After California Law Passed, Steam Now Shows License Buying Label
Image Source: Game Developer
When games really grew to be offered on a digital basis through a single platform nearly twenty years ago, it’s unlikely many would imagine it would become what it is today. What started with Steam making it mainstream grew into many other platforms. Now, Sony, Xbox, Nintendo, and more than just Steam on PC offer games digitally. But you never actually owned the game. This led to confusion and frustration in the past.
Now, to prevent any problems, California has passed a law requiring digital platforms to advise customers that they are, in fact, not buying a game, movie, book, etc., to own, but rather a license allowing them to access the media. While the law doesn’t go into effect until 2025, Steam seems to have pre-empted the new law and started placing labels on the store pages for the games it offers. The law seems to have been made in the name of protecting consumers and clarifying their rights about what they are buying.
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Back when games were mostly purchased physically, it felt like you were buying them to own. Who would ever think that some company would end a player’s ability to play something when they have the physical disc in their hands? The ironic part is they could, and most players were unaware that they agreed to it when they bought it.
If I were to ask people to raise their hands if they’ve ever read through that End-User License Agreement, I would be shocked if anyone raised their hands. But if you really read it, you’ll realize that you are not purchasing the game to own, but instead a license to play the game as long as the company supports the game. This came to everyone’s attention about a decade ago when digital game platforms really grew, and players were losing access to games as companies closed and servers went offline. Players complained about DRM (Digital Rights Management) and not actually owning the game.
So far, Steam seems to be the only online platform to have taken this initiative.
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Source(s): Insider Gaming
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