Steam Subscriber Argeement

Tobes · 1 Aug 2012 at 03:44

Just got a update to Steam and I'm reading over the agreement.

Most of it you will already know and it shouldn't come to a shock. But what with the recent EU ruling it's good to go over it.

Basically when you buy a game and the games already in your library I believe you only own a licence to play them. So the games are not yours to resell and at any time Valve have the right to stop your Steam Subscriber service. Thereby taking away the licences to the games you own. Again we all pretty much knew this as if you start being a fool on Steam they ban your account and the games go with it.

But those of you hoping that Steam might find a way for you to trade games etc. This will probably never happen.

The only problem I have with this is when you account gets hacked. I have heard horror stories of Valve not being the best at customer service and should that ever happen to me and the 150+ games I own. Well... I would not be a happy bunny.

Sin_Chase · 1 Aug 2012 at 07:22

Tobes said:
The only problem I have with this is when you account gets hacked. I have heard horror stories of Valve not being the best at customer service and should that ever happen to me and the 150+ games I own. Well... I would not be a happy bunny.

Use the Steam Hardware Security and a strong password.

orderoftheflame · 1 Aug 2012 at 07:24

Tobes said:
The only problem I have with this is when you account gets hacked.

With Steam security, I'd happily give away my password on the forums and not be worried about anyone logging into my account tbh.

Utnac · 1 Aug 2012 at 07:26

Steam don't have a say in it, if an EU court rules they have to facilitate game trading them that is what they have to do, regardless of what their ToS says.

(not that I expect such a ruling to occur)

Sin_Chase · 1 Aug 2012 at 07:36

Utnac said:
Steam don't have a say in it, if an EU court rules they have to facilitate game trading them that is what they have to do, regardless of what their ToS says.

(not that I expect such a ruling to occur)

But as stated, you never buy the game. You buy a subscription to play it. Does the EU ruling cover subscriptions?

Utnac · 1 Aug 2012 at 08:06

Sin_Chase said:
But as stated, you never buy the game. You buy a subscription to play it. Does the EU ruling cover subscriptions?

If an EU court rules that Steam has to facilitate game trading that is still what it has to do, regardless of any ToS or EULAs.

Clav · 1 Aug 2012 at 08:30

Another thread?

Gimpymoo · 1 Aug 2012 at 08:48

Utnac said:
If an EU court rules that Steam has to facilitate game trading that is still what it has to do, regardless of any ToS or EULAs.

Yes, in just the same way they could rule that Wookiees have legal claim and conjugal rights to our woman.

Omaeka · 1 Aug 2012 at 08:49

What's a Wookie? :eek:

Gimpymoo · 1 Aug 2012 at 08:51

Omaeka said:
What's a Wookie?

LOL - Fixed.

Tobes · 1 Aug 2012 at 08:56

orderoftheflame said:
With Steam security, I'd happily give away my password on the forums and not be worried about anyone logging into my account tbh.

Actually what with the code sent to your email I will agree with you there. Plus I don't think their is anyway for anyone to find out the username you use for the login is.

Utnac said:
If an EU court rules that Steam has to facilitate game trading that is still what it has to do, regardless of any ToS or EULAs.

That court ruling was for software you own, we are subscribing to a game when we buy it on Steam so it's not something we own.

Clav said:
Another thread?

Sorry I did have a search and even searched the web and found a article written 15 minutes before but other than that couldn't find one relating to the new user agreement.

AH.Tempest · 1 Aug 2012 at 08:58

I dont care personally, im fine with owning a license to the game, ultimately it makes no difference because im never going to allow myself to get banned and lose access.

With that said... this is the type of thing EA and other "big bad corporate" company's get a lot of flack for... steam on the other hand gets away with this without question because its the darling of the internet... its still fairly nefarious.

wilber · 1 Aug 2012 at 09:15

How does this work for games you purchased on disk or digital elsewhere then went and added them to steam?

Name · 1 Aug 2012 at 09:28

Steam guard is great, although annoying since my e-mail password is soo long haha.

Gabe gave away his username and password online and i dont think anybody has logged in thus far except the man himself.

Haggisman · 1 Aug 2012 at 09:32

Utnac said:
If an EU court rules that Steam has to facilitate game trading that is still what it has to do, regardless of any ToS or EULAs.

You can't trade something you don't own.

Axleuk · 1 Aug 2012 at 09:51

When you buy a game on a disk you are not buying the code to the game. You are buying a licence to play it. Just like steam are doing. You can't sell disk based PC games in the same way you used to as in many cases the licence has been used rending the disk useless (online games anyways).

So, if the EU are stating that companies have to facilitate game trading then what's stopping people from trading licences?

Sin_Chase · 1 Aug 2012 at 10:03

Axleuk said:
When you buy a game on a disk you are not buying the code to the game. You are buying a licence to play it. Just like steam are doing. You can't sell disk based PC games in the same way you used to as in many cases the licence has been used rending the disk useless (online games anyways).

So, if the EU are stating that companies have to facilitate game trading then what's stopping people from trading licences?

You SUBSCRIBE to Steam and can play the games you buy subscriptions to.

You are NOT buying the game. There are a few instances where you actually get given a CD-Key as part of a Steam purchase for online play but it's a rarity as far as I have seen.

As far as I understand the EU have stated you can trade digitally distributed game purchases. But, this is game purchases. Steam is a subscription service.

The ruling will not apply to Steam in the way people think. IF the EU turn around and FORCE steam to allow trading of subscriptions to games then they will have to comply in Europe but this is an entirely different thing to the original rulings scope so I am not sure why it would ever happen.

NZXT30 · 1 Aug 2012 at 10:26

Guys get real nobody pays attention to TOSes or EULAs and there is the reason for that. They can be challenged and shot down easily in court otherwise companies could make up any bs they want and get away from everything. Steam will have to facilitate used games sales sooner or later.

Sin_Chase · 1 Aug 2012 at 10:34

NZXT30 said:
Guys get real nobody pays attention to TOSes or EULAs and there is the reason for that. They can be challenged and shot down easily in court otherwise companies could make up any bs they want and get away from everything. Steam will have to facilitate used games sales sooner or later.

Are you a bit slow?

You can choose to ignore Steam EULA/TOS all you want but you agree to it and can only access the games through Steam.

Again, Steam does not sell you a copy of a game. You buy a subscription to access it so it's not, in any sense of the word, a used game.

bushmins · 1 Aug 2012 at 10:48

Sin_Chase said:
Are you a bit slow?

You can choose to ignore Steam EULA/TOS all you want but you agree to it and can only access the games through Steam.

Again, Steam does not sell you a copy of a game. You buy a subscription to access it so it's not, in any sense of the word, a used game.

What about games you buy on disk and only activate on Steam? Cant read the EULA before you buy it then... just try taking it back to the stores after you have started to install it.