Back in March, Valve revealed that both German and Brazilian laws mandate content ratings for video games. German regulators are particularly stringent, with the BZKJ stating that this requirement would also apply to games added to Steam prior to the law's enforcement. Initially, there was no set deadline for compliance, but Valve has now clarified that all games released on Steam before 2020 must meet the German regulations by November 15th.
Developer Responsibilities
Developers are required to fill out a content questionnaire available on Steam and submit their answers by mid-November. If they do not comply, their games will be hidden from Steam users in Germany. Even after submitting the questionnaire, there is a chance that the game may still not be visible to German customers. According to Valve’s Steamworks guidelines, "Certain types of content are prohibited for sale to customers in Germany."
Special Considerations
Additionally, games that have obtained a USK rating can enter their information through the store page editor, which allows developers to bypass the aforementioned questionnaire. There is a concern regarding games that remain on Steam but are no longer supported due to developers passing away or studios going bankrupt. This issue requires more focus from both Valve and the German regulatory bodies moving forward.
The current situation illustrates how digital games can become inaccessible in specific markets for a variety of reasons. However, the physical history of video games remains intact. For those interested, there is a 32% discount on Simon Parkin's An Illustrated History of 151 Video Games, now priced at $20.30, down from $29.99.
