Enforce real release dates on games getting out of exclusivity deals

[Capuno]

Several games use false release dates after their period from exclusive deals with, for example, Epic Games Store expire.
One case was Borderlands 3, the day it released on Steam, they put it as if the release date of the game was that same day, but the game was released years ago.

This is a form of scam, it's not a new game.
I don't know if game developers fill this information on their store profile or whatever, but a LOT of games put false dates in here in hopes of scamming some user that doesn't read gaming news and knows it's an old game.

Make it so it's harder to lie on this field, maybe put a warning or if valve finds a liar block their editing for this field and manually change it.

[KalGimpa]

ok op, this is like the third or fourth recent post that pretty much says that us users are too stupid to check out games before buying them on steam

what gives?

why are people assuming that the average steam user is too dumb to look up games and will get "scammed" by a simple date on the store page?

edit
this is the answer

Publicado originalmente por BJWyler:

Exclusivity has nothing to do with it. I have tons of classic games that were later released on Steam, and the release dates reflects the day that the game became available on Steam.

Personally, I think having the original release date for any game is a point of interest, so would like to have it reflected on the store page, along with the date it became available on Steam, but not having it is hardly a scam.

[❤ Sly Succubus ❤]

Publicado originalmente por Capuno:

Several games use false release dates after their period from exclusive deals with, for example, Epic Games Store expire.
One case was Borderlands 3, the day it released on Steam, they put it as if the release date of the game was that same day, but the game was released years ago.

This is a form of scam, it's not a new game.
I don't know if game developers fill this information on their store profile or whatever, but a LOT of games put false dates in here in hopes of scamming some user that doesn't read gaming news and knows it's an old game.

Make it so it's harder to lie on this field, maybe put a warning or if valve finds a liar block their editing for this field and manually change it.

So all I get from this is you have no idea what a platform release is, nor what exclusivity is, Borderlands 3 was indeed released on Steam on March,30 2020 after Epic revealed their exclusive deal they had during the Epic Games VS Apple law suit.

The release date is not the actual release date that the game came out on
Its the date that it was released on Steam.

Side note> Years?
Bro Borderlands 3 released in September of 2019, it was not even a full year (8 months to be on the point) that it later came to Steam so you don't even have that time correct.

Nothing needs to be changed, I'm somehow shocked you were unaware the release dates on Steam were meant to tell you when it was released on Steam, not when the game was released at its launch.

[Nx Machina]

There is no scam as a scam literally requires YOU not knowing it is happening.

Secondly neither is it false advertising. The date is "the date" it released on Steam, as in it is a "new release" on Steam. Putting the original release date would be false advertising because it was not available on Steam on that date.

Was The Last of Us Part 1 available on Steam in 2013. No it was not.

[BJWyler]

Publicado originalmente por Shizune:

Nothing needs to be changed, I'm somehow shocked you were unaware the release dates on Steam were meant to tell you when it was released on Steam, not when the game was released at its launch.

I have a feeling it is less shock and less unawareness than it is the OP projecting his dislike of the Epic exclusivity deals on to something else.

Nevermind the fact that exclusivity deals are a part of economic business, in all industries, and have been for decades. I can walk into my local Target and Walmart right now and find products exclusive to those stores everywhere - clothing, food items, music, et al.

[76561197960287930]

Capuno is correct. Let Valve make it say clearly "Steam Release Date" if that is the case.

Otherwise it is unfair, deceptive and fraudulent consumer business practice. Just go ask the Federal Trade Commission. Report fraud and make them fix it.

Valve can say that there is no ill intent on their part or partners, but the fact of the matter is, they know it is happening, and yet they let it continue to be misinformation, as in not the products, original product release date.

You think the FTC would allow a used car dealership to misrepresent a year of a cars manufactured release date, simply because it was NEW inventory to their car lot for sale? No. Software should be no different no matter when someone else gets to sell it new or used.

[Tanoomba]

Publicado originalmente por 76561197960287930:

Otherwise it is unfair, deceptive and fraudulent consumer business practice. Just go ask the Federal Trade Commission. Report fraud and make them fix it.

it is not fraud, and there's nothing misleading or deceptive about it.

Publicado originalmente por 76561197960287930:

You think the FTC would allow a used car dealership to misrepresent a year of a cars manufactured release date, simply because it was NEW inventory to their car lot for sale?

False equivalence.

[76561197960287930]

release date in British English
(rɪˈli:s deɪt IPA Pronunciation Guide )
noun
1. a fixed date on which a product is due to become available for the public to see or buy

Not the first date as in seen / sold on Steam, unless it specifically says somewhere that is the case. Which it doesn't. If Valve wants to use "Release Date" as a general term that may or not reflect the correct release of a product to the public they should just say so.

But honesty truth and clarity doesn't always make them the most sales dose it?

Okay. So some Amazon seller should go start selling Windows 3.1 or Windows 95. with a Release Date of 2023, simply because they are first to sell it on Amazon to their customer.
Better equivalence? Still unfair, deceptive and fraudulent consumer business practice.

Do you need the definition of fraud too?

https://partner.steamgames.com/doc/store/release_dates Better equivalence? In reading this it appears it may be an "intended" release date for just Steam" GG Valve at not conveying that message to your customers for older games that may appear in your store as being having newer dates and not the actual "original" product release date.

idk maybe Valve and or partners would like me to stop now. they don't particularly like smart customers, sharing knowledge.

