Sharing library with my young kids.

[kleung830]

Want to buy another Steam Deck, but Steam's current inability to play two different games from my library simultaneously makes a second Deck almost pointless. Yes, I know all the workarounds. None are convenient or acceptable. I have three young kids. They can't have their own accounts and I'm not going to buy 4 copies of every game.

As a mental exercise, we can see that the current restrictions can be circumvented by buying every game on a separate account, so it's obvious this anti-consumer policy isn't quite right.

Guess I need to start buying more games on other platforms.

[ShelLuser]

Автор сообщения: kleung830

Guess I need to start buying more games on other platforms.

Or stop trying to abuse the system and actually get your kids the game(s) they enjoy so they can play themselves.

One way or the other the system works as intended.. who would have imagined that you need to purchase games before you can play them... doesn't matter where you buy 'm, in the end the developers get what they deserve: payment.

[nullable]

Автор сообщения: kleung830

Guess I need to start buying more games on other platforms.

Yep. But you might want to read up on those systems because they might not want multiple users/systems accessing the same library either.

And ultimately many stores may not be keen on implementing ways for you to buy fewer games or share accounts across multiple devices simultaneously.

If you go Nintendo, make sure you only buy physical cartridges.

[kolumuani12]

If they are that young that you don't want them to have their own Steam account it is probably best for them to not play video games ? Or they can just share one console like we all did when we were young ? Don't know though, you are the father not me.

[MadZec]

I would never shared my library with my kids..... Simply make fammily account for them andjust lock them not to be allowed adult content...

[miakisfan]

With some of the games I own there is no way in Hell I would share my games with them UNLESS there was a way to pick and choose games that I knew were safe for them.

Unlike some folk I understand that children should only be shown content safe for their age and as a parent that would be up to me, not others.

[kleung830]

Really? The first response is that I am abusing the system?

Minimum age for a Steam account is 13. I have bought Putt Putt and Pajama Sam games for my kids to play. I've got 3 kids under 13. You think I'm going to buy all the Putt Putt and Pajama Sam games 3 times each on 3 separate accounts just so my kids can play? I'm not sure if you guys have kids or not, but this is a pretty reasonable request. I'm not trying to NOT buy the game. I'm not trying to play multiple copies of the same game at the same time. And you can't even buy multiple copies of the same game for the same account.

I'm not giving them my password and letting them play unsupervised. I'm loading a Lego game on the Steam Deck for one of them. Then a sibling wants to play Putt Putt on the living room PC. How many accounts and copies do I need to purchase to be able to do this without being called a criminal?

So strange we cannot have a level-headed discussion without someone blaming the consumer for a very reasonable use case.

What would be reasonable would be a limit on the number of simultaneous games (3 or so) and all within the same LAN. Force me to re-login to verify that I am present at each machine. I don't mind. Basically anything is better than now.

I could also get around this by making a new Steam account for each game I purchase. But is having multiple accounts abusing the system?

If I start a game from my library and then hand the controller to my kid, is that account sharing and abusing the system?

There has to be a better middle ground. Because something as drastic as a separate accounts for each game is way more hassle than pirating games. And we all know anti-consumer policies is what drives piracy. Nobody wants to go back to the days of rampant piracy.

[CptnSpandex]

1 person can play at a time and for good reason, if you look up on buying cheap games sometimes you will come across websites of people selling what you think is brand new games but it is not it is a account loaded with the game for people stupid enough to fall for it to watch someone play it and share it between them, now if all of them who bought into that dummy account with 1 game for say a fiver were able to play at the same time alot of people would never buy a full price game again, see the point ?.

[Haruspex]

• Install Pajama Sam on the Steam Deck.
  
• Activate offline mode.
  
• Launch Pajama Sam.
  
• Hand to kid.
  
• Profit?

I will say it's just better to make a personal account for your kid, but I only have one kid, not three.

[nullable]

Автор сообщения: kleung830

What would be reasonable would be a limit on the number of simultaneous games (3 or so) and all within the same LAN. Force me to re-login to verify that I am present at each machine. I don't mind. Basically anything is better than now.

What would be reasonable is a system that caters to your needs specifically, without addressing any other concerns by other parties? That's not reasonable, that's self-serving convenience.

Автор сообщения: kleung830

I could also get around this by making a new Steam account for each game I purchase. But is having multiple accounts abusing the system?

Multiple accounts is not abusing the system, account sharing to negate the terms of the license and DRM is.

Автор сообщения: kleung830

If I start a game from my library and then hand the controller to my kid, is that account sharing and abusing the system?

