Why are false advertisers allowed on Steam?

[Beltneck]

I've ran into a number of games that advertise themselves on Steam as complete products, but are anything but.

For example, the Steam version will be missing many features, and I don't mean a weekly newsletter or some useless cosmetic item. I mean things like allowing you to have multiple characters, a full inventory space, or all the avenues to earn ingame currency that would normally be available to people who play it elsewhere.

Also, some games are totally devoid of tech support without explicitly warning you of this. For example; you sign up with the game through Steam, you are not prompted to enter a password or email, you're only asked to give a display name. Later, if you ask Steam for tech support, they just give you the Dev's website - which is fair, they can't be expected to fix other people's software. But then the Dev's website will not accept your Steam credentials, and only asks for an email and password. But again, because you were never prompted for that during the signup process, your account does not have credentials their website can use. Some have linking options, but I'm not talking about the devs who do it right.

So now you've got some quasi-account, that can connect to the game's servers by pressing play on Steam; but that you cannot login to the dev's website with. Steam won't even give you whatever credentials it uses every time you press play either, despite it somehow being linked to your account information. I can understand if Steam's people can't tell you your exact login keys, but they should be able to tell you where to go in your account settings to find them. Like how to look up your receipts, CD-Keys, or change your password - Just let you look up whatever login key is attached to that product. But all they ever say is "login to the dev's website", which you can't do with that particular account.

These games should clearly present themselves as a demo version if they're missing significant features, explicitly tell you that by signing up through Steam you'll not have access to tech support, or accept your Steam credentials if they choose to advertise on Steam. Anything less, and its false advertising to present it as a complete product.

[Beltneck]

Ben Lubar původně napsal:

What are you complaining about?

Already answered that.

Please read the main post, and scroll up through the comments.

[Ben Lubar]

Beltneck původně napsal:

You do not have access to tech support through the Steam version, only the Jagex version -Steam will tell you this themselves if you ever click on "Support".

Wait wait wait wait

Did you ask Steam Support for help playing RuneScape? Of course they can't help you with that. You go through the company that makes the game, Jagex. You have exactly the same access to their support as someone who signed up outside of Steam.

[Komarimaru]

Beltneck původně napsal:

Komarimaru původně napsal:

You said..

Steam versions are lacking features like multiple characters, not true.
Full Inventory space, not true.
Ability to earn in game currency, not true.
Tech Support, not true.

The games even cite an account is needed, to use all features. So for STO as an example, need an Arc Account. To get all features, requires a subscription.

Just because, you failed to read the 3rd party requirements, does not mean it's false advertising.

There are major differences between the Steam and Jagex versions. You have substantially more space to store things on the Jagex version than the Steam version. You have 20 character slots on the Jagex version, only 1 on the Seam version. You do not have access to tech support through the Steam version, only the Jagex version -Steam will tell you this themselves if you ever click on "Support". Membership has nothing to do with these differences, and these differences are never mentioned in the EULA or Store page.

Earning ingame currency was about Pixel Starships. On the Steam version you earn hundreds of times less than on the mobile version, which is a severe handicap that will leave you helpless in PVP.

But this post is not just about one or two games. It is about false advertising in general on this platform. Presenting inferior products as their betters, while trying to solicit money from users.

So, you just never made a Jagex account, to get the 20 inventory slots? Since that's the requirement. Launchers are the same. Guess what, you also can get 20 slots by having an authenticator on your account.

Not false advertising, since they ADVERTISE how you get the slots.

Pixel Starships, Steam forbids ads in games. But they offset this the stacked boost rush option on PC.

So, going to try again?

[davidb11]

Yeah, it's misinformation to claim it's false advertising when it spells out everything and you literally can't claim it doesn't.

It's crystal clean, which means your OP is invalid due to what amounts to a skill issue.

[Beltneck]

Komarimaru původně napsal:

So, you just never made a Jagex account, to get the 20 inventory slots? Since that's the requirement. Launchers are the same. Guess what, you also can get 20 slots by having an authenticator on your account.

Not false advertising, since they ADVERTISE how you get the slots.

Pixel Starships, Steam forbids ads in games. But they offset this the stacked boost rush option on PC.

I've done Pixel Starships on both mobile and steam, and the difference in earnings is in the magnitude of hundreds. There is no mechanism in the Steam version that compares in the slightest to the Mobile version.

As for runescape - I didn't say 20 inventory slots, I said 20 character slots. Which are staggeringly different things. None of the links through the Steam launcher work either. So they may have a button for an authenticator, but it just keeps reverting back to the first page. You cannot report that problem to Steam because they just tell you to go to Jagex's tech support, but you can't log into Jagex's website with the account created through steam to report the problem. So you're either being deliberately combative and trying to defend false advertising for some reason, or you don't really understand the problem.

I've clearly stated the differences and problems multiple times. So at this point you'll just have to make a Jagex account and get the Jagex Launcher; then make an account through Steam, and mark the differences for yourself. They're plain as day when you compare them side by side.

[Beltneck]

Ben Lubar původně napsal:

Wait wait wait wait

Did you ask Steam Support for help playing RuneScape? Of course they can't help you with that. You go through the company that makes the game, Jagex. You have exactly the same access to their support as someone who signed up outside of Steam.

Already answered that.

Please read the original post and comments more closely.

