With its new update, Steam clearly states to players that the games they purchase are only a license.
When you purchase a game from Steam, you may find that you don’t actually own the game. A new update on Steam makes it clear to players that the games they purchase do not actually belong to them, they are just purchasing a license. This situation has brought a new perspective to the concept of ownership, which has been discussed for a long time in the digital game world.
Steam Games Are Licensed, Not Ownership
This new update from Steam informs gamers that the digital products they purchase are only a license. “Purchasing a digital product grants a license to the product on Steam,” making it clear that players are only entitled to one use of these games. The same message also includes a link to Steam’s subscriber agreement.
This change comes on the heels of a bill recently passed in California. The law mandates that digital content such as music, movies, e-books and video games must be sold only as an access license. Digital storefronts need to make it clear that only the right of access, not ownership of these works, is offered to the user. This law, which will come into force in 2025, aims to ensure that consumers are more conscious about digital purchases.
Steam has made an update. If you go to buy a game on the store, it tells you that you aren’t actually buying the game. Instead, you are licensing it.
—Mike Straw (@mikestrawmedia.com) 11 October 2024 16:29
California Assembly Member Jacqui Irwin stated that this law will prevent false and misleading advertising practices of digital media vendors and emphasized that protecting consumer rights has become increasingly important.
Will Other Stores Bring the Same Warning?
At the time of this writing, Steam is the only digital storefront that displays this type of warning. Other major platforms such as Xbox Store, PlayStation Store and Epic Games Store have not made such an update yet. However, it is expected that such warnings will be implemented in all digital stores in the future.
Do You Think Digital Ownership Is Clear Enough?
Do you think such warnings should become more common in digital game purchases?