Steam launches experimental apps to help you better find games

An impossible task?

Steam is full of games. Full of ’em! On any given week more games can launch on Steam than any other platform, and Valve stepped in with a method to curate them better through an experimental feature. So experimental in fact, that it’s called “Steam Labs.”

You’ve heard the murmuring of Steam Labs for a while, but Valve is launching three new concepts this week through the program, all based on curation. The first is “Micro Trailers,” which showcases six-second quick trailer for games in a Matrix Reloaded Architect fashion so you can “digest them at a glance.”

The second idea is “Interactive Recommender” which mines data of your playtime and points you toward other games. Then there’s the “Automated Show,” which is a 30-minute video that runs through “hundreds of games” that compromise the latest list of Steam launches.

Now in theory, this sort of stuff is a win-win for Valve and consumers alike. You can opt to turn them off if you want, or be introduced to new games you might enjoy, which is a sale for Valve. As long as this sort of stuff doesn’t get too intrusive (99% of the time my Steam app is on the library page, devoid of ads), I don’t think there will be a problem.

You can opt into any of these here.

Steam Labs [Steam]