Next Fest Q&A January 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 Intro 00:01:55 How long does it take to approve submitted pages 00:03:44 Does your game have to be finished in order to participate in Next Fest 00:05:18 What is the best time to do a live stream and do you need to create an event for it 00:06:46 When is the best time to release a demo 00:08:28 Is there a specific Next Fest that gets more engagement than others 00:10:21 Tell me more about testing a game build 00:11:07 How do you get featured in Steam marketing material 00:12:56 How do prologues fit into Next Fest 00:13:57 Will the players playing your game in Next Fest be only on Steam or will they be outside of Steam as well 00:14:29 How do you make sure your game gets more visibility than others during Next Fest 00:18:44 Do livestreams show concurrent viewer counts 00:19:30 Are there any restrictions on release date 00:20:36 Recap of being included in Marketing Material 00:21:52 Is it possible to put analytics SDK into the demo in Next Fest 00:23:09 Will there be a section for AI games 00:24:09 Any tips on having an online multi-player demo be successful in Next Fest 00:25:33 Does a store page need a trailer or are screenshots sufficient 00:26:12 What is the deadline to be considered for inclusion in marketing material in the next Next Fest 00:27:00 How to be considered for inclusion in marketing materials 00:28:33 How are demos selected to showcase on the main store page 00:30:03 What are the restrictions around livestreams during Next Fest 00:32:13 Is it too late to submit a demo 00:33:14 When should the full game be released after Next Fest 00:33:36 Can a game be updated after the original build is approved 00:34:09 Is the store paged locked after a certain deadline, and does there need to be a trailer before that deadline 00:34:43 What are best practices for Next Fest 00:36:40 Can games in Early Access participate in Next Fest 00:37:35 Are there popular genres that seem to reoccur in various Next Fests 00:39:07 Is there an ideal length for a game demo 00:40:38 Can demos be tested before Next Fest outside of Steam 00:41:28 I signed up for a livestream slot but can’t find it in the schedule 00:42:14 Is a trailer required to participate in Next Fest 00:42:42 Can livestream slots be hidden until the start of Next Fest 00:43:23 How many games are participating in Next Fest 00:44:16 I there a time limit for a livestream 00:45:47 Is there a restriction around when a demo launches for Next Fest 00:46:16 What are some best practices when creating a trailer 00:48:00 Can a registration be cancelled before Next Fest begins 00:48:43 Can giveaways be done during a livestream 00:49:21 What are ways to build awareness for a game 00:51:22 Are there a maximum number of time slots for livestreams 00:51:54 Does Steam give feedback on a game before Next Fest 00:53:05 Five-minute warning 00:53:25 Is the Press Preview optional 00:54:05 What is the deadline for build review for Next Fest 00:54:58 Is there a preferred time slot for a livestream 00:55:28 What opportunities does Next Fest provide, how is it beneficial 00:56:27 How is traffic recorded 00:57:52 Wrap up