Concurrent gameplay

[The Big Cap Kidd]

Steam Support told me to add this discussion here.

When my kids were younger and didn't play games often, I purchased several games for them to play. Now that they are older and able to play more often, we are constantly having conflicts when trying to play games.

I can understand not being able to have 2 instances of the same game going at the same time, but not being able to play 2 different game concurrently is a problem. If I purchased hard copies of 2 separate games, we would be able to play both of them on separate machines at the same time; however, because I purchased them digitally, I can't.

If I were able to transfer those purchased games to a new account set up for my kids, this problem would be solved, but I can't.

Would it be possible to be able to have concurrent games available as long as each machine is at the same IP?

As a side note: I was told to sign up with a shared library, but this doesn't help because shared libraries still cannot have concurrent play. If I was able to have shared and non-shared games AND was able to play one title from each category concurrently, this problem would be solved. (i.e. If LEGO Batman was shared and Elite: Dangerous was non-shared, my kids could play LEGO Batman while I play Elite: Dangerous.)

[Start_Running]

Games cannot be transferred. You're basically either going to have to work with scheduling or just buy them their own copies. Bonus, get them to save up for their own copies.

[Gwarsbane]

What you got was an copy and paste to get rid of you. Anything that even sniffs of a suggestion they tell people to post here because steam support is for billing and account issues only.

That said, what you want is not going to happen. Because playing 2 different games, or even 2 of the same game on 1 machine at the same time is not possible. Even if you have 10 mice on one machine at one time, there is only 1 mouse pointer.

Windows itself is the limit which is why you can't play 2 of the game game or 2 different games at the same time.

If you want 1 account to be usable on 2 different machines at the same time, again not going to happen because that opens up people renting out their accounts for others to use.

If you want to play the same game at the same time you need to have 2 different computers with 2 different accounts and both accounts need to have individual copies of the same game.

If you want to play 2 different games at the same time you need to have 2 different computers, with 2 different accounts with what ever game they want to play on that account at that time.


There is no transferring of games and there hopefully never will be because that opens up a HUGE can of worms that makes things far worse for the consumers.

[The Big Cap Kidd]

I was never talking about playing concurrent games on the same PC. So the only rhing limiting me is Steam, which is encouraging me to only purchase hard copies of games from now on.

I should be able to have 2 separate games that I purchased running at the same time on 2 separate machines within my house.

[Brian9824]

Escrito originalmente por The Big Cap Kidd:

I was never talking about playing concurrent games on the same PC. So the only rhing limiting me is Steam, which is encouraging me to only purchase hard copies of games from now on.

I should be able to have 2 separate games that I purchased running at the same time on 2 separate machines within my house.

It will NEVER happen because people will use it to rent out their steam library. IP means nothing as you can spoof it to say whatever you want it to in 30 seconds.

[Fossilised]

Escrito originalmente por brian9824:

Escrito originalmente por The Big Cap Kidd:

I was never talking about playing concurrent games on the same PC. So the only rhing limiting me is Steam, which is encouraging me to only purchase hard copies of games from now on.

I should be able to have 2 separate games that I purchased running at the same time on 2 separate machines within my house.

It will NEVER happen because people will use it to rent out their steam library. IP means nothing as you can spoof it to say whatever you want it to in 30 seconds.

If Steam had a will to make sharing work confined to a household, they would find a way.

[Gwarsbane]

Escrito originalmente por The Big Cap Kidd:

I was never talking about playing concurrent games on the same PC. So the only rhing limiting me is Steam, which is encouraging me to only purchase hard copies of games from now on.

I should be able to have 2 separate games that I purchased running at the same time on 2 separate machines within my house.

Its funny you mention hard copies.. because guess what.... every single hard copy that you buy needs to be connected to an account and those accounts are limited to using one at a time.

If you buy any hard copy of a game on Steam... it requires a steam account.

If you buy a hard copy of a game on epic... it requires an epic account.

If you buy a hard copy of a game on Blizzard.... it requires a blizzard account.

If you buy a hard copy of a game on Xbox or Playstation.... it requires xbox and playstation accounts.

