Non-Game Software on Steam | What is Steam Greenlight?

For all these years, Steam has been dedicated to catering to the needs of a gamer and will continue to do so even in the future but it will not be limited to just gaming anymore. The platform will soon expand beyond gaming and host non-game software that many of the users of the platform are interested in.

Beginning September 5, 2012, Steam will play host to whole new set of software title ranging from creativity to productivity. All of these titles will make use of Steamworks’ features such as easy installation, automatic updates and the ability to save content to their personal space on the Steam Cloud.
Following the launch of these titles developers will be able to submit their software to the platform by publishing their content via Steam Greenlight.

“The 40 million gamers frequenting Steam are interested in more than playing games,”  said Mark Richardson, Steam App Store and Finance head at Valve. “They have told us they would like to have more of their software on Steam, so this expansion is in response to those customer requests.”

What is Steam Greenlight?

Steam Greenlight is a new system that enlists the community's help in picking some of the next games to be released on Steam. Developers post information, screenshots, and videos for their game and seek a critical mass of community support in order to get selected for distribution. Steam Greenlight also helps developers get feedback from potential customers and start creating an active community around their game as early in the development process as they like.

Why hasn't it always worked this way?

Over the many years that Steam has been selling games, the release rate of games on Steam has continued to grow significantly. But given Steam's existing technological pipeline for releasing games, there's always been a reliance on a group of people to make tough choices on which games to not release on Steam. There are titles that have tied up this internal greenlight group in the past, and we knew there had to be a better way.
With the introduction of the Steam Workshop in October 2011, we established a flexible system within Steam that organizes content and lets customers rate and leave feedback. This opened up a new opportunity to enlist the community's help as we grow Steam and, hopefully, increase the volume and quality of creative submissions.
We know there is still a lot of room for improvement in making Steam distribution easier and faster; this is just a first step in that direction.

How does this differ from other stores’ submission processes?

The prime difference is the size of the team that gets to decide what gets released. For many stores, there is a team that reviews entries and decides what gets past the gates. We're approaching this from a different angle: The community should be deciding what gets released. After all, it’s the community that will ultimately be the ones deciding which release they spend their money on.

For gamers

I know of a game that should be here. What do I do?

Go contact the game developer and suggest that they submit their game here for consideration.

There's a game on Greenlight that I really want to see succeed. What can I do?

Go tell your friends; just don't be annoying about it.

How do I report a fake/fraudulent/malicious game in Greenlight?

When you're looking at the page for a game in Greenlight, there is a 'Report' right next to the rating buttons, below the screenshots. Please report the item and tell us why you're doing so.

For developers

How many votes does a game need to get selected?

It's going to change during the first few days/weeks since we don't know what kind of traffic to expect. Part of the drive for this system is the need for customers to help us prioritize which games they want to see made available on Steam. So the specific number of votes doesn't matter as much as relative interest in a game compared with other games in Steam Greenlight.
We're going to be reaching out to developers as we see their games getting traction regardless of whether they have achieved a specific number of votes or are sitting 1st or 2nd place at any given time. We are most interested in finding the games that people want, not requiring them to always hit a specific number of votes.

What if someone else has posted my game?

If your game has been posted by someone else and you wish for it to be taken down, please visit http://www.valvesoftware.com/legal.html and follow the instructions under 'Claims of Copyright Infringement'.

Can I post my game concept or early builds?

Absolutely! We encourage you to post information about your game as early in the development process as you are comfortable with. Greenlight will let you define whether you are posting your game as a concept/early build or as a playable game that is nearing completion.
We ask that you only define your game as 'playable game' if you have a playable build that demonstrates the gameplay mechanics and at least one level of your game. Otherwise, please classify your submission as 'concept' until its far enough along that the community can reasonably evaluate the mechanics, scope, and style of your game. Either way, you will probably get great feedback and a good start in building a community of fans around your game.

What systems must my game run on?

To remain in Steam Greenlight and qualify for distribution via Steam, your game must at least run on a Windows PC. You can be also developing for any other platform you like, but we are only able to support PC & Mac releases at this time.

Can I update my entry after I've submitted my game?

Please do! We encourage you to update your presence in Steam as often as you like to keep your fans and potential customers involved in your development process.

What happens when I submit my game?

As soon as you submit your game, it will start showing up for the community to review. Come back often to respond to community feedback, answer questions, or update your page with new developments or media.

What do I need in order to submit my game?

You'll need a valid and non-limited Steam account (yes, that means you'll need to own a game on Steam). Then, you'll need to fill out the submission form, including some information about you and your game. The submission will require:

• A square branding image (similar to a box cover) to represent your game in lists and search
• At least 1 video showing off your game or presenting your concept
• At least 4 screenshots or images
• A written description of the game along with tentative system requirements

What happens if my game never gets accepted?

Your game will remain on Greenlight unless you decide to take it down.

What if I don't want to announce my game early but I still want to be on Steam?

Once a game is accepted through Steam Greenlight, it doesn't take long to get it launched on Steam, so feel free to hold off on posting to Greenlight until you're ready to announce.

Are there any restrictions on what can be posted?

Your game must not contain offensive material or violate copyright or intellectual property rights.

When can I start using this?

Steam Greenlight is slated to launch at the end of August

Stay tuned for more updates!