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Why Have Thousands of Adult Titles Vanished from the Largest PC Gaming Market? | Games

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In the last two weeks, countless “adults only” and “not safe for work” games have been removed from Steam and itch.io—two leading platforms for PC game distribution—as they scramble to adhere to stricter regulations set by payment processors like MasterCard, Visa, and PayPal.

These regulations came about following a campaign known as A Collective Cry, which pressured payment processors to cease facilitating transactions for platforms hosting content that features “games related to rape, incest, and child sexual abuse.” However, the scope of these new rules extends far beyond those issues, affecting even award-winning titles.

How did this begin?

On July 16th, Valve, the developer behind Steam, revised its Rules and Guidelines for game distribution. Existing prohibitions against “nude or sexually explicit images of real people” and “adult content that is not labeled or age-gated” were expanded to include “content that may violate the rules and standards laid out by certain types of adult content.”

In a statement to PC gamers on July 18th, Valve acknowledged that several games have been “retired” from the Steam store due to these new regulations. However, they did not specify which games were removed or define what types of “adult content” are deemed unacceptable.

A week later, itch.io issued a statement indicating it was also being “scrutinized” by payment processors. Consequently, all games tagged as “NSFW” were “deleted” (removed from search results) following a “comprehensive audit of content to comply with payment processor requirements.” Unlike Valve, itch.io explicitly mentioned the collective cry as the impetus behind the increased scrutiny.

What is A Collective Cry?

Collective Shout is an Australian group describing itself as “a grassroots campaign against the objectification of women and the sexualization of girls.”

In April, they achieved a major victory by having the game No Mercy—featuring themes of “incest,” “coerced sexual acts,” and “inevitably non-consensual gender”—removed from both Steam and itch.io. Following this, the group released an open letter stating, “We have identified hundreds of additional games on Steam and itch.io that involve themes of rape, incest, and child sexual abuse,” demanding companies to “demonstrate corporate social responsibility” by ceasing payment processing for those platforms.

After Steam updated its rules, A Collective Cry requested credits for the changes, stating that over 1,000 supporters contacted their payment processors to “stop financing these games.”

What is the role of payment processors?

Like many online retailers, both Steam and itch.io depend on payment processors to facilitate transactions. As such, these processors wield significant influence, impacting what products can be sold, published, or purchased, regardless of their legality.

In recent years, payment processors have tightened rules regarding transactions linked to adult content. In 2021, several subscription-based adult content platforms considered banning such materials following pressure from payment processors but ultimately reversed that decision. Later that same year, MasterCard initiated a new policy governing adult content retailers. The American Civil Liberties Union has pointed out that these measures can restrict free speech and be detrimental to sex workers, contributing to financial censorship.




The award-winning game Consume Me has been affected by these policies. Photo: 66

Which games have been impacted?

It’s unclear how many games have been “retired” from Steam as a result of these new regulations, but several titles featuring incest themes have been deleted. As previously mentioned, itch.io has also removed most games labeled as NSFW. According to the Games Industry Newsletter Game Files, since July 16th, over 20,000 games have been removed from itch.io’s NSFW category.

Among those affected are games that explore unique themes of identity and sexuality, such as Radiator 2, created by Robert Yang, a former faculty member at New York University’s arcade center. The rules have also impacted games that do not feature sexual content at all, including The Last Call, an award-winning narrative about domestic violence survival created by Nina Freeman, and Consume Me, which has received numerous industry accolades for its approach to intricate topics.

How has the gaming industry reacted?

Many developers have criticized the power that payment processors hold over the market, particularly how their influence is amplified through campaign groups like A Collective Cry. In a post on Bluesky, Yang labeled the collective cry and payment processors’ actions as “a cultural war against sexual expression, particularly affecting LGBTQ individuals,” but noted that it is entirely unacceptable for payment processors to engage in selective censorship that systematically marginalizes adult content creators.

On July 17, a petition was launched on change.org, urging payment processors and activist groups to “refrain from controlling what we can watch, read, or play.” The petition argues that “MasterCard and Visa hinder legal entertainment” and calls for “the right to select our own narratives without moral surveillance.” Over 150,000 signatures have been gathered so far, as gamers and developers share contact information for major payment companies to encourage complaints.

What comes next?

