MURRRAAAAY

Video Games

Discussion

ago

Would actually owning your digital games make them better?

Steam admits you don't actually own any of your games

Sort of, anyway.

mashable.com

looks like we are going to see more and more of this as new legislation rolls out, but it’s got me thinking surely if people actually owned their digital library’s it would be way better?

Even think if you have a huge steam or Apple Music library being able to pass them on to someone if something happened to you?

I know a lot of web3 chat has went quiet as AI is the new kid on the block but surely some form of blockchain NFT token or smart contract for digital ownership could help solve this issue so people can buy digitally and actually own the games instead of just a licence which is kind of like renting them for your use?

Thoughts?

Ps I miss big PC game boxes haha bring them back lol

Created at 11:57am, 17th October, 2024. Page last updated at 6:06pm, 27th October, 2024.

CelestialFlea 10/17/2024, 12:07:51 PM

Even when you owned a physical copy, you still only owned a license for the game which could theoretically be revoked at any time, though it was never likely to actually happen.

I think the danger here is that unscrupulous companies might start trying to take advantage of this more brazenly. But an alternative to NFTs to protect the customer is that if a game is taken from a users steam library a refund should be automatic as part of the process. This would stop potential abuse from publishers and Devs in it's tracks and mean NFT ownership isn't needed.

GoG is also a good alternative for the timebeing, though with how CDPR has been behaving recently I'm not sure how sustainable it is if CDPR goes under.

MURRRAAAAY 10/17/2024, 12:15:37 PM

CelestialFlea

Very true I do like and use GOG a lot, so many classic games on there I really enjoy! What has been going on with CDPR? I am out of the loop!

I agree about the instant refund, that should be a given, I am also thinking though more about people who have huge library of content who may which to leave them to their kids for example after they die? Right now that’s not possible but would be the right thing to do I think for digital ownership.

I also agree how physical isn’t what it used to be, physical is best when it is the full game on disc with no online authentication required to play, I hope to see more of this return in the future though I won’t hold my breath! Lol

CelestialFlea 10/17/2024, 12:56:36 PM

MURRRAAAAY

The tldr is that the CEO basically lied about the company having a focus on diversity and DEI after a YouTuber Endymion made mention of it. He reacted to the video basically calling Endymion a liar. This was then used as a source to community note the guy on Twitter. It was removed after Endymion posted multiple receipts from the companies own website even showing they had a dev hiring program that specifically excluded men. It's quite a mess and makes the CEO look really bad.

It makes me worried for the future of the company.

But back on topic I do think think there should be some sort of mechanism to protect libraries being lost to time. Perhaps an application process of some sort for family members only to obtain account ownership, though I'd imagine they'd have to verify the death of the owner and their relationship to prevent fraud but with failsafes in place. Some sort of account escrow system?

I still have a lot of my physical discs for CoD 2, X3 Reunion, weven the original Test Drive (somewhere) but my pc doesn't have a cd drive anymore and I don't even think the installers would work now 😔

MURRRAAAAY 10/17/2024, 1:57:58 PM

CelestialFlea

Yeah true or maybe you could just nominate a beneficiary if your account should it become dormant for so long or something, many ideas out there which hopefully companies get forced to look at! Apples iTunes is another one which is in need of reform so your digital library can be past over to your family or whatever

Wow I had no idea about that CDRP stuff, I thought they were back on the up after cyberpunk 2077 expansion too!

CelestialFlea 10/17/2024, 2:25:39 PM

MURRRAAAAY

That would be pretty simple to implement although could be problematic if say someone is conscripted into service or even jailed. They'd risk loosing their libraries.

I thought so too, they made bank from the DLC and restored their reputation in my eyes. Its's puzzling, specially with Edgerunners being a huge hit and Cyberpunk Orion (which I'd have bought without a second thought if the CEO had just kept his yap shut) but I guess the bigger they are..

MURRRAAAAY 10/17/2024, 3:27:17 PM

CelestialFlea

true, maybe some form of system where the handover is logged somehow by a nominated 3rd party? would be a cool problem to try and solve! Some good brain storming sessions would be had!

I know that is a puzling one about CDPR, be interesting to see what happens! Aren't they currently working on the Witcher Sequel?

CelestialFlea 10/17/2024, 3:48:22 PM

MURRRAAAAY

Yep but they're already saying "It's not going to live up to expectations" so it's worrying. Cyberpunk Orion is also currently in the concept phase of development. Maybe another 6-10 years before that sees the light of day, perhaps by then the AAA landscape may change if Ubisoft goes under like many are saying is inevitable. I really hope we can just go back to common sense and good games.

I don't think it's one Steam are necessarily going to do anything about though, the platform hasn't really changed much in the last 10 years. Probably because it works? So I dont see them changing too much on the next 10

Makster 10/17/2024, 2:45:21 PM

I thought people already knew that they didn't own the games they bought on Steam. Didn't they read the Terms of Service?

MURRRAAAAY 10/17/2024, 3:25:25 PM

Makster

good question!? Does anyone actually read Terms and Conditions? I'd guess not a lot do, i remember years ago a playstation game (cant remember what one) had Terms and conditions screen that had a button for "I havenet read them but continue anyway", I thought that was pretty honest of them, though i have never seen it again lol

Makster 10/18/2024, 6:22:07 AM

MURRRAAAAY

Yep I do!
Why don't people read them? It's like you're not really understanding what you're getting into if you don't..

