Valve’s most recent update to Steam has made some major changes to the service’s interface. -discovery-update-creates-a-more-personal-video-game-shopping-experience
The new Discovery system at the top of the store page is intended to personalize your shopping experience to cater to your interests; this should make it easier for gamers to find the type of games they’re interested in, by filtering out titles that would otherwise not appeal to them. You’re able to customize the Discovery section to exclude or add specific categories you feel are more catered to your preferences; however by default it will show Top Sellers and popular DLC for games that you own.
A queue system has also been added, that creates a playlist of new and upcoming games that Steam predicts you might be interested in, based on the kind of games that you play and have purchased in the past.
Valve has also added a Curators system, which allows users to customize their interface. To become a Curator you simply need to be the owner of a Steam Community Group; the more games you curate, the more notable your Curator status will become.
Gamers used to the traditional navigation of Steam’s storefront, it hasn’t changed to drastically. Simply scroll past the Discovery section at the top of the screen, and you will see recognizable sections such as upcoming and popular releases, as well as weekly/daily deals and the green light section.
In an interview with Eurogamer, Valve’s Alden Kroll answered frequently asked questions and concerns regarding this major update and how it will change the Steam experience. Referring to frequently-cited concerns about how the increasing number of products on the service impacts discoverability and visiblity, he said that the issue “is obviously a huge concern for us, and these changes have come about as a result of our conversations with developers, publishers, and customers. The changes in this update will help improve visibility in a number of ways. First, there are more placements, so Steam can deliver much more inventory in terms of impressions to customers.”
On the new Curator system, he said that the addition allows gamers “to share their opinions with those who have similar tastes,” before adding: “we also wanted to put the power of what’s being shown in the customers [sic] hands”.
The Discovery update is out now, so you can look forward to it the next time you boot up the storefront.
Anthony McDonald
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