Government regulation means Steam China will be an organized platform

"The way we run Steam around the world, where the developers come to us, they register, they ship their game, you just can not have the same operation here."

– DJ Powers from Valve discusses the differences between Steam China and existing versions of Steam.

The version of Steam launched in China will adopt a more elaborate approach to its game library, a departure from the existing platform made necessary by the strict Chinese regulation of video games.

DJ Powers from Valve gave more details on the recent announcement in an interview with Eurogamer, addressing topics he would like to add to how the official launch will impact the unofficially available version of Steam for Chinese players.

On curation, Powers tells Eurogamer that a more practical approach is needed for the platform to exist alongside China's infamous rules on game content. Valve insists that this is an advantage in the interview, stating that the process means that Steam China users can download games from local servers and thus benefit from a "high quality experience".

"I mean obviously it's a different market, where, there's only one process that games have to follow," he says. "The way we run Steam around the world, where really the developers come to us, they register, they ship their game, you just can not have the same operation here. And so, we work with the processes in place and we will have as many games as possible on the platform, but there is just a limit, and by definition, you have to sort of be more organized. "

The whole procedure is also discreetly complicated by the international version of Steam already (unofficially) available in China, a version offering games not yet approved by the official channels.

Powers promises that for games that are compatible with Steam China, players will be able to import their backup data and purchases from Global Steam.

Valve also does not intend to close China's access to Steam Global, although the question of whether the storefront remains accessible may ultimately be out of reach of the company.

In response to two consecutive questions about the future of the international platform after the launch of Steam China, Powers responds twice: "Nothing will change about global Steam," although he notes that the "externalities" out of control of Valve are always a factor.