Silicon Echo Studios Closes After Having it’s Entire Library Taken Down by Steam

Silicon Echo Studios Shuts Its Shovelware Doors

Given the ease of accessibility that people can now access game developing tools, it’s not surprising that over the last 10 years so many have given it a go. Some indie developers have been massive successes (Scott Cawthon and Toby Fox for example). It has, however, also led the way to Steam getting a little filled with shovelware.

Steam did recently change it’s policy to help stem the tide, however, with Silicon Echo Studios they have decided to set a precedent moving forward. One which will act as a stark warning to all other ‘developers’.

Last month, after raising a lot of eyebrows with the big wigs at Steam, Silicon Echo Studios had it’s entire 200+ game library removed.

It seems that in the interim they have failed to reach a deal with Steam. As such, they have now officially closed doors.

How could you possibly have more than 200 games?

In brief, because most of them were cheaply made shovelware. The Nintendo Wii became well known for its shovelware titles, however, Silicon Echo Studios took this to a whole new level.

In a report via PcGamesN, it turns out that the vast majority of their games were, strictly speaking, not really their own.

Silicon Echo Studios created the vast majority of their titles in Unity. This is a free access program  (with some restrictions) to allow budding developers to give it a go. This software does, however, come with rather a lot of pre-supplied assets. These are generally there to help those learning the system to have some shortcuts. Silicon Echo Studios, however, decided to just go ahead and use these to make their own games.

Strictly speaking, nothing wrong with this. It does, however, give you an idea of the quality that went into these games. More accurately, the lack of.

If you should happen to own a game from Silicon Echo Studios, don’t panic. It won’t be removed from your library. You just will not be able to buy any more from this developer.

I certainly support indie developers. However, losing a shovelware developer factory like this I suspect is no loss to the industry.