Valve Distinguishes Information for Players: You Buy a License, Not a Game

As a seasoned gamer with decades of experience under my belt, I’ve seen digital distribution evolve from the early days of floppy disks to the modern era of Steam and its contemporaries. The recent update on Steam about purchasing a license instead of the game might seem like a minor change, but it’s a step in the right direction.

Hereafter, during game purchases on Steam, customers will be made aware that they are merely obtaining a license for the product. When you add any game to your shopping cart, a message pops up saying, “buying a digital product gives you permission to own this title on Steam.

Indeed, this new development doesn’t alter the current situation. Back when digital software distribution was scarcely known, buyers would acquire a license instead of the actual game copy, even with games. For quite some time now, Steam has been clarifying this point.

It appears that the details provided in the cart indicate a fresh development, as Valve has been mandated by the Governor of California’s new law to clarify to customers that what they’re buying is merely a license, not the actual game or software.

It appears that the surge in game shutdowns, such as The Crew servers closure by Ubisoft (which occurred six months back), stems from the “Stop Killing Video Games” movement. Unfortunately, this movement hasn’t garnered widespread support fast enough for it to be seriously considered by the European Commission at present. However, there’s still time on our side, and since our last communication three days ago, we’ve seen an additional 1,500 votes cast.

2024-10-11 22:02

Valve Distinguishes Information for Players: You Buy a License, Not a Game

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