It’s difficult to predict the future. Ongoing consumer pressure could prompt payment processors to reconsider their stance, but it may also challenge anti-censorship advocates to gain political backing amidst shifting legislative attitudes toward online adult content. The UK recently implemented stricter regulations regarding age verification for internet users seeking access to adult material, while the EU has proposed draft guidelines for similar measures.

Thus, new rules may be here to stay on Steam and itch.io for now. However, the resulting fallout has illuminated the influence of payment processors and the ambiguity surrounding the regulations. Such uncertainty may compel companies to tread more carefully in responding to pressure from future advocacy groups.

Source: www.theguardian.com

The Indicators of Alien Life on Exoplanet K2-18b Have Nearly Vanished

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Artistic Depictions of K2-18b

A. Smith/N. Mandhusudhan

Hope for discovering alien life on K2-18B is diminishing. Recent observations have not revealed clear evidence of biomolecules suggested by earlier studies. While many scientists concur that this casts doubt on past claims, one researcher involved in those earlier findings argues that the new data may actually bolster their conclusions.

In April, Nick Madhusudan at Cambridge University and his team proposed that K2-18B, a rocky planet larger than Earth and located around 124 light years away, shows signs of atmospheric molecules dimethyldimethylsulfide (DMS) and dimethyldisulfide (DMD). On Earth, these compounds are exclusively produced by living organisms. At the time, Madhusudhan described these as “the first hints we see about this alien world, possibly a home for life.”

However, subsequent analyses of the same JWST data by other researchers using different statistical methods found no substantial evidence for these molecules. Madhusudhan later stated that his team conducted a more in-depth reanalysis of their data. In an interview with New Scientist, he expressed “increased confidence” that DMS could be the best explanation for the findings. Without further observations of K2-18B, astronomers remain divided on the potential for life on the planet.

Recently, Renyu Hu from Caltech and his colleagues collaborated with Madhusudhan’s team to examine new JWST observations of K2-18B. They found no statistical evidence supporting the detection of DMS. “This paper does not present conclusive evidence regarding the presence of this molecule in the atmosphere,” remarked Hu.

Madhusudhan, Hu, and their teams utilized JWST’s near-infrared camera to observe the light from K2-18B’s star. This camera captured light at wavelengths differing from the mid-infrared measurements used in the earlier analysis conducted in April. The researchers then assessed their findings using various atmospheric models for K2-18B. Each model had different assumptions regarding the molecular composition and the presence of water vapor in its atmosphere.

Some models incorporating DMS provided slightly better explanations for the data than those without, but this does not necessarily indicate a firm detection, falling short of the threshold for statistical evidence. “The models suggest that if there is a signal, it is quite weak,” stated Hu. “I remain cautious.”

Madhusudhan acknowledged the lack of strong evidence for detection, but contended that it is more reasonable to compare this data with recent observations from JWST’s near-infrared cameras taken in 2023, as opposed to April’s mid-infrared results. “Statistically, the data does seem to show slightly stronger evidence for DMS than what we discussed in our paper,” said Madhusudhan.

“There could still be other molecules mimicking DMS,” he added, but he believes that signals produced by unknown compounds exhibit specific traits best accounted for by DMS. “However, we cannot make confident assertions.”

“This study clearly states that there is no evidence of dimethyl sulfide. No statistical support exists for these gases,” stated Lewis Wellbanks of Arizona State University. Sarah Seager from MIT remarked that her team views the statistical significance presented by the researchers as “not enough to be considered a detection.”

“It seems we may be nearing the end of the discussion regarding whether DMS can be detected at viable levels. [K2-18b] conditions are not conducive enough for more critical detection,” remarked Jake Taylor from Oxford University.

In a further setback for biosignature proponents, Hu and his team discovered that specific hydrogen-rich atmospheres in planets like K2-18b can generate DMS through chemical pathways devoid of biological influence. “This helps narrow down which molecules may serve as biosignatures in exoplanetary atmospheres, implying that DMS is not exclusively indicative of life,” noted Taylor.

However, he emphasized that additional mid-infrared observations with JWST, akin to those undertaken in April, could yield more specific data, as DMS characteristics and other intricate molecules target distinct light regions that are detectable.

What is widely accepted by astronomers is that K2-18B is rich in water. Hu and his team have gathered robust evidence for the existence of methane and carbon dioxide, suggesting the presence of water. However, it remains unclear whether this water exists as oceans, atmospheric vapor, or is confined inside the planet.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

A Diver Explores a Stranded Whale, Only to Discover It Has Vanished Upon His Return.

