This feels like a textbook case of “protecting the user” as an excuse for protecting the gatekeeper. If 76% of players support opt-in ads and developers are seeing better retention, how is this a worse experience? Steam isn’t just saying no to ads,it’s saying no to player choice and developer flexibility. That might keep their storefront clean, but it’s also starting to look a lot like control for control’s sake.
This feels like a textbook case of “protecting the user” as an excuse for protecting the gatekeeper. If 76% of players support opt-in ads and developers are seeing better retention, how is this a worse experience? Steam isn’t just saying no to ads,it’s saying no to player choice and developer flexibility. That might keep their storefront clean, but it’s also starting to look a lot like control for control’s sake.