Indie Games Delay Amid Steam Bottleneck
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November is, to put it lightly, nuts for video games.
World of Warcraft: Forever launches tomorrow, followed by The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time a few hours later, and GTA 6 two weeks after that.
Many indie developers fear launching during this AAA maelstrom because Valve’s approval process is reportedly slower than usual.
Normally Valve expects a three to five day waiting period, but several indies report reviews taking two or three weeks.
Caravarn Carnage: Fruity Road was approved on November 1 after submitting on October 16.
Ashen Legacy, submitted on October 15, also approved on November 1 ahead of its planned November 6 release.
Lacey’s Flash Games was delayed, finally releasing on Halloween, four days late.
Wheel Make It launched three weeks late.
More context
Timeline
- On October 15 2023 Ashen Legacy submitted for Steam approval.
- On October 31 2023 Lacey’s Flash Games released four days late.
- On November 1 2023 Both games approved by Valve after extended review.
Coverage notes
Center: Coverage from blog.acer.com, canro91.github.io, dev.to frames this as a developing news story: Indie Games Delay Amid Steam Bottleneck. Reporting emphasizes verified facts, named sources, and near-term impact for readers. Left: Left-leaning desks covering the same development typically emphasize public impact, institutional accountability, and who is most affected. Right: Right-leaning desks covering the same development typically emphasize practical outcomes, market or security stakes, and institutional response.
Primary report
Kotaku — Indie Games Delay Amid Steam Bottleneck
Sources
- kotaku.com
- refinery29.com
- bustle.com
- theguardian.com
- massivelyop.com
- ign.com
- blog.acer.com
- canro91.github.io
- dev.to
- forbes.com
- aftermath.site
- extremetech.com
- twistedvoxel.com
- theregister.com
- tech.slashdot.org
- rogerebert.com
- tvobsessive.com
- businessinsider.com
- cbr.com
- denofgeek.com
- thegamer.com
- leaddev.com
- screenrant.com
- collider.com
- digitalspy.com
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- freecodecamp.org
- infoworld.com
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- blog.csdn.net
- gizmodo.com
- x.com
- devforum.roblox.com
- in.ign.com
- polygon.com
- ijoc.org
- forums.mmorpg.com
- youtube.com
- reddit.com
- Kotaku
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