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What happens to an 18-foot long, 2,000-pound body?

This question perplexed divers and photographers who frequently explore the waters off San Diego’s coast.

The saga began this spring when Doug Bonhouse took advantage of the mild weather to scuba dive at Scripps Canyon. As he submerged, a large mass caught his eye beneath him.

At just 115 feet below the surface, he discovered the body of a juvenile gray whale.

Whale carcasses are typically not encountered by human divers; they are usually found by remotely operated vehicles at depths exceeding 3,000 feet.

Local marine biologists speculated about the origins of the gray whale calf. The creature, which was suited to the seabed, had been sighted near La Jolla Shores, desperately searching for its mother. In its final moments, it appeared to approach a boat, as if pleading for assistance.

Other divers quickly made their way to the site, as it was the first opportunity for access during the autumn. Among them was underwater photojournalist Jules Jacobs, who documented his exploration for the New York Times.

By late January, the whale’s resting place was in a canyon valley that required careful navigation to reach. This challenge left Jacobs feeling both anxious and mentally drained.

As Jacobs navigated through the darkness with a team of five divers, the beam from his dive light suddenly illuminated the object of his search: a fragile calf with spotted skin. Its eyes had succumbed to the elements, frozen in an expression of sorrow.

“It’s humbling to swim through a whale’s carcass when only its tail is as large as your body,” Jacobs remarked.

Jacobs planned further dives to study the remains. On his second visit a week later, however, he discovered that the tail was missing, likely taken by scavenger sharks like Seven Gill and Mako.

After a series of spring storms, Jacobs descended again in late February. Gripping his camera gear so tightly that his knuckles turned white, he awaited the sight of the decaying creature.

He was met only by an empty seabed.

The calf was gone.

Adult gray whales can grow to about 45 feet and are known for their extraordinary migrations from the warm waters of Baja, California, to high-latitude feeding grounds in the Arctic Ocean. It’s likely that the calves and their mothers headed north before becoming separated. At this vulnerable point in their journey, the calves would have faced starvation after not eating for six months.

Gray whale populations experience cycles of boom and bust, recovering from significant declines, sometimes losing up to a quarter of their numbers within just a few years.

However, the population has failed to rebound for about six years, mirroring previous downturns. Scientists link this decline to climate change, which accelerates warming in the Arctic and disrupts the whales’ prey availability. Additionally, ship strikes and entanglements further exacerbate mortality rates.

“We are observing a significant increase in fatalities among gray whales,” stated Joshua Stewart, an assistant professor at the Marine Mammal Research Institute at Oregon State University. He anticipates more whale deaths along the West Coast.

Nevertheless, the death of a whale does not necessarily signify an end. Instead, it often triggers new beginnings.

Life flourishes from the remains of whales. Their meat nourishes scavengers, bones become habitats for microorganisms and insects, while the curved vertebrae provide a new foundation for flourishing coral reefs.

“Whale falls are ecological bonanzas, capable of providing sustenance for up to 200 years, as they typically reach the ocean floor,” remarked Craig Smith, professor emeritus of oceanography at the University of Hawaii. “Ironically, we understand more about deep-sea whale falls and associated communities than we do about shallow-water ecosystems.”

Whale decay occurs in three distinct ecological stages. Initially, scavengers like sharks, crabs, and hagfish consume the soft tissue. Next, worms thrive in the nutrient-rich, vibrant masses surrounding the carcass, as Dr. Smith notes; this phase can last up to seven years and is termed an enrichment stage by scientists.

Ultimately, bacteria deep within the bones produce hydrogen sulfide, fueling chemically-chemosynthetic bacteria that thrive symbiotically with the animal hosts and chemically synthesized bacteria on the bone’s surface. This final stage can endure for decades, supporting over 200 marine species within the ecosystem generated by a single whale fall.

However, the calf and its remains had vanished. Was something or someone responsible for preventing the whale fall that would support life?

Gregory Rouse, a marine biology professor at the Scripps Marine Research Institute, considers the matter less enigmatic. He explained that during the whale fall, decomposition within the body cavity can generate gas, causing the body to rise again after initially sinking.

It’s also plausible that strong winds and turbulent currents carried the body deep into the canyon. It could have descended to 1,600 feet below.

“The animal could have grown into a titan, but its life was cut short in infancy,” Jacobs reflected.

However, if it rests quietly in the depths, new life may proliferate and thrive.

Source: www.nytimes.com