SIRCAM 10/17/2024, 5:38:30 PM

I know this from a pretty long time, and the worst of all that i saw that huge wave coming. I was against of it, but majority accepted it. Sad.

Makster 10/18/2024, 6:22:27 AM

SIRCAM

Have you also accepted it?

SIRCAM 10/18/2024, 6:11:30 PM

Makster

At the end let say yes, but partially, because i invest more hours on games based on licenses, but if could buy that same DRM free at GOG i would do it without hesitate.

Makster 10/19/2024, 7:18:22 AM

SIRCAM

Damn - I guess companies are gonna continue doing it if people voting with their wallets like this..

SIRCAM 10/19/2024, 5:58:08 PM

Makster

I agree 100%

Empen 10/17/2024, 5:54:52 PM

Personally I don't really care if I own them or not, so long as the service provider doesn't randomly shut down or start deleting accounts, I'm good with it

yan57436 10/18/2024, 1:29:47 AM

People are creating problems that only exist in their heads. The games on steam ARE YOURS, the store isn't just going to close down and lose everything, that's impossible. All the examples I've seen of people talking about relatively common things, especially free games, companies only keep the game until it's viable and that's it, that's how life works. Yes, I know of the ubisoft game that was paid for and they simply closed the servers, but understand that the game was 100% online and there was simply no offline, but I believe that this complaint is valid. The fact that you need to have a guarantee that if the steam servers explode you'll still be able to download your dragon ball borders on conspiracy theories.

If you change the scope to services like Spotify, and many others, I believe the perspective may be different, so I prefer not to give an opinion on something I haven't mastered.

Braulio M Lara 🔹10/18/2024, 2:34:00 AM

I’M STILL HANGING TO THE PHYSIC FORMAT

I now that the future is the ALL DIGITAL but till now like Dinosaur model 71’ that l’m l buy always Physical format

Because l think that if you can’t hold in your hand a game box , Cartridge or a CDs you just have smog

and about if the download gane belong to you or not his now existence depends if they turn of or not the HOLY SERVERS

But because in this modern time everything is changing sooner or later o must accept that the digital all (Music , movies , book and games) will be the standard (or arready is)

In Digital world Owning or not Owning doesn’t make a big difference

Important is to have a good internet 😊

Makster 10/18/2024, 6:23:58 AM

Braulio M Lara 🔹

Except if you've downloaded the files onto your hardware and don't delete them, you still have the game on your system (albeit digitally)..

Lanah Tyra 10/18/2024, 10:14:28 AM

I don't really care if it's "owning" the game or having a license, as long as I get to play it. I agree on the very rare cases of games getting deleted from Steam you should get some sort of refund or compensation (unless it's like a live service game). Don't really think this every happened though? I have quite a few older games and they are still there, I could install and play them any time.

Having the ability to transfer your entire library to someone would be a good idea though. It's still more limited than being able to chuck your games in a box and give it to your mate, but this would be a completely valid reason.

Another thought.... are digital versions of the same game cheaper than physical copies? Because then it's fair that you can't just give your license away to someone like you would with a physical game.

From a developer's pov though, if we want the games we love to be successful and give money to the people who made it, then yes everyone who plays that game should buy it. (And that's coming from someone who used to.... acquire... games and music because I had no other meant to get them in my country.) Second-hand game shops are not good from a developer's pov because they don't get money for their game from a new player, instead that money they pay goes to the previous gamer and to the store who is handling the redistribution. So even though browsing second-hand games and books is a nice feeling, it is also understandable why developers, writers and musicians might not like them. You can argue though that you might get a game / music second-hand, you like it and the next one you will buy directly from the creator. So as usually it is, there's two sides to the coin.

Amoni P 10/27/2024, 10:06:10 AM

The move to make digital games essentially "license to play" in which the game can be removed at any time is one of the darkest timelines for the video games industry. Back when we had physical media to download the game (and I mean prior to when it was common for day one patches and shit), we had no idea how that could be taken away. It was almost inconceivable that we would move towards a world in which even owning the games you buy isn't possible. What's worse is we have people breaking their backs to bend over and defend this against all logic and self-interest.

This approach to thinking about digital copies of games as licensing rather than ownership was one of the reason I held off on using Steam for a long time. Well over a decade ago I saw this exact situation becoming a reality. At the time, people swore up and down it would never happen because gamers would riot. The day has come and gamers seem split on the issue with some of them sitting in the burning house and insisting there's no fire. The thing that got me to start using Steam was that there a number of games you could only buy from the Steam store (people forget that Steam did that long before Epic).

If I bought a print of someone's painting, not the original painting but just a print of it, and the artist insisted that I wasn't buying it and that they reserved the right to repossess it... I'd tell them to fuck off. Why would we ever accept this in video games? Sure, not all video games are works of high art (and that's okay), but video games are far more than just entertainment. Furthermore, even if they were purely entertainment it would still be unacceptable for the video games industry to implement the licensing model.