Renting Games

[gorba]

I propose a game rental service on Steam.

A crucial condition is that since Valve is offering this service, game studios must become willing participants by allowing their games to be rented under Valve's agreed-upon terms.

Studio Participation: Studios must opt into the rental service, agree to the terms, and share their games for a rental period (perpetually until canceled). This agreement ensures that both the platform and the game developers/publishers agree on the rental process, protecting the rights and interests of both parties.

Cuts: The publisher makes most of the rental charges at 85%, with Valve taking 15%.

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The specific conditions

No Microtransactions: Exclude games with microtransactions to prevent ownership issues where the player owns the microtransactions licenses but not the game's license.

Price Limit: A game must be over $15; purchasing outright is more sensible at lower prices.

Rental Duration: Offer rentals for three at $3 or seven days for $6. This is a one-time purchase by default, but it can be changed to auto-renewal to avoid disruptions.

Content Rating: Exclude adult-rated games to maintain alignment with the service's values.

Game Status: No early access games to ensure that users rent complete, fully released titles.

Performance Requirements: Include only games that meet specific performance benchmarks, such as acceptable loading times.

User Review Thresholds: To ensure high quality, offer games with at least a 70% positive user review score on Steam.

DRM Restrictions: To facilitate ease of access and usability, exclude games with heavy DRM restrictions. This condition does not include Steam's DRM.

Studio Launcher: Avoid games that require a separate studio launcher.

Release Date Criterion: Rent games available for at least a month to circumvent launch day bugs or issues.

Developer/Publisher Reputation: Include games from developers or publishers known for reliable, high-quality content.

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Examples

Here are a few games that could be rented under this model with the publisher's consent:

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is well-received, with high user reviews, no mandatory microtransactions, and a reputable developer (CD Projekt Red). It's a complete game with significant content, making it ideal for a rental model.

Divinity: Original Sin 2 - This RPG has garnered excellent reviews and meets the performance and quality criteria, making it a good candidate for rental.

Red Dead Redemption 2 - From Rockstar Games, known for their high-quality and complete gaming experiences, this title is well above the $20 price point and has garnered excellent reviews. The online component isn't considered.

Death Stranding - As a game with innovative gameplay and narrative developed by Kojima Productions, it fits the model with high user reviews and no microtransactions impacting the core gameplay experience.

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition is a classic RPG from Bethesda that's well-loved and highly reviewed and offers a complete, expansive experience without the need for additional purchases.

[Boblin the Goblin]

Publicado originalmente por gorba:

Publicado originalmente por SlowMango:

It doesn't matter. The mindset is the same.

Companies tried everything they could to kill the rental market. They love that Steam makes the keys bound to an account and can't be shared.

There's nothing for them to change that.

Perhaps you missed the cuts. Under the rental model a publisher makes a bigger cut from a consumer who may not want to spend lot. So they rent instead. Valve takes 15% and the publisher 85%, instead of 30% Valve and 70% publisher.

This is assuming a majority of people would rent instead of buy. Renting isn't a popular thing. There's a reason it isn't really around anymore.

[Gwarsbane]

If you just want cheaper games, wait for a sale to happen, thats what I do. Valve isn't going to force this on developers and as others have mentioned, developers can already do this... but they don't... hmmmm maybe it could be that they are making more money the current way and don't think they would make as much renting out games that can be beat in under a week because they only take at most 10 to 20 hours to beat. (i've seen kids play for more then that amount just on a single weekend, heck I've played more then that on a single weekend).

[Iron Knights]

Steam IS a game rental service. Want to Own your games ? Buy DRM Free from GoG.
Run them without a launcher, remove any updates that don't work well with your PC.
Don't have to have Win 10/11 & nobody is checking if you don't.

[MonkehMaster]

steam has loads of DRM free games, but yes, GOG is a DRM free store front.

also, yep.. we are basically renting our games, we dont own them and they can be taken away at any time, which is a sad fact, that the gaming industry has taken.

[Gwarsbane]

Publicado originalmente por Iron Knights:

Steam IS a game rental service. Want to Own your games ? Buy DRM Free from GoG.
Run them without a launcher, remove any updates that don't work well with your PC.
Don't have to have Win 10/11 & nobody is checking if you don't.

You don't own those games from GOG either, you are still licensing them like you do from Steam just that they went with selling DRM free stuff... which is why their library of games is FAR smaller then Steam's.

As mentioned there is also DRM free games on Steam, you can find a long list via google or some other search engine.

