At least one Steam user has begun using the platform's Curator system to place warning messages on the Steam pages of games from developers they believe to be guilty of scamming or otherwise mistreating customers.
While this likely won't have an immediate effect on the vast majority of game developers -- the "Scam Report" curator has under 400 followers at the moment -- it has some intriguing ramifications for the platform if it manages to pick up, er, steam.
This sort of watchdog effort may reduce the negative impact developers who abandon their Early Access projects have on the platform, but Kotaku aptly points out that it also may lead to trustworthy developers being branded as "scammers" because they haven't been forthcoming or fast enough in their efforts.
Moreover, initiatives like this highlight a demand among Steam users for a better way to gauge the risk of spending money on the platform. Valve, for its part, took steps to minimize that risk this summer by launching a generous Steam refunds program.
It's not inconceivable that Scam Report (or a more high-profile curator with the same MO) could attract a large following, either; YouTuber TotalBiscuit launched a "Framerate Police" Steam Curator in July that has since swelled to just under 100,000 followers.
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