Steam Family Enhancement - Uninstalled games installable and playable by authrized accounts

[Buddha]

I find it annoying that authorized accounts and computers can only play library games if the entire library is not in use. While I can understand licensing rules, game installed on multiple machines and accessible/playable. But, there should be no reason not to allow others to install and play a game, if the original owner does not have it installed. This is a very common thing. I should be able to let my authorized computers to install and play games, if it's not installed on any other authorized computer. This simple enhancement would allow the games to remain installed in a single source. Yet playable even if the owners library is in use playing an installed game.

As it currently sits, Steam Family is a great idea...but seriously lacking. Families should be allowed to have more than one PC and/or account and also decide which PC gets which games and then have them playable. Sorry Valve, close...but really kind of way off the mark in terms of actual usefulness.

[cSg|mc-Hotsauce]

go offline with the other account.

people already abuse family sharing. to let both accounts play shared games at the same time would impact sales of those games. valve has thought this through very well.

but it would be fun to see if they let that happen. i want to see the effects it has on the gaming industry.

[Buddha]

You did not read this carefully. I did not say play the shared game at the same time. I'm stating If I uninstall a game...it's not installed anywhere...what is the harm in letting it be installed on another authorized computer? Currently if the owning library is in use you can't play the game. Even if you place the account in offline mode. They have made the function useless. Again, what I'm saying that as long as the game is installed in only ONE location, it shouldn't matter if the owning library is "in use". I uninstall Bioshock, why not allow it to be installed and played on another authorized device, while I'm playing XCOM 2. Completely different games...and this method still abides by the license agreement of only having the software in use on one machine at any given time. Currently if my family wants to play one of my shared games, I can't be playing ANYTHING at all. I can't even scratch my nose without Steam telling them that they can't play it because my library is "in use". I don't want to play the same game at the same time at all. Just allow family to be playing the games at the same time I'm playing something else.

[Black Blade]

Originally posted by Buddha:

You did not read this carefully. I did not say play the shared game at the same time. I'm stating If I uninstall a game...it's not installed anywhere...what is the harm in letting it be installed on another authorized computer? Currently if the owning library is in use you can't play the game. Even if you place the account in offline mode. They have made the function useless. Again, what I'm saying that as long as the game is installed in only ONE location, it shouldn't matter if the owning library is "in use". I uninstall Bioshock, why not allow it to be installed and played on another authorized device, while I'm playing XCOM 2. Completely different games...and this method still abides by the license agreement of only having the software in use on one machine at any given time. Currently if my family wants to play one of my shared games, I can't be playing ANYTHING at all. I can't even scratch my nose without Steam telling them that they can't play it because my library is "in use". I don't want to play the same game at the same time at all. Just allow family to be playing the games at the same time I'm playing something else.

Your sharing Librarys not games
Only one user can use a library at any given time

So if you play a game from someone else library, someone else can use your library, But if someone is uing the libary someone else cant use it