All articles tagged with #nsfw games
Over one million people claimed free NSFW games on GOG in protest against increasing censorship on digital platforms like Steam and itch.io, highlighting concerns over game preservation and creative freedom amid tightening content rules.
Mastercard denies pressuring platforms like Steam and itch.io to restrict NSFW games, despite Valve claiming Mastercard's rules influenced their content policies. The controversy highlights ongoing tensions over adult content in gaming and the role of payment processors in content moderation.
Mastercard's policy on lawful transactions is ambiguous, allowing for vague discretion that can lead to censorship of certain industries like NSFW games. The article advocates for legal reforms to classify payment networks as common carriers, ensuring non-discrimination and transparency, while criticizing current profit margins and regulatory failures. It discusses the complexities of international law, the limitations of current payment infrastructure, and the need for government-led public services to ensure access and privacy, emphasizing that private companies often externalize costs and restrict access based on political or reputational risks.
GOG launched a website offering 13 delisted NSFW games for free for 48 hours to protest the censorship and removal of adult-themed games from digital platforms, highlighting issues of financial and content censorship in gaming.
Itch.io is re-adding some free NSFW games to its platform after delisting them due to pressure from payment processors and conservative groups, focusing on content that is already free to avoid payment issues.
Gamers and developers are protesting against the censorship of NSFW games, which is often enforced through financial censorship by payment processors like Stripe, Visa, and PayPal, impacting what can be sold or hosted online. Industry groups emphasize the importance of artistic freedom and warn that such restrictions threaten creative expression, with some organizations gathering information to oppose overly cautious enforcement that leads to self-censorship.
Itch.io is seeking new payment processors more willing to handle adult content after delisting many NSFW games due to policies from companies like PayPal and Stripe. The platform is conducting an audit to comply with these regulations, which were influenced by external pressure from activist groups and larger corporations like Valve. They acknowledge the vagueness of their current content restrictions and are exploring stricter age-gating and better classification, while also addressing user concerns about game access and payment withholding. The situation highlights ongoing debates about content moderation, corporate influence, and the regulation of adult material in digital platforms.
Australian pressure group Collective Shout claims responsibility for influencing Steam and Itch.io to remove or restrict NSFW games, citing concerns over content involving sexual violence and abuse, and lobbying payment processors like Visa to enforce stricter content policies, which has led to broader censorship affecting various types of games, including LGBTQ+ titles.