Steam admits that its previous manner of displaying all upcoming releases chronologically failed to get users to use that list for discovering new games to play. That is why the digital distribution service has rolled out what it calls "a smarter, more tailored list" as part of its Upcoming Releases page.
Called "Popular Upcoming," the new tab is meant to improve the way upcoming games are shown on Steam"s front page. For instance, it lists titles based on user interest measured during the game"s pre-release stage. Steam gauges the fans" interest by gathering data through wishlists, pre-purchase, and the past titles of the developer or publisher.
Users will also see a dedicated page of recommended titles once they click on the "See more" button found at the bottom of the Popular Upcoming tab. This filtered page contains curated game titles based on the users" unique preference.
Additionally, in the Upcoming Releases page, users will see a roster of featured upcoming games from developers or publishers they follow and the games they have included in their wishlist. It"s worth noting that this new change does not remove the list of all upcoming releases but complements it with a curated list that takes into consideration a game"s popularity.
On the other hand, Steam says the Upcoming Releases page won"t be displaying games users are not interested in or downloadable content for titles they didn"t purchase.