Valve’s China partner, Perfect World, released more details about Steam China, the upcoming Chinese version of the world’s largest digital game distribution platform. The Shanghai-based video game developer and publishers said Steam China is “almost entirely independent of Steam.”
Why it matters: As Chinese regulators start to enforce more stringent rules on game content, Steam has come under closer scrutiny due to the violent and sexually explicit games that it distributes. An independent Chinese version of the platform is likely to help Valve, Steam’s owner, conform to Chinese regulations without damaging its existing interests in other markets.
Details: Perfect World said that the official Chinese name of Steam China would be “Zhengqi Pingtai,” which translates to “Steam Platform.”
- The platform is “tailored for Chinese users” and will have “high-speed servers and high-quality operations teams,” according to Perfect World CEO Xiao Hong.
- The first batch of close to 40 games that will be launched on the platform includes Valve’s “Dota2” and “Dota Underlords.” All of the titles are available on the international version of Steam.