Steam Subscriber Argeement

[orderoftheflame]

It's pretty clever the way the entertainment industry has steadily brought in the "you only own the license not the software" thing to the point where people will actively defend it, but at the end of the day it's now crumbling after having been challenged legally. The entertainment industry may be able to lobby certain national governments to support their cause but the EU don't appear to like customers being stripped of their legal rights of ownership just because an item is virtual.

Steadily brought in? Steam's been like this since the start. As are many non-games software licences.

I find it hilarious how some people are just realising this now and have decided to suddenly **** themselves over it. It hasn't affected me or bothered me for 10 years.. It's not going to now. I'm still going to play games on my Steam account, which will be available for to play long past the point I turn into an arthritic old man.

 

[djkav]

The problem with Steam could be a legal minefield.

All of the steam store text leads me to believe that I have purchased the game. Not anywhere does it say on a button "add this game to your steam subscription for £xx". Also, the price of games on steam pretty much mimic any retail shop price of ownership. So you could argue that because the purchase price is similar to the RRP in other shops, then I'm buying it, and not leasing it.

Just my look on things.

 

[RavenXXX2]

I'm gonna boycott steam and use Origin in the meantime. Hopefully Valve will come to their senses and treat the consumer with a bit more respect.

 

[MeMeMeMe]

Steadily brought in? Steam's been like this since the start. As are many non-games software licences.

I find it hilarious how some people are just realising this now and have decided to suddenly **** themselves over it. It hasn't affected me or bothered me for 10 years.. It's not going to now. I'm still going to play games on my Steam account, which will be available for to play long past the point I turn into an arthritic old man.

Some of us have longer memories. The whole concept of software being treated as a license has been ethically bankrupt from the beginning.

 

[Gzero]

Steadily brought in? Steam's been like this since the start. As are many non-games software licences.

I find it hilarious how some people are just realising this now and have decided to suddenly **** themselves over it. It hasn't affected me or bothered me for 10 years.. It's not going to now. I'm still going to play games on my Steam account, which will be available for to play long past the point I turn into an arthritic old man.

I was more hoping with the recent EU case, that Valve would reflect on it and actually push the boat out.

They did, straight back to their port.

 

[Random Guy]

I'm gonna boycott steam and use Origin in the meantime. Hopefully Valve will come to their senses and treat the consumer with a bit more respect.

lol!

(this is a joke right?)

 

[Gimpymoo]

I was more hoping with the recent EU case, that Valve would reflect on it and actually push the boat out.

They did, straight back to their port.

The boat has never moved.

Steadily brought in? Steam's been like this since the start. As are many non-games software licences.

I find it hilarious how some people are just realising this now and have decided to suddenly **** themselves over it. It hasn't affected me or bothered me for 10 years.. It's not going to now. I'm still going to play games on my Steam account, which will be available for to play long past the point I turn into an arthritic old man.

I concur.

No point me adding anything else to this thread as someone will only pick apart what is said anyway.

 

[Haggisman]

Steam isn't perfect but its the best at what it does, still it'd be nicer if everyone got along.

The whole industry we are discussing would be a lot better, if people weren't so out for themselves and desperate to get one over anything, whether its their competition or their customers, and focused more on quality and teamwork, it'd be much better.

Imagine if AMD, Intel and Nvidia all merged? No more hardware biasing, no more stupid competitions and lame, hyped up medicore, high price hardware.

Imagine if all the big named developers merged? No more lame, rushed titles, pathetic attempts at mimcry and downright underhanded business tactics.

That's livin' in a dreamworld, though. Cannot expect people to be that foresighted.

I suggest you go away and have a think about exactly what would happen if the above happened and there was no more incentive for advances in technology and competitive pricing.

I don't see how Steam can argue it's rental when the price is often the same as retail and the product is identical, the only difference between Steam and buying the product in retail is that Steam are forcing a EULA on people saying that you don't actually own the game... and the EU court has ruled that they can't do that.

I think the EU should clarify what the payment actually entitles you to. And make it so when you purchase a game. You purchase 1 copy. Not just a licence to play it. All this game trading rules is going to be a pointless rule if nobody is abiding by it by changing the word copy to the word subscription.

You seem to be forgetting the fact that once you have a game on Steam, you can download it whenever & wherever you want. Or would you prefer to have, as you say, a purchase for 1 copy. So you're allowed to download it once. Then you have all the fun of downloading it and having to burn it to disk, or keep it backed up somewhere, or risk losing it. Yes I can see how having a subscription service which allows you to sign in in less than a minute and have full access to every game you've ever had on your account is so terrible.

 

[linktoinsanity]

Steam isn't perfect but its the best at what it does, still it'd be nicer if everyone got along.

The whole industry we are discussing would be a lot better, if people weren't so out for themselves and desperate to get one over anything, whether its their competition or their customers, and focused more on quality and teamwork, it'd be much better.

Imagine if AMD, Intel and Nvidia all merged? No more hardware biasing, no more stupid competitions and lame, hyped up medicore, high price hardware.

Imagine if all the big named developers merged? No more lame, rushed titles, pathetic attempts at mimcry and downright underhanded business tactics.

That's livin' in a dreamworld, though. Cannot expect people to be that foresighted.

No. Because as already stated there would be no competition so technology would just stand still. Nothing would improve and those merged companies would still overhype things to try to sell their mediocre products.