A large portion of PC gamers are utilizing Steam as not only a marketplace to buy and collect a library of games, but also for the data it provides on the games themselves.
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While the specifics of exactly how many players are playing, have bought, or have flagged a title aren’t blatantly public on the Steam listing for a game, an approximation of that data can be found on websites such as SteamDB or Steam Charts. Gamers typically use these websites to see how many players are playing a game at a specific time, to track the price of the title on Steam, and to see how the game was received by the public. All of this information is then used to make an informed decision about purchasing a title.
Despite the value these websites provide gamers by shining a light on the typically hidden performance stats of games, Ubisoft insiders have claimed the company isn’t a fan. According to a post on the FandomPulse Substack, which quotes insiders at the company, Ubisoft, along with “other companies” want Valve to disable or restrict the APIs that are used by tools such as SteamDB and Steam Charts. The Ubisoft insiders said this was a direct response to the failure of Star Wars Outlaws, which Ubisoft themselves confirmed didn’t reach internal expectations.
“Ubisoft and other companies want to pressure Steam to stop the tracker from giving out info they want to keep to themselves… They want to be able to present findings to investors so they can make it sound good.“
Notably, while these claims appear to be right in line with what gaming publishers would want, they are just that, claims, as they have yet to be verified.
