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%.

---

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.

---

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.

[Thermal Lance]

The industry did everything they could to kill rentals when it was a thing. Why in hell would they support Steam in bringing it back?

[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?

[nullable]

OP, if publishers or stores wanted to offer rentals they would. It's not something the forgot about.

The best you're going to get these days is the monthly subscription model offered by MS, EA and Ubisoft. The cost is barely more than your rental scheme, and all the games they want to offer on subscription are on the subscription.

Valve hasn't shown any interest in offering their own subscription service, so you're stuck with those who do.

Your renting of individual titles is just dated at the moment and game rentals was never really an option for PC games. Not that I ever saw in the U.S.

If you really want to rent games that badly, go set up a Game Fly account and get a console https://www.gamefly.com

[gorba]

By "they" I assume you mean the big publicly traded publishers with their own subscription services like EA Play and Ubisoft+. They can opt out. All of the games I cite as examples in my original post, weren't released by those studios.

[Boblin the Goblin]

gorba původně napsal:

By "they" I assume you mean the big publicly traded publishers with their own subscription services like EA Play and Ubisoft+. They can opt out. All of the games I cite as examples in my original post, weren't released by those studios.

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.

[HikariLight]

Steam cannot rent out games it doesn't own.
All the subscriptions like EA play and Xbox game pass are done by the developers/owners of the games.
And even then, those are limited to games they have the ownership of or the rights to. They cannot add games they do not own or do not have the rights to.

[cSg|mc-Hotsauce]

gorba původně napsal:

Renting Games

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%.

---

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.

---

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.

GabeN doesn't want to.

GabeN would work with MS to bring Gamepass to Steam or any other dev/pub that wants to add a subscription to Steam, if they want to.

https://www.pcgamer.com/valve-has-no-plans-for-a-steam-pass-but-would-help-microsoft-put-game-pass-on-steam/

[gorba]

SlowMango původně napsal:

gorba původně napsal:

By "they" I assume you mean the big publicly traded publishers with their own subscription services like EA Play and Ubisoft+. They can opt out. All of the games I cite as examples in my original post, weren't released by those studios.

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.

[nullable]

gorba původně napsal:

By "they" I assume you mean the big publicly traded publishers with their own subscription services like EA Play and Ubisoft+. They can opt out. All of the games I cite as examples in my original post, weren't released by those studios.

Let's just say everyone interested in PC game rentals has already opted in if they want to.

"But there are no game rentals..."

Exactly.

gorba původně napsal:

SlowMango původně napsal:

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.

I don't think the main issue is the revenue split. I don't think creating a more favorable split makes game rentals so desirable anyone is on board. No one has been waiting for twenty years for you to come up with 85/15.

[Wolf Knight]

gorba původně napsal:

SlowMango původně napsal:

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.

and again, why would valve take less? they wouldnt without a reason, and being nice is not much of a reason.

[✨Saint✨]

The current model works, and people asking for game rentals is something that has been asked before. You may find plenty of answers in those posts.

[Nx Machina]

A rental service is already available on Steam know as subscriptions which is an option the developers can enable for their games if they so choose to without the need to ask Valve's permission.

Two examples:

https://store.steampowered.com/app/394360/Hearts_of_Iron_IV/

Subscription starting at £6.99 per month.


https://store.steampowered.com/app/203770/Crusader_Kings_II/

Subscription £4.99 charged every 30 days.

[76561198407601200]

gorba původně napsal:

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%.

---

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.

---

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.

There are free weekends and demos. Developers want to be paid full price for their games unless they are putting them on sale, rentals are not a viable option and which is one reason why that has faded away.

[MonkehMaster]

you are already renting them... you are asking for, whats already being done sadly

[76561199559798421]

i miss the free game rentals after so many games, steam should have a free game after you buy so many