At the conclusion of our earlier news report about Digital Homicide’s efforts to subpoena Valve into handing over Steam user information, I wondered how Valve would respond. Now we know. By de-listing every single Digital Homicide title on Steam.
A search by developer on Steam now brings up no sign of the litigious studio. As with other titles that have been de-listed by Steam, these games are not fully removed. People who purchased them previously will still have the titles in their libraries and be able to play them, but Digital Homicide titles will no longer be sold through Steam.
In a statement to the press, Doug Lombardi has confirmed that this was action taken by Valve over the attempted Digital Homicide ‘personal injury’ lawsuit against 100 Steam users. “Valve has stopped doing business with Digital Homicide for being hostile to Steam customers,” Lombardi states.
We often have a dig at Valve for responding slowly to things, or making sweeping automated changes to Steam. But in this instance they’ve taken swift action to clean house.
This doesn’t put an immediate end to the subpoena effort or lawsuit, of course (nor the lawsuit Digital Homicide still have ongoing against Jim Sterling). But it does put an end to some awful games being sold on Steam.
Update: Digital Homicide responds to Valve over game removal – Now seeking legal representation.
