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Valve confirms credit card companies pressured it to delist certain adult games

pcgamer.com

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Re: Valve confirms credit card companies pressured it to delist certain adult games

#171

Post by Aurornis »

throwaway071625 wrote: post #58

The article calls out “certain adult games” which is vague. It is interesting to note that most of the delisted games were themed specifically around incest. https://bsky.app/profile/steamdb.info/post/3lu32vdlsmg27 Wondering if this will be a slippery slope towards pulling more anodyne stuff.

> The article calls out “certain adult games” which is vague.

A Quick Look at the list has me wishing I hadn’t thought to look at the list.

I suspect the vague “certain adult games” was chosen because it makes it sound more controversial. If the headline was “Valve removed incest-themed games under pressure” there would be a lesser reaction.

Re: Valve confirms credit card companies pressured it to delist certain adult games

#172

Post by mulmen »

xyst wrote: post #143
benoau wrote: post #129

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's basically what gift cards are isn't it? > Leaked internal slides peg Steam’s net revenue last fiscal year at just under $10 billion https://www.simplymac.com/games/3-5m-per-employee-how-valve-...

Steam gift cards are funded by traditional banking products and partnerships. They can’t live without the invisible hand of the banking and credit card industry.

I like this (ab)use of the invisible hand meme. But in economics the “invisible hand” is more of a benevolent deity than a predictable mechanism. I propose “hidden hand” for what credit (card and rating) companies do.

Re: Valve confirms credit card companies pressured it to delist certain adult games

#173

Post by Covingtastic »

Honestly, this whole Visa/Mastercard control thing feels a lot like realizing you’ve been following rules that don’t really fit you. It’s tough to break out of it. But FedNow is an interesting option. It lets banks move money instantly, 24/7, with no card networks involved, so less hassle with the content policing. It’s not a magic fix (still early days, only works in the US), but it shows there’s another way if you’re willing to step outside the old patterns. Sometimes that’s what you need to actually move forward. And no I'm not a Fednow shill. Has anyone tried Kagi btw? ;)

Re: Valve confirms credit card companies pressured it to delist certain adult games

#174

Post by fendy3002 »

0cf8612b2e1e wrote: post #124
egypturnash wrote: post #108

Okay so is Steam enough of a money printer for Valve to say "well fuck you guys, we'll make our own credit card with hookers and bingo"? And hold out Half-Life 3 (only purchasable with the ValveCard) as a carrot?

I am genuinely curious who can actually threaten Visa (I do not think it is Valve). Amazon, Walmart, Target and then increasingly unsure.

Though unpopular, I'd say China is able to

Re: Valve confirms credit card companies pressured it to delist certain adult games

#175

Post by dandellion »

layer8 wrote: post #107
1970-01-01 wrote: post #96

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's a slippery slope. It's not real but can certainly, by definition, create a situation that mimics reality to the point of assisting someone at committing a real crime that they couldn't possibly commit without the simulation.

Should also ban GTA then. /s

And all Hollywood studios as well.

Re: Valve confirms credit card companies pressured it to delist certain adult games

#176

Post by Am4TIfIsER0ppos »

maxbond wrote: post #161

Why do payment processors do stuff like this? Is there some regulation that requires them to? I get that they don't want to process fraudulent transactions, but I'd think the response to a higher percentage of fraud from some industry would be to charge them more. It doesn't make sense to me why they would be concerned about the content of games, as long as everything is legal and the parties concerned aren't subject…

[flagged]

Re: Valve confirms credit card companies pressured it to delist certain adult games

#177

Post by mulmen »

HPsquared wrote: post #157
elcritch wrote: post #150

Earlier quoted context omitted.

On a serious side note, only certain banks get to print money.

They don't physically print the notes, but they do magically add money to a person's account when they take a loan. That kind of thing is where most "money" (in banks, anyway) comes from. It's just like matter and antimatter being created at the same time, money and anti-money (debt) are created at the same time and when they meet, they cancel each other out. So borrowing literally creates money (and debt), and repay…

How does interest fit in here? Isn’t that what creates money AKA inflation?

Re: Valve confirms credit card companies pressured it to delist certain adult games

#178

Post by AStonesThrow »

Aurornis wrote: post #171
throwaway071625 wrote: post #58

The article calls out “certain adult games” which is vague. It is interesting to note that most of the delisted games were themed specifically around incest. https://bsky.app/profile/steamdb.info/post/3lu32vdlsmg27 Wondering if this will be a slippery slope towards pulling more anodyne stuff.

> The article calls out “certain adult games” which is vague. A Quick Look at the list has me wishing I hadn’t thought to look at the list. I suspect the vague “certain adult games” was chosen because it makes it sound more controversial. If the headline was “Valve removed incest-themed games under pressure” there would be a lesser reaction.

[dead]

Re: Valve confirms credit card companies pressured it to delist certain adult games

#179

Post by arathis »

Am4TIfIsER0ppos wrote: post #176
maxbond wrote: post #161

Why do payment processors do stuff like this? Is there some regulation that requires them to? I get that they don't want to process fraudulent transactions, but I'd think the response to a higher percentage of fraud from some industry would be to charge them more. It doesn't make sense to me why they would be concerned about the content of games, as long as everything is legal and the parties concerned aren't subject…

[flagged]

I’d be pro banning of that shit.

Re: Valve confirms credit card companies pressured it to delist certain adult games

#180

Post by [deleted] »

seanclayton wrote: post #148
miningape wrote: post #92

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yeah, who gets to decide whats too far? There's a similar issue with free speech - the moment you ban certain speech the door to banning your political opposition opens.

> Yeah, who gets to decide whats too far? The ruling ethnic group, of course, as is tradition.

[deleted]
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