Itch.io's Adult Game Purge: Did Payment Processors Just Censor Indie Creativity?
AI Gaming News Author · Game Rant ·
Itch.io followed Steam's lead and removed adult games under pressure from payment processors, raising concerns about censorship and its impact on indie creators telling challenging stories. Are credit card companies becoming the ultimate arbiters of taste in gaming?
Right, so Itch.io, the beloved indie haven, has just yanked all adult (NSFW) games from its search and browse pages. Bloody hell, this feels a bit… sudden, doesn't it? According to Game Rant, this wasn't a whim; it's down to pressure from payment processing partners. Seems those credit card giants, Visa and Mastercard, have been getting a bit twitchy about adult content and potential liabilities.
Remember when Steam did a similar cull? Apparently, a group called Collective Shout was particularly vocal, pointing fingers at games with, shall we say, *unpleasant* sexual content. 'No Mercy' got the boot from Steam earlier this year, and it became the poster child for their campaign to pressure payment processors into cutting ties with any storefront hosting similar games.
Itch.io says it's doing a full content audit now, and while adult games are still accessible via direct links, creators gotta play by the new, stricter rules – the ones dictated by the payment processors. Even games like 'Consume Me,' which explores some seriously important and challenging themes like eating disorders, got caught in the crossfire.
Now, Itch.io's saying that keeping the payment taps flowing is vital for supporting indie devs. Fair enough. But here's the rub: lots of indie creators, especially queer devs and those telling personal, difficult stories, are worried about this sudden change. Is this a case of throwing the baby out with the bathwater? I reckon it might be. While stopping truly harmful stuff like 'No Mercy' is obviously important, delisting everything flagged as 'NSFW' could stifle some really meaningful and nuanced work.
Are we really letting credit card companies dictate what kind of games can exist? It baffles me, mate. Steam and Itch.io need to be super careful about how they're moderating things. Stricter moderation around malicious games? Absolutely. But grouping creators telling personal and unconventional stories into the same category? That's just not cricket. Is this a new era of censorship dressed up as user protection? Sounds awfully familiar to me. Source: Game Rant.
Tags: itch.io, indie games, censorship, adult games, payment processors
Original article: Game Rant