PC Gaming

Why the fuck is Steam still in Russia?

'This isn't "wokeness", it's basic human rights and equality and nothing more,' he added. 'If Steam can't support free speech of LGBTQ+ people, then at the very least they should be transparent about this.'

What a bizarre response. Neither Roskomnadzor nor Valve claimed this had anything to do with "'wokeness,'" and Steam was in fact transparent about this.

I don't really get what anyone expects Valve to do here other than comply with the law. Still, I'm surprised they're even able to operate in Russia given all the sanctions.

“Non-traditional”? Homosexuality has been around and recorded since the Romans and even prior. 2000+ years isn’t traditional? That’s just as long as Christianity.

Your choice as Valve here is to either delist or not be in Russia. It is easy for me, as someone not in Russia, to cheer Valve to fight the good fight. But, it would suck if I were in Russia and suddenly lost access to my games.

When "the right thing to do" enters in conflict with "what maximises profits", businesses almost always pick the later.

What makes this decision particularly stark is the response from other tech giants. The same censorship notice was sent to Apple and Google, as the game has been available on their Russian mobile stores since 2020. Both companies reportedly ignored the request, leaving Flick Solitaire available for download.

It's a matter of relative power.

This sucks.

However, I think it is important for Steam to continue operating in Russia: by seeing the living standards of other people across the world, younger Russians will develop those same expectations. Everyday things like furnishings, food, how people treat each other, and so forth. When the Russia we know dies, it will be important for the Russians of the future to have ideas and desires to drive them forward. Also, Russian authorities won't be able to fully inspect ALL media for LGBTQ+, which means that people will see something that they "shouldn't".

In the long run, the media that people consume will determine how they feel their nation should become. It is my hope that Putin's Russia will die in the coming years, and a better nation born from the ashes.

What's the alternative? They have to obey the law, right? What should they have done? How is this "bowing to Kremlin" as if they're kneeling, waiting to suck their dick or something.

Genuinely curious about these questions.

I wonder if the same people who say Steam should pull out of Russia would agree that Steam should also pull out from the US. I mean, that's what should happen given the basis of the arguments being used, right?

It's called "complying with the law".

I mean, if you want to operate in a country, you follow their laws when in the country?

So, human rights stuff aside, how/why the fuck do we need a genderised solitaire?

These comments are shit. Who said that you should comply with Russia's laws???

Surprised to not see it linked. Warning: despite being free, recent reviews point out how they’re pushing a monthly subscription to get all the cosmetics.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/3690460/FLICK_SOLITAIRE/