Valve: Difference between revisions
Added section detailing Counter-Strike: Global Offensive's replacement by Counter-Strike 2. |
OskaRRRitoS (talk | contribs) Add to section titled "Steam users do not own their games (2024)" |
||
Line 68: | Line 68: | ||
===Steam users do not own their games (2024)=== | ===Steam users do not own their games (2024)=== | ||
In October 2024, Valve added a note to Steam's payment checkout screen which states: "A purchase of a digital product grants a license for the product on Steam. For full terms and conditions, please see the Steam Subscriber Agreement." This is attributed to a law passed in California which requires storefronts to clearly state whether a consumer is purchasing a license for digital media.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Shakir |first=Umar |date=11 Oct 2024 |title=Steam now says the ‘game’ you’re buying is really just a license |url=https://www.theverge.com/2024/10/11/24267864/steam-buy-purchase-license-digital-storefront |url-status=live |access-date=7 Apr 2025 |website=The Verge}}</ref> | |||
The licenses are tied to the Steam account, so if the consumer loses access to the account they will lose all the licenses with it.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last=Chalk |first=Andy |date=11 Oct 2024 |title=Steam's new disclaimer reminds everyone that you don't actually own your games, GOG moves in for the killshot: Its offline installers 'cannot be taken away from you' |url=https://www.pcgamer.com/gaming-industry/steams-new-disclaimer-reminds-everyone-that-you-dont-actually-own-your-games-gog-moves-in-for-the-killshot-its-offline-installers-cannot-be-taken-away-from-you/ |url-status=live |access-date=7 Apr 2025 |website=PC Gamer}}</ref> Steam forbids consumers from transferring their licenses to other accounts, even if the accounts are owned by the same person that purchased the license. Steam forbids consumers from allowing other people to use their Steam account, even if passed down via a will.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Litchfield |first=Ted |date=2024-05-26 |title=You can't take it with you, but you can't leave it for someone else either: Valve says you aren't allowed to bequeath a Steam account in a will |url=https://www.pcgamer.com/gaming-industry/you-cant-take-it-with-you-but-you-cant-leave-it-behind-either-valve-says-you-arent-allowed-to-bequeath-a-steam-account-in-a-will/ |url-status=live |access-date=2025-08-16 |website=PC Gamer}}</ref> | |||
This is in contrast to GOG, which states on its payment checkout screen: "A purchase of a digital product on GOG grants you its Offline Installers, which cannot be taken away from you."<ref name=":2" /> | |||
Some games downloaded through Steam can be played without the Steam client running.<ref>https://steam.fandom.com/wiki/List_of_DRM-free_games#Paradox_Development_Studio_games</ref><!--There is an article on CyberPost about this but I was unsure if it was an AI article or not. https://cyberpost.co/can-you-run-steam-games-without-steam/--> | |||
===PC version of Counter-Strike: Global Offensive replaced by Counter-Strike 2 (2023)=== | ===PC version of Counter-Strike: Global Offensive replaced by Counter-Strike 2 (2023)=== |