[gorba]

Publicado originalmente por Iron Knights:

Steam IS a game rental service. Want to Own your games ? Buy DRM Free from GoG.
Run them without a launcher, remove any updates that don't work well with your PC.
Don't have to have Win 10/11 & nobody is checking if you don't.

Don't be an idiot. You don't own GOG games either. You own the license that gives you the right to use the software.

Calling Steam a "rental service" is... well, it's something.

[Start_Running]

Publicado originalmente por Wolf Knight:

subscriptions are the same as rentals. you only get the game while paying for it. why use your system when they can use the current one that exists?

how many games do you see using subscriptions? not many and there is a reason for it

and 15%? what are you taking (and why are you not sharing it) that makes you think steam will take less from subscriptions then from normal sales?

Because subscriptions are recurring and once people get locked in they tend to stay in for a while. Or forget about it. Why dio you think Amazon and such always be giving out free trials to their subscription services? Because they know that more than afew will forget to cancel before the renewal.


Otherwis. Yeah OP. Rentals are already a thing in the system, back from when Valve did videos as well as games. pluss the subscription thing. Devs are free to use it.. if they want to.. most devs.. would rather have a sale than a rental.

[bluesky66621]

EB games/GameStop would like to have a word. They went out of business when gaming industry killed off rentals. I dont think steam would like to commit business suicide by bring rentals back.

[bluesky66621]

Publicado originalmente por Start_Running:

Publicado originalmente por Wolf Knight:

subscriptions are the same as rentals. you only get the game while paying for it. why use your system when they can use the current one that exists?

how many games do you see using subscriptions? not many and there is a reason for it

and 15%? what are you taking (and why are you not sharing it) that makes you think steam will take less from subscriptions then from normal sales?

Because subscriptions are recurring and once people get locked in they tend to stay in for a while. Or forget about it. Why dio you think Amazon and such always be giving out free trials to their subscription services? Because they know that more than afew will forget to cancel before the renewal.


Otherwis. Yeah OP. Rentals are already a thing in the system, back from when Valve did videos as well as games. pluss the subscription thing. Devs are free to use it.. if they want to.. most devs.. would rather have a sale than a rental.

Amazon never had gaming rentals. Video rentals as Amazon prime is not exactly the same thing as gaming.

[Ben Lubar]

Why would a system that requires more credit card transactions and more bandwidth be cheaper for Valve?

[no154370]

i remember there are threads lying around somewhere with the same thread title like OP on Steam Forum asking the same thing.

do you know what happen in the end

----------------------------------------------------

the thread was shot down

[BJWyler]

Publicado originalmente por gorba:

Publicado originalmente por SlowMango:

It doesn't matter. The mindset is the same.

Companies tried everything they could to kill the rental market. They love that Steam makes the keys bound to an account and can't be shared.

There's nothing for them to change that.

Perhaps you missed the cuts. Under the rental model a publisher makes a bigger cut from a consumer who may not want to spend lot. So they rent instead. Valve takes 15% and the publisher 85%, instead of 30% Valve and 70% publisher.

Perhaps you missed the point where the 85% of the price you propose is still far, far less than the 70% of the outright purchase price of the game.

All this amounts to is another attempt at rattling the tin cup by someone who doesn't want to pay the premium price for a premium game in a non-essential luxury hobby.

[Start_Running]

Publicado originalmente por bluesky66621:

Publicado originalmente por Start_Running:

Because subscriptions are recurring and once people get locked in they tend to stay in for a while. Or forget about it. Why dio you think Amazon and such always be giving out free trials to their subscription services? Because they know that more than afew will forget to cancel before the renewal.


Otherwis. Yeah OP. Rentals are already a thing in the system, back from when Valve did videos as well as games. pluss the subscription thing. Devs are free to use it.. if they want to.. most devs.. would rather have a sale than a rental.

Amazon never had gaming rentals. Video rentals as Amazon prime is not exactly the same thing as gaming.

I never said Amazon did. I'm sayive Valve did and the same means by which they dealt with rentals is the same means by which they do subscroptions, which are still options available to the dev/ppub.
FOrm Valve's end its basically just a temporary license being granted tob the account.


As said. feature exists already.
The Vast majority just have NO INTEREST in renting games.

[no154370]

OP is one of those people who prefers "traditional method" of playing games through "rental".

but since this is the digital era, people prefers "subscription" and "permanent purchase" over "rental".

also, Microsoft already phase out "CD-Rom" for laptops and desktops.

as a result, Renting a game and playing them through CD-ROM is not viable anymore.