Key distribution platform Rokky has debuted a free browser plugin for publishers and developers to monitor if distributed Steam keys have been used. The firm described it as a tool for “partner reconciliation and sales forecasting” and “safe post-bundle verification”.
The Steam Key Checker plugin, which has not been developed with or approved by Valve, works by asking users to upload a CSV of issued keys which are then checked against the user’s Steam partner account. Rokky CEO Vadim Andreev suggests to GamesIndustry.biz that the tool will be most beneficial to publishers who need to manage keys en masse, after generating large numbers of keys to be included in bundles or distributed to press or influencers. “Lots of publishers do this, especially indie and AA developers, and so many have no idea what happens to these keys once they are sent off,” he says.
“Steam does let you track every key generated, but actually doing so in practice is very time consuming and can get quite confusing. Especially if you’re a publisher undertaking many marketing or distribution campaigns all at once, and so are generating hundreds to thousands of game keys to be sent globally.”
“For example, if an influencer doesn’t cover a game, the publisher could use this tool to actually check if the influencer redeemed the code and if they did but weren’t covering it, the publisher could look into why. It’s a tool designed to provide more data to publishers and support their distribution strategies.”
“This is a feature that a lot of publishers have told us they wish Steam had. We made this Steam Key Checker free as we hope it serves as a temporary solution to this problem, one that Steam themselves will eventually solve.”
Andreev says the firm has not worked with Valve on the tool, and there was a risk that it will update the Steam platform in a way that would prevent it from working. He also admits there is a risk that publishers could use the tool to enable them to revoke keys that had been issued in bundles but not used. “I would seriously advise against doing that,” he says. “It’s not meant to be a tool to punish customers.”