[Mad Scientist]

Publicado originalmente por 76561197960287930:

Capuno is correct. Let Valve make it say clearly "Steam Release Date" if that is the case.

Otherwise it is unfair, deceptive and fraudulent consumer business practice. Just go ask the Federal Trade Commission. Report fraud and make them fix it.

There's no violation and thus the report would be worthless. It's also not really an FTC matter.
Nothing "deceptive" or "fraud" about it.

Publicado originalmente por 76561197960287930:

Valve can say that there is no ill intent on their part or partners, but the fact of the matter is, they know it is happening, and yet they let it continue to be misinformation, as in not the products, original product release date.

Yet it also doesn't say "original release date on any platform", thus it's still more than OK for them to put release date on Steam because for their platform, release date means when it came to the steam store.

Publicado originalmente por 76561197960287930:

You think the FTC would allow a used car dealership to misrepresent a year of a cars manufactured release date, simply because it was NEW inventory to their car lot for sale? No. Software should be no different no matter when someone else gets to sell it new or used.

This is not like that at all, car analogies only work when you give an accurate comparison, plus you seem to wrongfully believe it would be the FTC again.

Used car places usually say "(Year) (Model)" listed because the same model can exist through multiple years, kind of like how not all "Call of Duty" games are just "Call of Duty", and are numerically represented or have a differing title. Many places that sell things list "recent arrivals" and the product is only recent to the store, not the overall market - and it's fully legal because most people can read things & look at the product themselves, with information typically able to be found quickly through the internet or their phones if they want more information or have any doubts.

Not understanding the stores or general markets compared to the mass majority, means the understanding is definitely not a mass majority thing so much as a very small amount of people. There is no negative behavior on Steams end, nothing deceptive nor is any of it fraud. The few that are confused likely have very little experience of open markers & capitalism, and just need to learn how things work.

[76561197960287930]

Publicado originalmente por Mad Scientist:

The few that are confused likely have very little experience of open markers & capitalism, and just need to learn how things work.

Or those customers just need the people that make those consumer protection laws to actively enforce them?

And if people don't know how or care report this stuff. Then ya, nothing happens, changes.

And there are people that probably don't know US consumer protection laws or where to report, or know that they are protected as well because US based company, let alone know their own regions consumer protection laws. Maybe they don't have any, or maybe they don't even care about honesty truth or clarity of the claims made on products they see in a storefront. Because open markets & capitalism, unfair, deceptive and fraudulent consumer business practice FTW! We're a private company!

Let's not just stop at deceptive unclear release dates, lets move the line further to more nefarious, unfair, deceptive and fraudulent consumer business practice, because people not understanding the market or consumer protection laws. Let Valve, Amazon, everyone, maximize their profits to the fullest!

I'm going to start sending those phone scammers misrepresenting themselves and services money today! Call me!

[Mad Scientist]

Publicado originalmente por 76561197960287930:

Publicado originalmente por Mad Scientist:

The few that are confused likely have very little experience of open markers & capitalism, and just need to learn how things work.

Or those customers just need the people that make those consumer protection laws to actively enforce them?

And if people don't know how or care report this stuff. Then ya, nothing happens, changes.

And there are people that probably don't know US consumer protection laws or where to report, or know that they are protected as well because US based company, let alone know their own regions consumer protection laws. Maybe they don't have any, or maybe they don't even care about honesty truth or clarity of the claims made on products they see in a storefront. Because open markers & capitalism unfair, deceptive and fraudulent consumer business practice FTW! We're a private compamy!

There is literally nothing deceptive or fraudulent about the listed sale date.

Government agencies cannot fix a few people not understanding market systems they're using.

[76561197960287930]

Publicado originalmente por Mad Scientist:

Government agencies cannot fix a few people not understanding market systems they're using.

They can clearly step in and fine them and make them change. Watch!

And you just misrepresented the problem as a "listed sale date." No. It says "Release Date" and rather unclear to some consumers as to what that actually means.

[cSg|mc-Hotsauce]

Publicado originalmente por 76561197960287930:

Publicado originalmente por Mad Scientist:

Government agencies cannot fix a few people not understanding market systems they're using.

They can clearly step in and fine them and make them change. Watch!

Governments don't care about the release date on Steam.

[76561197960287930]

Publicado originalmente por cSg|mc-Hotsauce:

Governments don't care about the release date on Steam.

:qr:

Okay thank you. We'll see!

We'll see if that includes active State Attorney Generals too!?!? And it not you are right it's all a scam!

[Mad Scientist]

Publicado originalmente por 76561197960287930:

Publicado originalmente por Mad Scientist:

Government agencies cannot fix a few people not understanding market systems they're using.

They can clearly step in and fine them and make them change. Watch!

They haven't and still don't care about something they already understand.
Wanting any part of a government to wrongfully throw power around & fine people/companies for personal desire is extremely unwise & leads to immense corruption.

[cSg|mc-Hotsauce]

Publicado originalmente por 76561197960287930:

Publicado originalmente por cSg|mc-Hotsauce:

Governments don't care about the release date on Steam.

Okay thank you. We'll see!

They don't. They literally don't see it as an issue worth their time/money to bother with.