Newzoo analyzed data from 4,600 titles and assessed the visibility of games on Steam. In short, relying solely on the platform's built-in tools to attract users is insufficient.
- Analysts noted a significant drop in the effectiveness of Steam sales. In 2019, individual events ("Daily Deal," weekend sales, themed sales, etc.) increased game views by an average of 38 times, while in 2024, this figure dropped to x7.
- This is partly due to the enormous increase in the number of releases on Steam — with just over 8,000 new titles released in 2019, compared to nearly 19,000 in 2024.
- The share of external traffic to game pages on Steam grew from 37% in 2016 to 46% in 2024.
- The least affected by this are publishers of the highest-grossing titles. However, for other developers, it is crucial to remember that Steam alone no longer guarantees game visibility. It is necessary to use external promotion channels, including user acquisition, search traffic, and streaming platforms.
- Facebook* leads in the number of views. "Yandex" and YouTube also provide good viewership. Reddit and Bing convert views to visits to the game's Steam page more effectively. However, traffic from Google showed the lowest efficiency in both categories.
- Meanwhile, Steam's internal promotion channels, including Discovery Queue, remain an important tool for increasing the game's visibility in the store. According to Newzoo, the smart use of external channels enhances organic reach within the platform itself, rather than cannibalizing it.
*Owned by Meta, whose activities are recognized as extremist and banned in the Russian Federation.