working with dedication under Bmc, despite his dwindling sales. He’s brought together a community of talent who’ve grown through their experiences with Bmc Studio.
“I encourage you all to spread the word about this. I may not take myself seriously on this account, but this involves the loss of the livelihood of a good friend of mine, and I don’t want to sit down and let this happen.”
It’s pretty obvious what the issue is given that Lagacé wasn’t outright banned nor all his titles removed.
It’s the full-motion video aspect of the software.
Valve has been systematically removing or banning certain kinds of software that features live actors, especially if the software contains any kind of sexual content or could be construed as software aimed at an adult audience.
Valve has been using the exact same notices that Lagacé received to also remove other software, such as Bad Ass Babes, iStripper, and the 1998 adult strategy sim, Wet: The Sexy Empire.
Games that contain any kind of full-motion video with live actors and any hint of adult content is viable for removal on Steam. They’ve been purging these games and putting up the false notice that the apps were removed at the request of the publisher, even when that’s untrue, like in the case with Lagacé.
Is it possible that his newest FMV project was falsely labeled for removal? It’s possible. Is it also possible that Valve is simply cracking down on FMV games to limit liability regarding claims of inappropriate content or obscenity? It’s possible.
The reality is that Valve is not transparent about their software curation, so a lot of times you have to piece together their motives based on past actions, and until Lagacé receives word from Valve about the reasons for the removal of the software, we can only speculate as to what Valve’s real motives are behind coming down on his FMV projects.
(Thanks for the news tip ZeroD)