author: Barth Faryna
New Beta of Steam Library Goes Live This Month
Valve is preparing to introduce a beta version of the changed appearance of the Steam Library. New features were presented at last week's conference in Seattle and users will be able to try them out later this month.
The Steam Library has long been in need of change, and Valve has been fully aware of this, having prepared it for a long time. Various rumors appeared for over a dozen months, and the new design and functionality were finally presented during this year's Game Developers Conference in March. Finally, we were able to see the rest of the announcement, which took place during last week's conference in Seattle, where we learned more details and the launch date of the beta version of the new Steam Library. It will happen in September this year.
At the very beginning of the presentation, designer Alden Kroll showed the main page of the library. Three main categories attracted particular attention: "What's new", "Latest games", and "Latest Friend Activity".
"What's new?"
Through this category, users will be able to follow the novelties that appear in their favourite titles. These include tournaments, special events and other announcements. It is worth noting that a system of priorities will be applied. Information about titles we play rarely or never at all will be at the end of the list.
"Latest games."
This category does not require an extensive presentation. Here we will find the games we have played recently.
"Latest Friend Activity."
Valve decided to focus a little more on our contacts with friends. Now players will not only be able to see what their friends are currently playing, they will also be able to view their latest activities. Soon, users will be able to follow what their friends are interested in over time.
"Expanded categories"
The system of categorization of individual games has also been significantly improved. It will no longer be rigid, as before (and based only on tags), but will also allow for interference from players. Users will be able to add titles to categories themselves and help the automated tool in better personalization of their library. Everything else will be done automatically using tags. There will also be special collections that will serve as shelves for users to store their titles on.
Another novelty are the summaries after closing the game. After leaving a session, users will receive a full list of information about it. These will include unlocked achievements, cards and screenshots.
"Steam Labs"
A part of the presentation was also devoted to Steam Labs. It has been announced that the so-called Micro trailers - short, lasting 6 seconds, automatically generated game presentations - will soon be available for each title. The rest of the tools available in the Steam Laboratory are also constantly being developed and improved.
Alden Kroll pointed out that the further development of all new products will depend primarily on the users themselves and their opinions. Valve is open to all suggestions and comments from the community.
The beta version of the new Steam Library will launch on September 17 this year. All users will be able to take part in it and try out the new features.