Steam Labs Announced to Introduce Experimental Features

Valve has been known to try out various things with their massively popular online video game store when it comes to features and the like, and while some have worked, those that couldn't be retooled to work were left in the dust. That said, it looks like Valve has continued to work on new and exciting features behind the scenes, but they are now looking to share with Steam users. They will be doing this through the recently announced Steam Labs, where they will be showcasing their latest experimental features that could one day become a part of Steam.

"Every year, we create dozens of experiments around discoverability, video, machine learning, and more," reads the Steam Labs page. "You know who we thought might enjoy seeing them? Everyone." What is being shared currently are three different experiments: Micro Trailers, Interactive Recommender, and Automatic Show. More on these below:

• Micro Trailers
  • Absorb every game in the Steam catalog in just seconds. Micro Trailers are six-second looping videos designed to quickly inform viewers about titles on Steam with a presentation that's easy to skim. This experiment is a fancier version of the Twitter bot of the same name.
• Interactive Recommender
  • This experiment looks at how much you've played each game in your Steam library, and uses the magic of machine learning to recommend games you might like. Filter your results by picking games that are popular or niche, and drill down by release date and tags.
• Automatic Show
  • What if Steam could magically generate a show about the latest and greatest games each day? The automated show is like one of those cable shopping channels without the super-absorbent chamois cloths.

Valve made sure to note that these are indeed experiments, which means anything and everything can change. "These are works in progress," reads the website. "Some of them may turn out great. Others, we may toss out. We hope that most will be improved with your feedback and go on to be a part of Steam. This is the way of Steam Labs."

You can check out the three experiments above as well as more information on the new Steam Labs itself on the website.

What do you think about all of this? Are you glad to see this type of thing from Valve? What sort of features would you like to see implemented? Sound off in the comment section below, or feel free to hit me up over on Twitter @anarkE7!