Valve addresses Steam's AI game cloning problem - by suggesting developers make their games less copyable

Valve's business team members Tom Giardino and Marc Wilkinson were reportedly asked at a Steam Indie Connect developer conference in Korea, reported by InvenGlobal , whether Steam had any protective measures in place to stop games being cloned by AI.

The short version

• The questioner, a developer, cited an example whereby developers were held to ransom by people threatening to clone a game.
• Instead, developers can guard against copycats by building active communities and establishing trust and by making a legitimate version of a game the best version available, Giardino reportedly said.
• Then there's the game itself: a more complex game will be harder to copy.

What happened

"Rather than relying on a single mechanic that someone can easily copy, you need to keep growing your game by adding features, personality, and creativity that stem from your own perspective," Giardino reportedly said. Without Valve's intervention, it's hard to see what a developer can do to guard against this.

Why it matters

How can you build a community and trust, and ensure your game is the best version available, if you're not given a chance at finding an audience to begin with?

Summary by Nerd News Network. Read the full article at Eurogamer via the links above and below.