Why is Steam banned in Vietnam?

According to local news website VietnamNet, Steam is now banned in Vietnam. The website reported that it has been done to protect local game publishers. The country requires all local games to go through a review process only after which they are published.

The online platform isn't limited by this requirement being an international service. Multiple high-quality AAA games are released without any review process, a step that discriminates against the local industry.

Many Vietnamese video game developers believe they would "die" if Steam continued their business in the country, according to the VietnamNet report. A representative called the online games platform's business model "an injustice to domestic publishers," as presented on the news website. Although the government hasn't ruled on an outright ban, GamesIndustry.biz spotted the service banned on almost every major ISP in Vietnam, both on the web and in the desktop client.

Following the ban, users have taken to multiple online forums to vocalize their discontent against it. While some users have argued that the news isn't shocking because the video game platform has to follow local laws irrespective of the scale of their business, others have defended the service.

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How does the community feel about the Steam ban in Vietnam?

Steam has recently forayed into multiple sectors, including launching mobile apps (Image via Steam)

The recent Steam ban is another big news about the platform after the Helldivers 2 PSN account linking scene that took the internet by storm.

Multiple gamers from Vietnam and abroad have taken to numerous online forums following the recent revelations. A particular user shared (translated via Google Translate):

"The online game monopolies of Vietnam complains that they can't extort the market share our Lord and Savior Gabe Newell rightfully earned." - VietnamNet report

Comments like this are aplenty given Steam democratized digital games on PC and was among the first in the world to implement an all-in-one stop for gamers to buy, download, and update their games.

Players in the early 2000s had to go through enormous hardship to update their online multiplayer titles — a process that takes one click on the platform. They also bring blockbuster sales multiple times a year where you can buy games for up to 90% off.

A few users have discussed potential workarounds to the ban, including changing DNS addresses to 1.1.1.1. Moreover, some have argued that Valve wouldn't care much about the ban given their successes elsewhere. A few years back, the service was banned in China, a massive video game market. However, the Gabe Newell-run company didn't try hard to return to the country.

Comment byu/PsychologicalTea9752 from discussion inTroChuyenLinhTinh

Some Vietnamese users also took to Reddit to protest against the ban. A Redditor @PhatPhatoNgo said he would play "chess" instead of "donating the money to trash games." (Note: The English translation was derived via Google Translate.)

Overall, the ban has gotten mixed reviews online. Vietnam has a strong reason to remove access to the platform. It's worth noting that the government hasn't released an official comment on the ban yet.