Steam Is Coming To China As A Separate Marketplace

Steam is on its way to China as a separate marketplace co-created by Valve and its Chinese partner, Perfect World. The Shanghai-based video game developer and publisher said Steam China will be “almost entirely independent of Steam.”

That’s according to a report by Technode. The bespoke marketplace is officially titled “Zhengqi Pingtai,” which translates to Steam Platform.

By creating a self-contained version of Steam specifically for China, it ensures Valve will be able to conform to the increasingly stringent rules Chinese regulators have placed on video games, without damaging its interests in other regions. Valve has come under close scrutiny in the past because of the violent and sexually explicit games it distributes on the marketplace, but an independent Chinese store should alleviate these issues in the future.

According to Perfect World CEO Xiao Hong, Steam China will be “tailored for Chinese users,” with “high-speed servers and high-quality operations teams.” Around 40 games will initially release on the new platform, all of which are currently available on the international version of Steam, including Dota 2 and Dota Underlords.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/steam-is-coming-to-china-as-a-separate-marketplace/1100-6469287/