Game Ownership or Just a License? Concerns About Steam's Policies and Our Digital Libraries

[DarkEmpire]

Here’s the full message including both parts:

Dear Valve/Gaben,

I have some concerns after hearing the recent news and the lack of clarity about what is now required. After a brief introduction, I just read that when you purchase something through Steam or another store, you no longer have the right to actually own the game, but only receive a license. This implies that there’s always a possibility that a game could be removed from my library, even though I’ve paid the full price for it.

I am very happy with the service, the cloud save features, and the opportunities we have. However, the idea that "someone" could take a game out of my account—one that I've spent my whole life saving for and achieving in—gives me some anxiety, and I’m sure others feel the same way.

To be clear, I miss the physical game cases with DVDs inside, where you didn’t need the internet to play, except for manually downloading patches (like in The Sims 2, back in the day). I feel more inclined to buy fewer games, or only purchase them when they are at heavily discounted prices.

My question is whether there will be more clarity about what the licensing terms mean for us as Steam users. Is there any possibility that this could be changed so that when we purchase something, we can truly own it? Or could we at least get some assurance that our games won’t suddenly be removed from our library or become unplayable without warning?

[NW/RL]

Автор сообщения: Tito Shivan

Автор сообщения: NW/RL

which IS different to the rest of the industry.

No it's not.
I'd suggest to carefully read all the other service TOS. Because every service out there works more or less the same way.

Origin:
"Reservation of Rights and Restrictions. The Application is licensed, and not sold, to you for use only under the terms of this License."

Uplay:
"UBISOFT (or its licensors) grants You a non-exclusive, non-transferable, non-sublicensed, non-commercial and personal license to install and/or use the Product (in whole or in part) and any Product (the “License”)"

Battle Net:
"Your use of the Platform is licensed, not sold, to you, and you hereby acknowledge that no title or ownership with respect to the Platform or the Games is being transferred or assigned and this Agreement should not be construed as a sale of any rights"

GOG:
"We give you and other GOG users the personal right (known legally as a 'license') to use GOG services and to download, access and/or stream (depending on the content) and use GOG content. This license is for your personal use. We can stop or suspend this license in some situations, which are explained later on."

Reread my post but slower this time

[Chaosolous]

You have literally NEVER owned your games, even when you buy them physical. That physical item you bought is STILL just a license.

Now. The odds of the company coming to your home to remove it from your possession is so low it's not worth thinking about, but it's still not something you own and, given the proper circumstance, they could take that from you too.

You have always simply purchased a licence. The ISSUE is that the government doesn't do anything to force them to maintain access to a digital license. That's all.

Call your local representatives office and complain that digital goods need forced protection laws. That literally solves the problem.

You do not own any game or movie you buy, even physically. You don't suddenly have the rights to whatever you're looking at if you buy it. You simply have a license to possess/view it.

[HypersleepyNaputunia]

you only have full control over your games with gog. you arent forced to log in to internet to play your games, you copy and store your game where you want forever. you can make 40 dvds backups if u want or usb stick. that is the only place where you actually have power over your games.

plus console of course but you have to watch out for the forced internet patching they are tricking people who buy resellable switch games withfor example hogwarts legacy you can only play about an hour prequel till your forced patch to download 6gb on the physical game you bought.

with dvds in us you own the dvd but not the movie but you can backup that movie in some cases digitally but there are lots of technical legal issues they scare you with so be careful. but in general even if you own the super scratched dvd you have proof that you bought license since you have the broken dvd if they ask why you have digital backup of that dvd.
im not a lwayer dont take this as advice or anything just fyi

[Caduryn]

Автор сообщения: kimiko

you only have full control over your games with gog. you arent forced to log in to internet to play your games, you copy and store your game where you want forever. you can make 40 dvds backups if u want or usb stick. that is the only place where you actually have power over your games.

plus console of course but you have to watch out for the forced internet patching they are tricking people who buy resellable switch games withfor example hogwarts legacy you can only play about an hour prequel till your forced patch to download 6gb on the physical game you bought.

Guess what?
There are Games on Steam that work the same as on GoG, because the Devs decide if they use Steam DRM or not.

That still dosnt mean you "own" the Game as even GoG only sells you a License.

[smokerob79]

GoG gives you a file that will install without ever being downloaded or being activated again.....this is a real copy regardless of what is in legal writings.....

steam has been working to make all games on the platform fall under the "you dont own anything" line for years....I will keep my account but i will never buy games on the platform again....there are to many things in the new agreement i will never agree to pay for......

if they can be happy telling me I dont own anything I can be happy when they never see my money again......

no matter what is claimed here GoG is the only one that will ever come close to giving you a real copy in this BS digital world......

