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Steam now tells gamers up front that they're buying a license, not a game

submitted by dosvydanya_freedomz to gaming 6 monthsOct 11, 2024 10:30:30 ago (+25/-0)     (www.engadget.com)

https://www.engadget.com/gaming/steam-now-tells-gamers-up-front-that-theyre-buying-a-license-not-a-game-085106522.html

Steam appears to have started posting a notice in its shopping cart that purchases on its storefront are only for a license and not a game, according to a notice spotted by Engadget. It looks like an attempt by the company to get ahead of a new California law coming next year that forces companies to admit that buyers don't actually own digital content.

When you open your shopping cart with items inside and before going to payment, a notice at the bottom right states: "A purchase of a digital product grants a license for the product on Steam." This is the first time our editors have seen of a notice like this (and we use Steam a lot), so it appears to be relatively new.


24 comments block

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[ - ] KosherHiveKicker 1 point 6 monthsOct 12, 2024 22:17:21 ago (+1/-0)

Steam is going to get a reality check very soon.

Nearly everyone I know watches, and plays content that is beyond their reach of control. This trend is only going to increase as the cunts attempt to lock things down further.

[ - ] rabidR04CH 0 points 6 monthsOct 12, 2024 10:53:39 ago (+0/-0)

That's why you buy games from GOG, not Steam.

[ - ] i_scream_trucks 1 point 6 monthsOct 12, 2024 05:50:54 ago (+1/-0)

lucky for me that is the only reason i use steam, to buy a license for a product. i dont have to actually get that product from steam, there are alternative places i can get every single product steam sells. most of the time i already have the product and have decided it is worth the money, so i then go buy the license.

it is my absolute right in australia to have a working stand alone backup of every piece of media i own, no matter whether they call it 'license' or 'product' we have things called 'goods' - like a computer game or an album and 'services' - not like, a computer game or an album.

piratebay is absolutely 100% a PERFECTLY LEGAL RESOURCE, its the UNLICENSED use of the products you can find aggregated on it thats the issue, and as i generally have the license for the thing im downloading, i am cannot be found guilty of pirating. shrugs

[ - ] TheYiddler 0 points 6 monthsOct 13, 2024 02:49:31 ago (+0/-0)

They don't prosecute anyone for downloading. They prosecute for seeding.

[ - ] Master_B 0 points 6 monthsOct 12, 2024 01:01:46 ago (+0/-0)

Who could see that coming!!

/S

[ - ] localsal 0 points 6 monthsOct 11, 2024 16:31:15 ago (+0/-0)

This is great news.

Buying a license for the game means that the game now follows the user.

Can an (((illegal))) download be considered stealing if I have a valid license for the game on Steam?

Everyone is now entitled to download all of their legally owned games due to a license allowing for "change of format", right?

It will now be a weekend of transferring all of my Steam games to physical copies.

[ - ] i_scream_trucks 1 point 6 monthsOct 12, 2024 05:54:48 ago (+1/-0)

if you have a license, you have a right to the product, you have a right to download from a backup source whatever that may be, whether its an external harddrive in your bedroom, or an online server over the other side of the planet.

until such time as publishers are required to offer 100% refunds on licenses they choose to remove from sale, they cannot stop you from having access to the product.

Holden Ford and Toyota all went under in australia several years ago, would it be legal for them to now declare all holdens falcons and camrys as unlicensed and forcibly recover them or ban mechanics from repairing them? Absolutely not. So why the fuck do people keep letting the IT industry do it?

[ - ] localsal 0 points 6 monthsOct 12, 2024 11:07:00 ago (+0/-0)

Why does the IT industry get a pass? Apathy and price.

I've seen the uproar over iPhones getting bricked/slowed by updates and people forcing Apple to make fixes, but those are $1000 phones

Games are a much lower priced item and have somewhat obsolescence in them. I do agree a refund is required when distributors revoke purchases, but the 100% refund could be a sticky argument. First, there was already some use, but the user could argue that future use is definitely worthy of consideration.

The best analogy would be a car somehow immune to wear and breakage, but unable to upgrade. The car is totally functional as is forever, but has accumulated use. If the car were to be taken away, where is the financial splitting point? 100% refund does seem legitimate because the car could be used forever. However, some use did occur, to which the user did receive some value. If a court ever decided this theoretical answer, then it would most likely be transferable to gaming.

