Ever since Valve launched Steam in 2003, the company has remained the sole gatekeeper that determines which games are suitable for the platform. But that changed today, as Valve has just debuted Steam Greenlight, a new feature that allows users to rally behind the games they want to see on the service.
As part of the existing Steam Workshop, Steam Greenlight allows developers to submit their game for consideration, and users can then pledge support for the games they like best. Valve will then check out the games that get the most attention, and those that pass Valve's approval process will then become full-fledged products available on Steam.
It's a fairly significant change for the platform, as never before have Steam users been able to directly influence which games Valve considers for release.
Steam Greenlight also allows developers to submit game concepts or early builds, giving them a chance to raise awareness and generate excitement for their projects well before they're ready for an official debut.
The service isn't live quite yet, but Valve says that the Steam Greenlight functionality is scheduled to launch at the end of August.
For more information on Steam Greenlight, check out the
official Steam website.
