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Steam dumps developer for being "hostile" to customers

Digital Homicide tried to sue 100 of them for $18m.

Valve has booted a developer and its games from Steam for being "hostile to Steam customers".

"Hostile" is putting it mildly; developer Digital Homicide was trying to sue 100 Steam users for around $18m! The same lawsuit (laid out on Kotaku) tried to subpoena (force, effectively) Valve for the Steam users' real identities.

Digital Homicide felt it had been the target of a harassment campaign particularly at the hands of the group "Digital Homicides Poop Games". It actually says that in the lawsuit.

Not long after the lawsuit was filed, Digital Homicide's games disappeared from Steam. Valve spokesperson Doug Lombardi then issued a statement (via TechRaptor) that said: "Valve has stopped doing business with Digital Homicide for being hostile to Steam customers."

It doesn't appear to be a great loss. Digital Homicide's games were reportedly rubbish, with names such as Wyatt Derp, Winged Knights: Penetration and - my favourite - Not In My Crapper. They're all listed on Digital Homicide's garish website.

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Popular US game critic Jim Sterling called Digital Homicide's Slaughtering House a contender for "Worst Game Of 2014".

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Digital Homicide struck back at Sterling in March this year by trying to sue him for $10m, for "assault, libel and slander", reported Kotaku in a separate article. DH even tried briefly to crowdfund the legal battle against him.

Valve can - and presumably will - contest the subpoena.