Gamers around the world have been feeling the pinch with the recent changes to Steam’s guidelines that prevent people from purchasing certain types of content on the platform. This has led to sweeping complaints about how payment processors should not interfere with people’s purchases. Due to the mounting pressure, Mastercard has made a brief statement that seeks to clarify the recent headlines.
The multinational payment card services stated that it “has not evaluated any game or required restrictions of any activity on game creator sites and platforms, contrary to media reports and allegations” and that it “allows all lawful purchases on our network.” The company then added that “At the same time, we require merchants to have appropriate controls to ensure Mastercard cards cannot be used for unlawful purchases, including illegal adult content.”
To put it simply, Mastercard has essentially stated that people can purchase explicit content, as long as it does not cross the line that depicts incest, underage porn, and non-consensual intercourse—deflecting the blame for NSFW games being taken down from Steam’s catalogue of games. However, Valve has come out with a response of its own rebuffing the payment processor’s statement.
In a statement provided to PC Gamer, A Valve representative stated that “Mastercard did not communicate with Valve directly, despite our request to do so.” Instead, “Mastercard communicated with payment processors and their acquiring banks. Payment processors communicated this with Valve, and we replied by outlining Steam’s policy since 2018 of attempting to distribute games that are legal for distribution.”
According to Valve, the payment processors “rejected” its response, citing a Mastercard rule prohibiting “illegal or brand-damaging transactions” and pointing out the “risk to the Mastercard brand”. In its ruling, Mastercard had no limitation on what constitutes a violation, as long as it is “patently offensive and lacks serious artistic value”. Indeed, it is a broad way to phrase things, possibly guaranteeing that there are no restrictions and enabling the business to impose a ban on anything it deems undesirable.
Though no one would miss these “unsavoury” titles, the main concern here is how payment processors have the power to dictate what companies, like Valve, can or can’t sell. This statement is proof that Mastercard is feeling the mounting pressure and the pushback from gamers, with many believing that the payment processors, not just Mastercard, have overstepped their boundaries. With Mastercard’s specific ruling left vague and potentially all-encompassing, there is a potential that non-explicit titles might be caught in the crossfire, something gamers are genuinely concerned about.
(Source: TechCrunch)