[Tito Shivan]

Автор сообщения: smokerob79

GoG gives you a file that will install without ever being downloaded or being activated again.....

Not always. GOG has been adding games which do require online activation or connection for sections or DLC.

[Kweeb]

Physical media has an EULA

[El Mythical 23 k.s.c.]

The original proposition of Steam was that you owned the games and if they were to close up shop they promised to give everyone notice and time to be able to download all there games locally. Not sure how this new license agreement alters that.

[smokerob79]

Автор сообщения: A no-brainer

Just chiming in to remind everyone that the DRM that potentially hinders you to keep your installed/licenced game is not something Valve forces onto developers, it is something they choose to use.

There are DRM free games on Steam available. Install them once and then copy their folder to a backup place and they are yours. It is just not as convenient as GOG, because their installers are usually smaller than the installed game.

https://www.pcgamingwiki.com/wiki/The_big_list_of_DRM-free_games_on_Steam

to even lie to yourself like this statement is true is just delusional.....steaming pile wants to control the PC market like they were apple.....just like apple blind fanboys will be the only reason the win......

[Caduryn]

Автор сообщения: El Mythical 23 k.s.c.

The original proposition of Steam was that you owned the games and if they were to close up shop they promised to give everyone notice and time to be able to download all there games locally. Not sure how this new license agreement alters that.

Thats the fun thing, its not new....

[Chaosolous]

Автор сообщения: Caduryn

Автор сообщения: El Mythical 23 k.s.c.

The original proposition of Steam was that you owned the games and if they were to close up shop they promised to give everyone notice and time to be able to download all there games locally. Not sure how this new license agreement alters that.

Thats the fun thing, its not new....

Even still, that statement that people quote about Steam saying "They promised to give notice..." was like, a long AF time ago. Who knows if Gaben still means that, a lot of ♥♥♥♥ can change over 10+ years. Especially when it comes to technology.

[swillfly]

Bottomline: any/all games in your library that you haven't downloaded, installed, and played already may *poof* be gone forever in the near future (i.e. you lose)

[A Shy Player]

Автор сообщения: swillfly

Bottomline: any/all games in your library that you haven't downloaded, installed, and played already may *poof* be gone forever in the near future (i.e. you lose)

I paid for Rocket League on Steam and now I cant play it because not only was the game ported to Epic, a few months later the account was magically banned one day without any proof of infraction and Psyonix refuses to provide any evidence of a violation of the ToS resulting in the permanent ban.

Trust me they will always find a loophole or a way to achieve their end-goals. This is why gamers need to be united against these monopolized conglomerates who's only goal is to extract profits.

[Ȼħⱥꞥꞥēł8753452]

Автор сообщения: Crazy Tiger

Автор сообщения: Tito Shivan

And as it was foretold the change has only served to confuse the average Joe over a subject that hasn't changed at all.

Reminds me of the change Valve did to the review icons, the stars. Always funny when visual changes confuse people into thinking something entirely new is happening.

Total misread of the situation.

Companies regularly engage in deceptive and manipulative marketing tactics.
Nothing was stopping valve from putting these things in prior to any legal changes.

Not to mention any TOS/EULA etc obviously uses legal speak (which has it's own seperate definitions). There is a reason why we have lawyers and legal professionals because just like being a software developer it's a specialized skill.

That's why so few can successfully defend themselves in court without a lawyer.

It's always good to be vigilant and fully be aware of what you're agreeing to. But I don't expect everyday people to fully grasp what I have in IT and only the best know not only how to do things but also break it down for others to understand.

[Morkonan]

Автор сообщения: DarkEmpire

Game Ownership or Just a License? Concerns About Steam's Policies and Our Digital Libraries...

Whether or not you can get a digital download of a full installer or hard-copy is NOT up to Steam/Valve.

Also - Not every game on Steam uses Steam's Copyright Protection. A famous example that is also marketed by the Devs is "Rimworld." Plenty of games do not use Steam's Copy Protection, but they do use Steam's update/patch/mod/etc and do usually need Steam's authentication and install.

The shrinking of consumer rights and our ability to actually "own things" is of primary concern to me. Not only SAAS and "Account Bound" marketing strategies, but all the way to many other things we use in daily life, have access to, but that someone now wants to tie a subscription model to... threatening to take away the thing we've had for years just because they want us to keep paying for it, forever.

I'm looking at you, Adobe. :/


I will probably end up buying some favorite games on GoG just to ensure that I... "have" them. I will always buy my games through Steam, but things move fast in the electronic world... and I don't want to get my purchases run over by them.

Consumers are not cattle.