Steam Spy switches algorithms to survive Valve’s data shutdown

The PC gaming market-intelligence resource Steam Spy lives. Its creator, developer Sergey Galyonkin, is shifting the tool to a new algorithm that calculates the sales of PC games on the the Steam distribution platform based on “coincidental data” from around the internet. Galyonkin had to make this change after Valve began hiding its customers’ game libraries by default after years of exposing that information through its API.

In response to that privacy change at the time, Galyonkin said on Twitter that Steam Spy would not have the data it needs to operate. But he is now saying that the site will continue, but he needs some time to dial in his algorithm and integrate it into the site. Galyonkin said he wanted to solve this problem after indie developers from around the world reached out to him.