There has to be a better middle ground. Because something as drastic as a separate accounts for each game is way more hassle than pirating games. And we all know anti-consumer policies is what drives piracy. Nobody wants to go back to the days of rampant piracy.

Well understand what you want, and you're not wrong for wanting it. However your concerns aren't the only ones that exist. Valve has concerns, more permissive sharing would lead to abuse and people buying fewer games, even with your arbitrary limits.

Valve's other customers, developers/publishers also have interests too in selling games. And may not agree to more permissive sharing. You may have forgotten, or be wholly unaware, that family sharing is something developers can opt out of, at will. If Valve changes the system to allow more permissive sharing, more developers will opt out. That may not help your scheme to buy fewer games out as much as you think. So, will you then move the goalposts and suggest Valve somehow penalize developers who opt out and exercise their rights in ways you find inconvenient? Hard to say for certain, but since you already kinda want free stuff on your terms... my guess is you won't be thrilled with any unintended consequences.

[kleung830]

Not sure why I keep getting accused of wanting something for free. I want to buy game A and be able to have one of my kids play it anytime. Just because I also bought game B that another one of my kids happens to be playing, shouldn't prevent the kid from playing game A. It's one person per game at any given time. If I happen to buy game B on another platform or physical media, there would be no problems. So, morally, I'm not asking for more than I paid for. I'm not asking for any freebies.

Buying everything in a separate "kid account" would kind of help if I only had one kid. But I have 3. And I play games too. Buying a game 3 or 4 times just so one person can play at any given time is stupid. Still don't understand how this is controversial. Even Netflix and Disney+ and Amazon Prime allows someone to watch on the TV while someone else in the house watches something else on their phone. For Amazon Prime, I actually "purchased" movies and shows in a similar fashion as "purchasing" a game on Steam.

[⚡ Fl1tS ⚡]

As a mental exercise let's compare this to something in real life so maybe you can wrap your head around it. Let's say your kids want to play tennis. You can buy 1 tennis racket, and your kids can each play tennis in turns. Or you can get them all a tennis racket and they can all play tennis at the same time.

[kleung830]

Автор сообщения: ⚡ Fl1tS ⚡

As a mental exercise let's compare this to something in real life so maybe you can wrap your head around it. Let's say your kids want to play tennis. You can buy 1 tennis racket, and your kids can each play tennis in turns. Or you can get them all a tennis racket and they can all play tennis at the same time.

Exactly.

I buy a variety of tennis rackets for all of my kids to share. Each racket can only be held by one person at a time. But all three of my kids can play at the same time each with a different racket.

I buy a variety of games for all of my kids to share. Each game can only be played by one person at a time. But all three of my kids can play at the same time each with a game... Except they can't.

[Myll]

Автор сообщения: ⚡ Fl1tS ⚡

As a mental exercise let's compare this to something in real life so maybe you can wrap your head around it. Let's say your kids want to play tennis. You can buy 1 tennis racket, and your kids can each play tennis in turns. Or you can get them all a tennis racket and they can all play tennis at the same time.

That's not a fair Analogy. A fair sports Analogy is that he buys a Tennis Racket, a Basketball, a Soccer Ball, and a set of Jarts (yes, the deadly kind), all from the same vendor, but the vendor says that only one of the 4 can be used at any one time, even though the children each want to play a different sport (while only Dad can play Jarts).

[[N]ebsun]

Автор сообщения: kleung830

Minimum age for a Steam account is 13.

Make an account for each one - you can make the account on behalf of them if they are under 13. The agreement only prevents under 13 year olds from creating the account, not owning one - as long as an adult creates the account and accepts the agreement on behalf of their kid, it's absolutely fine, and is the accepted / required method for under 13 to gain an account.

Once you have an account for each one, either buy the game that they will play on their account, or share your library for them to access a game.

If you want everyone to be able to play the same game all at the same time, then they each need to own a license for that game - just as normal..

The only way to allow access to the same game for different accounts at different times is to own the game on a different account to both of them - yes it's a pain, but is the only way.

[Karumati]

Автор сообщения: kleung830

Want to buy another Steam Deck, but Steam's current inability to play two different games from my library simultaneously makes a second Deck almost pointless. Yes, I know all the workarounds. None are convenient or acceptable. I have three young kids. They can't have their own accounts and I'm not going to buy 4 copies of every game.

As a mental exercise, we can see that the current restrictions can be circumvented by buying every game on a separate account, so it's obvious this anti-consumer policy isn't quite right.

Guess I need to start buying more games on other platforms.

if you want to let your kids to play games on multiple profiles then just buy ps5 and create local accounts