Stop Trading Game Keys for Greenlight Votes

Valve believes that it is not what customer want.

Steam key should not be exchanged for Greenlight votes, Valve says.

The message was sent to developers via an announcement page, which is locked, but a screencap of the message can be read on the Steam Database Twitter account.

"When you give away copies of your game in exchange for votes, you put us in a really uncomfortable position," writes Valve. "We do not think these votes accurately reflect customer interest and it makes our job harder in deciding which games customers would actually buy and play on Steam."

Valve goes on to say that giving game copies in exchange for votes sets a bad example for other developers which they will continue using, and make a system that Valve doesn't think is "healthy" or "what customers want."

"We understand that running contests or giving away copies of your game can be viewed as a form of marketing," continues Valve. "But for the purposes of Greenlight, we don’t think that giving away copies of your game in exchange for votes accurately reflects genuine customer interest."