The Localization of Steam in China has Leaked
A leaker recently revealed to western gamers what Steam fans in China can expect when the operating system is localized later this year. This version of the client will limit what games Chinese Steam fans will have access to and specifies what times they can play them, with the ability to actively prevent people from playing during certain times. While there are many limitations with the alpha that leaked, it is still in development and could change between now and the official launch of the Chinese localization. The Steam OS is available in the west on PC and Mac now, including various freebies in its gaming library.
The most immediately noticeable difference between Steam in North America and Europe and the Steam China alpha is a message from the Democratic Peoples Republic of China. The message roughly states: “boycatt harmful games; reject game piracy. Exercise self-protection; avoid deception, moderation promotes brain health; excessive play is harmful to the body, well-planned use of your time will lead to a healthy lifestyle.” Considering various leaders have blamed gaming for violence, we’re glad that such warnings don’t accompany every game we play.
Steam China’s user profile icons within the client have been converted to the default question mark imaging in order to limit the risk of using images the Chinese government may not want. User names have also been changed to the default Steam ID which is a string of numbers that won’t allow users to set a custom name and potentially add something rebellious. China will also block access to Steam Community features such as forums according to the initial leaker WIN.gg.
Are you glad that your version of Steam doesn’t limit you as much as the Steam China Alpha does? Let us know in the comments below!
Source: VG24/7