The Chinese Steam client is launching in a couple of days, albeit in a beta format.

Valve’s popular digital platform is available in China via legal loopholes, except for the social functions, even though the Chinese Communist Party’s rules shouldn’t allow it to happen. For years, Valve and Perfect World have been working on a Chinese, local version of Steam. On DotA 2’s Chinese blog, it was announced that on February 9, Steam China will launch with this game and Counter-Strike: Global Offensive as two bigger titles, explaining how players can migrate from the international version to the Chinese one.

We need to explain this loophole: to have a license to have your game available legally in China, you need the censors to look through your game for sexual and political content, and also have rules so that younger players are limited in their playtime. If you get a license, you can get your game on local gaming platforms, such as Tencent’s WePlay for example (and we don’t need to introduce this tech giant, do we?). However, the Chinese developers could skip this altogether to have their game available via Steam internationally.

Many Chinese developers and publishers are afraid of the Steam China client, as tens of thousands of PC games would become unavailable, and the local developers would not have their indie games on the platform (Genshin Impact; Tale of Immortal – the latter is the fourth most popular game based on concurrent players). One unnamed (we can see why everyone is anonymous) told PCGamer that they „are all worried.”

„The bad news is if you want to [obtain a license], you must pay at least 20,000 to 30,000 yuan (roughly 3000 to 4500 USD), modify your game as they ask, and wait for the investigation, which can last up to 12 to 24 months,” another developer claimed. Sure, both Steam versions will be available in China, but who knows for how long?

A publisher involved in the Chinese market has an addendum to the Steam distribution agreement, and all developers must sign when launching a game on Steam. It outlines the process and rules for launching a game on Steam China, plus it explains that players won’t have to create a second account for Steam China and that games will transfer freely between the two versions so long as that game is approved for sale on both Steam China and Steam’s international version. So if you move to Steam China, all approved games from the international will be available. If you buy a game on the Chinese version, it will be accessible in the international version as well.

„[Blocking the international Steam client] would be catastrophic. I mean, hundreds of companies will die within a few months. All those Chinese games you [currently] see on Steam pulling in crazy money, that’s only because Steam is available to everyone. There is no alternative. Those regulations, if strictly adhered to, basically kill an indie industry. No one can afford to spend years making a game only to have it sit in a government office for 18 months,” a publisher said.

Steam’s Chinese demographic is the second biggest on the platform with its 30+ million players. While it might be causing language barriers, this group of players have helped several indie games become profitable. The publisher claims it’s just a matter of time before the international Steam is put behind the great firewall of China: „[It] is inevitable. I think Perfect World has done an incredible job of kicking the can down the street but soon it will be in their interest for Steam Global to exit stage left. Once Steam China is live, it’s only a matter of time. After all, why would you bother creating a Steam China if Steam Global is still in operation? It makes no sense.”

It might be a shame if it happened.

Source: PCGamer