The only games that don't require an account is ones from GOG but guess what, you are legally not allowed to copy games for people as that would be piracy and if they find out, you can lose your account.


So do you know what your options are.... keep over paying for games that are limited in exactly the same way as digital versions. Or Wait till they go on good sale, buy one copy for each account and save lots of money in the long run.

Again what you want will never happen as it opens it up to abuse as there is no know to say that the game can only be played by the computers in just one house. Its impossible.



Oh ya and fun fact, many of the hard copy of games are nothing more than a CD key with a disc that might contain a launcher that either starts up the required program, or goes on the internet and downloads it. Most discs do not include any of the game on it because games today are becoming too large for the number of discs that would be needed, less computers come with CD/Blu-ray drives and companies try to make them as cheap as they can because they make more with digital only copies as they don't have to pay for a lot of things like making the media, printing, shipping, storage, loss of items during storage or shipping and stuff like that.

[Brian9824]

Escrito originalmente por Fossilised:

Escrito originalmente por brian9824:

It will NEVER happen because people will use it to rent out their steam library. IP means nothing as you can spoof it to say whatever you want it to in 30 seconds.

If Steam had a will to make sharing work confined to a household, they would find a way.

No it wouldn't because there ISN'T any way to be able to identify the same household. Not to mention families can be spread across multiple houses. The only identifiable factor is IP address which by design can be spoofed incredibly easy,

VPN's exist for the sole reason to make it appear that multiple people in different locations are all operating over the same network.

[Hazarow]

family share should allow two people to play at the same time

if you are in family share you should be allowed to play the same game together xbox and playstation let you do it if im family sharing that means i dont want to buy the game more then once this needs fixed

[Crazy Tiger]

The word "fixed" implies that something is broken. It's working as intended, though.

[El poco nuez del muerte]

Escrito originalmente por Hazarow:

if you are in family share you should be allowed to play the same game together xbox and playstation let you do it if im family sharing that means i dont want to buy the game more then once this needs fixed

So, you want two copies of a game, but you only want to pay for one. And you think this needs to be fixed as in it's broken right now?

Sure, that is totally going to happen.

[Hazarow]

no i dont see why i need to buy to copys for my wife an i to play a game together if you buy any game on any other platform you can play with another person with out them needing to buy the game look it up ps an xbox both have it. with the way it set up you on steam you can play the game for free with out buying it just not the person you are family sharing with

[Supafly]

Escrito originalmente por Hazarow:

no i dont see why i need to buy to copys for my wife an i to play a game together if you buy any game on any other platform you can play with another person with out them needing to buy the game look it up ps an xbox both have it. with the way it set up you on steam you can play the game for free with out buying it just not the person you are family sharing with

Because that is the only way Developers and publishers would agree to allowing their games to be used by Steam Family share. Also keep in mind that at any time they can revoke their games from Steam Family share at any time.

I do thing it'd be nice to share my games with others just like I can if I lent a console game or DVD or Bluray film to a friend but they are physical media where as these are digital licenses tied to an account. Nothing any of us not even Valve can do to change it

[MrL0G1C]

If you bought 4 non-steam games and had 4 PCs at home, you'd be able to play them all at the same time.

Need I say more?

[Tito Shivan]

Escrito originalmente por Hazarow:

xbox and playstation let you do it if im family sharing

You own and rule on your own PC.
You don't own and absolutely don't rule in your own console. Sony and Microsoft do.

That's why you can share more easily in console than you can on PC

[The Big Cap Kidd]

Escrito originalmente por Gwarsbane:

Escrito originalmente por The Big Cap Kidd:

I was never talking about playing concurrent games on the same PC. So the only rhing limiting me is Steam, which is encouraging me to only purchase hard copies of games from now on.

I should be able to have 2 separate games that I purchased running at the same time on 2 separate machines within my house.

Its funny you mention hard copies.. because guess what.... every single hard copy that you buy needs to be connected to an account and those accounts are limited to using one at a time.

If you would read what I wrote, you would realize that I am not trying to play 2 instances of the same game. I am trying to play 2 separate games on 2 separate machines. (i.e. my kids play LEGO Batman on the computer in my living room and I play Elite: Dangerous on the computer in my office.)