Valve: Steam Greenlight will eventually 'go away'

Valve is holding its Steam Dev Days conference and is hinting at an imminent demise for Steam Greenlight.

January 15, 2014 12:35 PM

Valve is holding its Steam Dev Days conference in Seattle over the next two days, welcoming in over 2,000 game development professionals. Though the event is closed off to the press, details about the future of Steam have made their way out. Notably, Valve is promising that Greenlight will eventually "go away."

While Steam Greenlight has been a way to crowdsource game submissions and help indie developers find their way onto the Steam marketplace, Valve has acknowledged that the idea has been far from perfect and needs to move forward.

"Our goal is to make Greenlight go away," said Valve president Gabe Newell (via VentureBeat). "Not because it's not useful, but because we're evolving."

While Newell didn't specify how this process would evolve, his statement does point to a friendlier Steam platform that would allow small developers an easier path towards having their games published. To that end, the over 2,000 developers in attendance are receiving a free Steam Machine to assist them in development. As of now, Greenlight features 422 Greenlit titles and 177 full releases.

Ozzie Mejia

Senior Editor

Ozzie has been playing video games since picking up his first NES controller at age 5. He has been into games ever since, only briefly stepping away during his college years. But he was pulled back in after spending years in QA circles for both THQ and Activision, mostly spending time helping to push forward the Guitar Hero series at its peak. Ozzie has become a big fan of platformers, puzzle games, shooters, and RPGs, just to name a few genres, but he’s also a huge sucker for anything with a good, compelling narrative behind it. Because what are video games if you can't enjoy a good story with a fresh Cherry Coke?

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Shacknews

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January 15, 2014 12:35 PM

Ozzie Mejia posted a new article, Valve: Steam Greenlight will eventually 'go away'.

Valve is holding its Steam Dev Days conference and is hinting at an imminent demise for Steam Greenlight.
- Hazim
  
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  January 15, 2014 12:49 PM
  
  They should just copy the XBLIG model and make a cordoned-off area where anyone can submit their pretentious indie garbage.
  - DeBurgo
    
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    January 15, 2014 1:35 PM
    
    ugh. that model is terrible and everyone hates it.
  - trelain
    
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    January 15, 2014 2:13 PM
    
    Some of the best games are coming from the indie scene. Your idea is terrible.
- Firefly1985
  
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  January 15, 2014 12:49 PM
  
  I like the fact that all of the devs in attendance are getting a Steam Machine.
  - Ziz
    
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    January 15, 2014 1:35 PM
    
    Lucky bastards!!!
- Rauol Duke
  
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  January 15, 2014 12:58 PM
  
  I just wish they'd fence off early access/this shit ain't done yet/paid alpha to it's own section.
  - eorlas
    
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    January 15, 2014 1:10 PM
    
    Store > Games > Early Access
    - Chod
      
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      January 15, 2014 1:15 PM
      
      That doesn't stop them from appearing as daily deals, sales, or on the front page.
      - bill crystals
        
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        January 15, 2014 1:18 PM
        
        And you have an issue with this...because?
        
        As long as it says 'Early Access' somewhere next to it when it appears on the front page, I don't see why this is a problem.
        
        Rauol Duke
        
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        January 15, 2014 1:20 PM
        
        It's been talked about a lot, some people get annoyed that a bunch of alpha/beta stuff is sold on the front page of Steam, and some people don't care. It's just purely personal preference.
        
        BeowolfSchaefer
        
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        January 15, 2014 1:32 PM
        
        All I have seen is people who do know the difference complaining on behalf of a theoretical section that doesn't . I haven't actually seen anyone who bought a earl access game and then was shocked that it wasn't done.
        
        Zek
        
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        January 15, 2014 1:36 PM
        
        Clearly there's a great deal of demand for these early access games, so it only seems right to make them visible instead of hiding them away. The market has spoken. Valve's responsibility is simply to make sure it's clear what you're getting.
    - LoioshDwaggie
      
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      January 15, 2014 1:28 PM
      
      He means out of the general release page. Right now it only shows clearly if it's early access once you go to the page for the game.
      - [deleted] 1167568288
        
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        January 15, 2014 1:33 PM
        
        [deleted]
  - crummynz
    
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    January 15, 2014 1:53 PM
    
    I think they are. There are several games here: http://store.steampowered.com/genre/Early%20Access/ That do not show here: http://store.steampowered.com/ Despite being released more recently.
- DeBurgo
  
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  January 15, 2014 1:34 PM
  
  i've been saying this to people who would bitch about valve/greenlight for a while, that they planned to do this.
- valcan_s
  
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  January 15, 2014 1:44 PM
  
  What the hell, why? It be really helpful if we could get a rough date when it will be closed, so those with projects can plan to release their project before such an event happens.
  
  Shack can you ask Valve or any one that knows(or is at the Steam Dev Days conference), and please post roughly when this is suppose to come into effect? Thanks
  
  When is exactly -> Steam Greenlight will eventually 'go away'
  
  I don't know, I think Steam and Greenlight are awesome for indie devs and the best, not sure why you want to ditch it unless there is Steam 2.
  
  Maybe Valve is going to stop supporting Windows, OSX, Linux and will force everyone to run their games threw Steam OS I wonder if that will happen, maybe this is the hidden plan. Thoughts?
  
  I suppose you can still submit our games the old way though...
  
  Weird
  - valcan_s
    
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    January 15, 2014 1:46 PM
    
    So we have nothing to worry about --> "his statement does point to a friendlier Steam platform that would allow small developers an easier path towards having their games published"
    
    I suppose I am looking at it negatively when I shouldn't?
    - OzzieMejia
      
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      January 15, 2014 1:51 PM
      
      No need to worry, good valcan. Whenever Greenlight goes away, it can only be replaced by something better and more efficient.
      - valcan_s
        
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        January 15, 2014 2:14 PM
        
        Hey Man, you know your totally right this is how the internet and tech works one goes down another if not 4 will rise.
        
        I guess I am so comfortable with Steam and it has the user base and is the go to place PC games that I do worry(I don't want to change). Like you said though you just know it will be replaced by something better if it does so we should just chill.
        
        Heck a replacement could come out pretty fast and I am sure user would shift as well.
        
        Just seems a shame with Valve current info structure that you only want to make things better than through something away(but I am sure they mean make it better and not ditching the concept). Maybe it is just the wording and they really do mean it will just be replaced. You know us gamers we get upset easily if our home seems to be attacked well at least I do.
        
        Thanks Ozzie you made me feel better :) \m/, still if you guys can get more info it be really cool to update us, like if you are a current Greenlight Dev like my self do you just shift to the new thing, what if you have a project in posted in the the transition period or if it gets shut down? thanks dude.