[Ben Lubar]

Beltneck původně napsal:

but you can't log into Jagex's website with the account created through steam to report the problem

Does the Steam icon button on the login screen not work for you for some reason?

[Ben Lubar]

Beltneck původně napsal:

Ben Lubar původně napsal:

Wait wait wait wait

Did you ask Steam Support for help playing RuneScape? Of course they can't help you with that. You go through the company that makes the game, Jagex. You have exactly the same access to their support as someone who signed up outside of Steam.

Already answered that.

Please read the original post and comments more closely.

No, you did not. You may have imagined that you answered my specific request for clarification about whether you tried to contact Steam Support for a RuneScape gameplay issue, but you did not do so in this thread.

Saying "re-read the thread" does not help anyone when the thread does not contain any usable information.

[davidb11]

Bolt, If you want help, you're going to have to be nice and friendly.

Not shoot people in the kneecaps and then pour salt in the wound. Okay?

[Komarimaru]

Beltneck původně napsal:

Komarimaru původně napsal:

So, you just never made a Jagex account, to get the 20 inventory slots? Since that's the requirement. Launchers are the same. Guess what, you also can get 20 slots by having an authenticator on your account.

Not false advertising, since they ADVERTISE how you get the slots.

Pixel Starships, Steam forbids ads in games. But they offset this the stacked boost rush option on PC.

I've done Pixel Starships on both mobile and steam, and the difference in earnings is in the magnitude of hundreds. There is no mechanism in the Steam version that compares in the slightest to the Mobile version.

As for runescape - I didn't say 20 inventory slots, I said 20 character slots. Which are staggeringly different things. None of the links through the Steam launcher work either. So they may have a button for an authenticator, but it just keeps reverting back to the first page. You cannot report that problem to Steam because they just tell you to go to Jagex's tech support, but you can't log into Jagex's website with the account created through steam to report the problem. So you're either being deliberately combative and trying to defend false advertising for some reason, or you don't really understand the problem.

I've clearly stated the differences and problems multiple times. So at this point you'll just have to make a Jagex account and get the Jagex Launcher; then make an account through Steam, and mark the differences for yourself. They're plain as day when you compare them side by side.

It's the same launcher, why are you lying right now?
And guess what? Still just requires a Jagex Account, as they state. Even for the 20 character slots.

If you want the ads, play the other game on a mobile device.

[Beltneck]

Komarimaru původně napsal:

It's the same launcher, why are you lying right now?
And guess what? Still just requires a Jagex Account, as they state. Even for the 20 character slots.

They are not the same at all. Please follow the instructions to see the differences:

-Create a Jagex account, launch the game with the Jagex launcher, note the features you have, and see how easy it is to contact tech support for that account.

-Then download the game through Steam, use Steam to create a new account. Note the features that you do not have compared to the Jagex version, and try to contact tech support on Jagex's website for the account you just made.

The differences will be very obvious. I've already listed them, but thats not getting through - so go look for yourself.

[Komarimaru]

Beltneck původně napsal:

Komarimaru původně napsal:

It's the same launcher, why are you lying right now?
And guess what? Still just requires a Jagex Account, as they state. Even for the 20 character slots.

They are not the same at all. Please follow the instructions to see the differences:

-Create a Jagex account, launch the game with the Jagex launcher, note the features you have, and see how easy it is to contact tech support for that account.

-Then download the game through Steam, use Steam to create a new account. Note the features that you do not have compared to the Jagex version, and try to contact tech support on Jagex's website for the account you just made.

The differences will be very obvious. I've already listed them, but thats not getting through - so go look for yourself.

Its a very similar experience with STO too. The Steam generated account does not have access to the same things an account made through Arc's website would have. Especially account support.

Again, it's the same launcher. Even the official Jagex launcher has the new UI that steam uses.

If you launch through Steam, you can either log in to your Jagex Account, or play right away through Steam on a new character. If you play through Steam you can upgrade to a Jagex account easily.
https://www.jagex.com/en-GB/accounts

That simple.

Same for STO, you have to link the accounts.

No idea what's complicated to understand about this.

[Beltneck]

Ben Lubar původně napsal:

No, you did not.

Answer is right in the original post, and has come up in previous comments.

[Beltneck]

Komarimaru původně napsal:

If you launch through Steam, you can either log in to your Jagex Account, or play right away through Steam on a new character. If you play through Steam you can upgrade to a Jagex account easily.

That upgrade button never once worked for me on multiple machines. Even if it did work, it said the game would no longer be able to be launched through Steam. that I would have to use the Jagex launcher from then on. Nor could I use an existing Jagex account to log in through the launcher Steam opens up.

So if I can't upgrade my Steam generated account to a Jagex one, how do I contact Jagex tech support about that account? Can't login to their website under that account's usename, because its not like Steam has you setup a password for it.

Again, please follow the instructions to see the account differences for yourself:

-Create a Jagex account, launch the game with the Jagex launcher, note the features you have, and see how easy it is to contact tech support for that account.

-Then download the game through Steam, use Steam to create a new account. Note the features that you do not have compared to the Jagex version, and try to contact tech support on Jagex's website for the account you just made.

They are different products masquerading as the same thing, and both asking for your credit card. Textbook false advertising.

[davidb11]

You clearly don't know what false advertising is, and are making up bizarre claims because you can't troubleshoot properly.