Isn't the threat to steam et al the fact that they don't specify how long you 'rent' the game for? So, if they just change their T&Cs to say you rent it for 99yrs then it wouldn't be covered by the judgement, rendering the whole issue rather meaningless? Sent from Bittech Android app
I am not sure about the relevance of this decision to Steam even now. Note how they say "Subscriber" everywhere : http://store.steampowered.com/subscriber_agreement/ You subscribed to those games you have on Steam account, you didn't bought them. I know it is playing with words, but it could be very important difference.
Last I checked I _buy_ games on STEAM, but I certainly wouldn't put it past STEAM et al to pull a fast one like you described. EDIT: faugusztin just proved that point (the "fast one"). One could argue that if you pay for a "limited, terminable, non-exclusive license" then you should get a refund if said license is terminated.
I'd say I buy software on STEAM in much the same way I would buy a retail copy. I just have nothing to show for it. Which incidentally irks me and which is why I feel that digital goods should always be cheaper than buying retail, but that's beside the point.
But you don't, if It buy MW3 in store I own a physical copy that I am free to sell on afterwards. When you buy a Steam game you sign up to own a licensed copy that you cannot sell on at any point.
When I buy a digital copy of a game, to me it's the same as a physical copy, since I could easily put it on a CD/DVD whatever, and then there wouldn't be a lot to tell it apart (this is about downloaded games in general, rather than Steam) I hate the fact you can't sell on games you've bought on steam.
Fast one ? http://web.archive.org/web/20040607...wered.com/index.php?area=subscriber_agreement June 2004.
You two might just be on to something. Of course, then it's just a matter of time until a ruling comes along saying that subscriptions must be transferable but that'd be a far harder one to pass.
a greater second hand market is only going to cause problems for the games industry as the devs get nothing out of second hand sales.....
Have they ever gotten anything out of people selling their used xbox and play station games? Why should pc be anything different. Does vauxhall get anything out of people selling their cars privately after they have bought them new. I hate the whole digital copy doesn't mean anything, of course it does, why does it make that much difference that I have a generic plastic case with a printed inlay and matching disc.?????????????
But you don't own a digital copy of the game. You have subscribed to play it so it isn't like selling a car.
................and that's whats wrong, I pay the same for a digital copy as I do for a physical copy (sometimes more), you seem to be happy to get screwed over. Steam goes down the pan and you lose everything, something needs to change.
It wouldn't be as hard as trying to say that games on Steam, i.e. digital software with licences, are not licensed software but in fact some 'subscription' arrangement which somehow does not come under this ruling. The fact is it absolutely will affect the digital games market. You buy licenses to games when you purchase them, whether physically or digitally through Steam. And now an author of software cannot oppose the resale of his 'used' licences allowing the use of his programs downloaded from the internet. All it really does is say that EU customers have the same rights when they purchase software digitally as they do when they purchase the software physically (download vs physical medium is now the same from a legal perspective).
The only issue for me with the whole 'subscribing' thing is, it's a near infinite subscription seemingly (until steam dies/they suddenly hate you). And so is more like a sale in my mind, even though yes I understand technically you don't 'own' it.
...but you have your rights to sell what you already own removed. What if I said that your key sets were only licenced to you and you couldn't sell them on when you got bored of them? Why should anyone tell you what you can or can't do with what you have already purchased. In all honesty I have no interest in selling any of my steam collection but I don't like having the option removed from me.
