Key Takeaways
- Steam clarified that the purchaser does not actually own the digital game.
- Instead, you are purchasing a revocable game license.
- A new law passed in California requires all digital stores to disclose similar information.
Steam has added a disclaimer reminding buyers that they cannot own the games they purchase from the store. Instead, they are purchasing a license to play the game, which can be revoked by Steam or if the publisher removes the game.
This comes after California passed a law requiring digital stores to disclose this fact. This is because many consumers likely believe that purchasing a game digitally gives them the same rights as purchasing it physically. Steam appears to be the first digital game store to add this reveal and has rolled it out across all regions, not just to US users.
Steam tells players they don't actually own the games they purchase.
As reported by PC Gamer, the change was spotted on Reddit. I checked it myself, and it shows up when you add the game to your cart right before you go to checkout.
PC Gamer also points out that GOG is using the opportunity to remind everyone that this isn't a big deal on its platform. In fact, the game ~can do It will still be removed from the store and customer libraries, but unlike Steam, you can download games offline. This means that as long as you have the game installed, you can continue to play the game as it was before you lost your license.
GOG giving users access to offline installers is probably the closest thing to actual game ownership in the digital age. Of course, it's not perfect yet since you'll need to have the game installed already, but at least you can't uninstall it once you install it.
It remains to be seen when other online stores will post the disclaimers that Steam did. Of course, sooner or later you will have to comply with California law. Anyway, it's a reminder that not many of the games we pay for are actually ones we own, even if the store has left that fact out for a while.
steam
Owned by Valve, Steam is a digital store and library for PC games. With a variety of sales, updates, account features, compatibility with multiple platforms, as well as streaming options and its own Steam Deck portable, Steam Deck remains one of the biggest stores for PC gamers.
