Next Fest Q&A March 2024

Members of the Steam Business Team answer developers’ questions about registering for and getting the most out of Steam Next Fest. Topics covered in this presentation: 00:00:00 Open 00:00:05 Intro 00:00:58 What’s the difference between the two livestreams 00:02:13 How does the press preview work 00:04:14 Are you guaranteed to be featured in the Next Fest you sign up for 00:05:42 How can you maximize visibility during Next Fest 00:07:02 When is the deadline to opt-out of the upcoming Next Fest 00:08:55 Can the Steam Store Page and demo be updated after verification 00:09:44 Marketing Material and inclusion information 00:11:05 Is a working demo required to be considered for Official Marketing Material 00:12:02 How does press contact developers through the Press Preview 00:13:13 Official Marketing Material options 00:13:48 General information about AI generated content 00:14:39 When with Next Fest graphic elements be available 00:15:05 How many ’indie games’ participate in Next Fest 00:16:13 Can a game released after Next Fest be eligible to participate 00:16:56 When can Next Fest participation be announced, are there any limitations or restrictions 00:17:47 Can a game participate in Next Fest and other Steam Fests 00:18:36 Best practices for releasing after Next Fest 00:19:31 Are live streams better then pre-recorded streams 00:20:47 Are there restrictions on game ratings 00:22:27 Can games be featured on outlets other than the Steam Official Marketing Material 00:24:32 When does registration close 00:25:27 How many games will be included in Next Fest 00:26:23 Are elements of a game that are not live able to be included in Official Marketing Material 00:27:23 Can a demo be live before Next Fest begins 00:28:08 Is there any paid advertising on Steam 00:28:58 Can a game be included in Next Fest if it was registered for a previous Next Fest but didn’t participate 00:29:39 Are there games that use AI generated content in Next Fest 00:30:11 Is there any publicly available data on performance of games that participate in Next Fest 00:32:01 What needs to be done to get registered for Next Fest 00:32:34 Will there be a more curated version of Next Fest 00:34:52 Should a new trailer be made specifically made for Next Fest 00:36:25 When is the best time to have influencers play demos for maximum visibility 00:37:30 Best practices for titling a livestream 00:38:52 What is the recommended length for a demo 00:40:19 How many livestream timeslots can each game have 00:43:22 When does the opt-in for Official Marketing Material close 00:45:07 Recommendations on livestream game play 00:46:30 When should a game officially release after participating in Next Fest 00:48:50 What is the difference between Creator Connect and Next Fest 00:50:29 What is a Steam Play Test 00:51:51 What’s the best way to collect player feedback during Next Fest 00:54:14 How to fill out Press Form for Next Fest 00:54:49 Closing