[ - ] Master_Foo 0 points 6 monthsOct 11, 2024 16:25:13 ago (+0/-0)

You were always buying a license.
Steam is just being honest about it.

[ - ] i_scream_trucks 1 point 6 monthsOct 12, 2024 05:59:29 ago (+1/-0)

steam is a license factory and/or a repository. you dont have to use em both at the same time.

generally speaking ive already downloaded and clocked shit that i buy a license for on steam, it gets downloaded from elsewhere first, THEN I WILL DECIDE FOR MYSELF if a AAA price is appropriate (which at the moment, is absolutely never, $150? AAAAAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHA lick my dick, if i want to check it out, ill play it, and if i like it, ill buy a license when its on sale at a more appropriate price)

[ - ] PostWallHelena 0 points 6 monthsOct 11, 2024 16:07:07 ago (+0/-0)

Stop playing games.

[ - ] Sal_180 0 points 6 monthsOct 11, 2024 17:38:15 ago (+0/-0)

Why? Most people couldn't care less

[ - ] GreenSaint 0 points 6 monthsOct 11, 2024 15:32:54 ago (+0/-0)

When yall send me your nudes they’re safe with me and I can always send them back if you want. It’s the MaroonSaint GreenSaint guarantee

[ - ] lolxd 3 points 6 monthsOct 11, 2024 12:49:09 ago (+3/-0)

Most games are treated as a SERVICE anymore as is. This isn't really shocking or shitty. It's just how the damn industry moved away from physical copies.

[ - ] dosvydanya_freedomz [op] 5 points 6 monthsOct 11, 2024 13:04:25 ago (+5/-0)

digital or physical ownership must be recognized because otherwise the gamer are at the mercy of the dev or publishing company

[ - ] InYourFaceNancyGrace 7 points 6 monthsOct 11, 2024 13:55:54 ago (+7/-0)

I paid $5 for a mobile game I really enjoyed on Android. At some point, Apple got sole rights to it, so now it's gone and so is my $5. Lesson learned - sail the high seas. You reserve the right to steal from me? Sure, me too.

[ - ] ruck_feddit 5 points 6 monthsOct 11, 2024 14:03:16 ago (+5/-0)

Sail the high seas

Love it. That's the best way.

[ - ] TheYiddler 5 points 6 monthsOct 11, 2024 19:57:03 ago (+5/-0)

If buying isn't owning then piracy isn't stealing.

[ - ] InYourFaceNancyGrace 1 point 6 monthsOct 12, 2024 16:02:26 ago (+1/-0)

Username does not check out

[ - ] GreenSaint 1 point 6 monthsOct 11, 2024 15:20:49 ago (+1/-0)

I like grand theft auto it pissed me off when I bought vice city for my phone only to find out half the music is gone. It’s like that’s the best part of the game. Chainsawing people on the beach hop in the car and a flock of seagulls is playing.

[ - ] __47__ 2 points 6 monthsOct 11, 2024 12:13:16 ago (+2/-0)

Lol did anyone not see this coming? Too bad it's gonna apply to actual good games too.

[ - ] Razzoriel 2 points 6 monthsOct 11, 2024 11:56:37 ago (+2/-0)

Up to the devs to honor their customers and claim that "any Steam "renter" can claim ownership of our digital product and receive our game free of charge".

[ - ] dosvydanya_freedomz [op] 0 points 6 monthsOct 11, 2024 13:02:31 ago (+0/-0)

yeah a true rental service is something like gamepass which i'm currently subscribed to but i'm thinking let my sub expire since there arent many of the type of games that i like to play. there are a few but the ones that they have i have already play them.

right now i'm playing sea of the stars and next up will be legend of mana. tried to play persona tactica but it wasnt for me even if it was turn based, which is the type of shit that i love to play

ditto for eeyuden chronicles, game is beautiful but turn based games arent supposed to have puzzles. action games do

but yeah in light of this news i might be sailing to the highest seas to get my games. sorry i'm not going to spend 60 bucks on a game that the dev capriciously might pull out from the store

[ - ] Dingo 2 points 6 monthsOct 11, 2024 11:28:33 ago (+2/-0)

... buying ...

In other words

... renting ...