Rent with the option to buy games on steam

[SKINNYMIKE]

How cool would it be if steam had an option to rent the game you wanted before buying the game, I mean the full game not just a demo to try out for a few days.

[Cathulhu]

So, you want to rent a game for let's say five bucks, play through its story and then not buy it?
Sounds like a great way to not make money.
Why should Valve implement that?
Why should any publisher participate in such a feature?

[wuddih]

the games that may benefit from a temporary access purchase option already have it. for everything else it doesn't make sense.

[HikariLight]

It's called getting the Demo version. If it's available.

[B-o-B]

I take it first grade colleges are out? many silly suggestions week is in full swing.

[ShelLuser]

Renting software is about the dumbest thing you could ask for in my opinion.

Apart from it not really needed for games there are several companies out there which stopped selling so called perpetual licenses ("buy once, use forever") and instead insist on subscription models. Adobe is quite notorious for this because this is about the only way to use their Photosop program (though they do sell Photoshop Elements which is actually quite good!).

'SaaS' ("Software as a Service) is simply a piss poor model because it only (heavily!) benefits the sellers and not so much the users. I mean... if I'd pay E 80,- per month to use a bunch of software but end up not using several programs that month then I'm basically wasting my money because you'd still end up paying for its usage, while you actually didn't use it.


It's funny this thread should appear because I've had a few discussions about this on some 3D CGI related fora because of my recent discovery that Adobe is actually selling several of their Substance 3D software on Steam out of all places.

Substance 3D painter, designer, sampler and stager can now actually be purchased on Steam; buy once, get updates to the end of the year (2022) and use for as long as you'd like. Yah, needless to say that many people didn't have to think long and hard about this one

Screw SaaS!

[Kargor]

Get a game pass; that's probably the closest you can get.

The thing is -- you are looking for ways to get games cheap. Publishers are looking for ways to earn money.

And despite that, publishers do give you sales occasionally. Use those.

[Supafly]

Originally posted by mic636:

How cool would it be if steam had an option to rent the game you wanted before buying the game, I mean the full game not just a demo to try out for a few days.

You do realise that there are plenty of games that can be beaten without 24 hours? That includes games that are £40 or more.

I used to rent PS1 games from the local shop on a Friday/Saturday night and quite often had them beat before I returned them the following day.

[JVC]

Originally posted by Supafly:

Originally posted by mic636:

How cool would it be if steam had an option to rent the game you wanted before buying the game, I mean the full game not just a demo to try out for a few days.

You do realise that there are plenty of games that can be beaten without 24 hours? That includes games that are £40 or more.

I used to rent PS1 games from the local shop on a Friday/Saturday night and quite often had them beat before I returned them the following day.

And we used to be able to rent dvds at Blockbuster or similar stores. That got dented and broken and where we had to bring the thing back to the store before a given time unless we wanted to pay for having it additional days.

So there was a limit to how many people could exploit that loophole 20 years ago. That's no longer the case when everything is digital.

Anyone that does a piece of work wants to get paid for that work. That's no different between a plumber, an electrician, a teacher or a video game designer.

They tried the communism thing in the USSR, that's why that country went broke.

[ReBoot]

Here's EA Play, there's Game Pass and I'm pretty sure Ubisoft are working on something similar. Put your money where the product you want is.

[Muppet among Puppets]

Originally posted by ReBoot:

Here's EA Play, there's Game Pass and I'm pretty sure Ubisoft are working on something similar. Put your money where the product you want is.

Ubo has something like that for years. But its only worth it for new games, as their games are too long.

[Start_Running]

Originally posted by mic636:

How cool would it be if steam had an option to rent the game you wanted before buying the game, I mean the full game not just a demo to try out for a few days.

Devs can already implement this if they want.
Shockingly. Very few want to.

[Muppet among Puppets]

Originally posted by Start_Running:

Originally posted by mic636:

How cool would it be if steam had an option to rent the game you wanted before buying the game, I mean the full game not just a demo to try out for a few days.

Devs can already implement this if they want.
Shockingly. Very few want to.

Renting brings money for companies, not for each of the games.
Thats why its something they participate with revenue.

If you were right, there wouldnt be games in the plans that you can only buy (on steam).

[Baron Von Boom]

Blockbusters says hello

[Start_Running]

Originally posted by Muppet among Puppets:

Originally posted by Start_Running:

Devs can already implement this if they want.
Shockingly. Very few want to.

Renting brings money for companies, not for each of the games.
Thats why its something they participate with revenue.

If you were right, there wouldnt be games in the plans that you can only buy (on steam).

Not a matter of if. We know Valve offers the ability for subscription services. Basically the same as renting. Dev can define the duration of the subscription to the rental period and bam. Rentals. So we know it is possible.

Valve also has actual rentals another way. THis was an option when they did videos. the framework for it likely still exists . But again. Dev/pUbs aren't particularly interested in renting. Renting only really works where you're dealing with a limited resource in which case it behaves as recycling.

[AtheistChris]

Originally posted by Cathulhu:

So, you want to rent a game for let's say five bucks, play through its story and then not buy it?
Sounds like a great way to not make money.
Why should Valve implement that?
Why should any publisher participate in such a feature?

i Agree
they should however give all games with more then 2Hours Story playtime a Demo and remove the Refund option!