Lawsuit Demands The Right To Resell Steam Games

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Where do you guys stand on reselling Steam games? I guess that also brings up the question, if these guys get their way, how many times should the same Steam game be able to be resold?

One of the biggest gripes about downloadable games (unless you're a developer) is that you can't typically resell them -- that title is yours forever, even if you'll never play it again. French consumer group UFC-Que Choisir is doing something about it, though. It's suing Valve to demand resales for Steam games.
 
I go in with the expectations that I won't be able to resell the game. Whether it's right or not, I don't care. This is just one thing that's "just how it's done" and we accept it.

I guess I just don't care either way.
 
thought this was settled ages ago? your not buying a copy of the software... you buy a license and it is non transferable... same deal they do with software for companies.

unless you buy physical media your sol.
 
^Yea... pretty much that. Not sure on my feelings on it... but I think in terms of download only stuff, the license stuff works. What annoys me though, is if you get banned, for any reason, you lose access to it.
 
Not sure how French laws work but I'm guessing you're not buying games, you're buying a license that allows games to be played on this account, and that license is non-transferable... or something to that regards.
 
Laws probably vary between many countries on what they consider your legal rights when it comes to software. It sounds like France is trying to change the way their law works.
 
So long as a physical version is available, I think it's fine. If you want to resell games, buy a disk based version. If you don't pick your poison.
 
Is like to be able to sell the license to my old games.


Of coarse I expect used game value to tank due to massive quantities, and they'll affect new game prices, cause why would I buy a new $100+ game with DLC when I can just wait a couple weeks to buy it used at a fraction of the price, or the previous GOTY edition title. The whole idea of downloadable, or account linked, based games is based on the inability to resell them.

If this goes through, and the numerous appeals, THEN it'll popcorn time! :D
 
I am fine with people being able to sell their steam licenses. However, Steam should be under no obligation to allow the second hand buyer download from their servers.
 
I got an idea, if this group gets their way. Steam should withdraw all sales in France!
 
dR.Jester said:
I got an idea, if this group gets their way. Steam should withdraw all sales in France!
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No ... they can just require all sales to be processed by them (like Apple and Google stores) ... they can then take the standard 30% cut of revenue (just like they would with the original sale) ... they still make their percentage of profit off of every sale and it is only the developer who is screwed
 
nilepez said:
So long as a physical version is available, I think it's fine. If you want to resell games, buy a disk based version. If you don't pick your poison.
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What you mean like fallout 4 where we purschased a fkn physical copy and it was a steam key... try again
 
think carefully about this guys

a very important tipping point here
 
Not sure I really understand the point of this. If anything they should complain about the price. In theory if your going to buy the game online with no physical media then it should be cheaper but it's not so.
 
I pay like peanuts for my Steam games, I am OK with not being able to resell it. The chumps that pay $60 may think differently though. Ya ya ya, without those who pay $60 the system wouldn't work, heard that bullshit before, the market regulates itself and I am perfectly fine with someone paying $60 for a game I eventually get for $7.50. I got time.
 
Not having a resale value is one of the reasons I refuse to buy digital games at full price. When I bought physical copies I always knew I could get at least $20 used for it. So a $60 game really only cost me $40 by the time I was done. Now, I just don't pay more than $40 for a digital copy.
 
Thuleman said:
I pay like peanuts for my Steam games, I am OK with not being able to resell it. The chumps that pay $60 may think differently though. Ya ya ya, without those who pay $60 the system wouldn't work, heard that bullshit before, the market regulates itself and I am perfectly fine with someone paying $60 for a game I eventually get for $7.50. I got time.
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Exactly. I don't know why anyone that likes to resell games is buying from steam. Physical media is what you get if you're going to resell. It's the same thing with music. You want to get money from some album you no longer want? Buy a CD. Hell you may get lucky and have one that's worth money.
 
aokman said:
What you mean like fallout 4 where we purschased a fkn physical copy and it was a steam key... try again
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Yeah, I get the feeling people advising this haven't actually bought a physical PC game in the past 5-10 years. Physical media for PC games is meaningless now. The only thing that matters is DRM or not.
 
so, should there be such a thing as a transferable license ?
 
kbrickley said:
No ... they can just require all sales to be processed by them (like Apple and Google stores) ... they can then take the standard 30% cut of revenue (just like they would with the original sale) ... they still make their percentage of profit off of every sale and it is only the developer who is screwed
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Like Ubisoft haha
 
I guess it was someone on here a few years ago had a good suggestion...let users sell their games but Steam gets a cut of the sell. Even if it's only a buck or 2 at least they're getting something and the seller too.
 
If this happens it would ruin steam. Say goodbye to $5 games when they do the sales. And it would be bad for developers too. We get cheaper games on steam because they cannot be resold.

And on top of all that, if someone's account got hacked and someone sold your games... very bad.
 
GoodBoy said:
If this happens it would ruin steam. Say goodbye to $5 games when they do the sales. And it would be bad for developers too. We get cheaper games on steam because they cannot be resold.

And on top of all that, if someone's account got hacked and someone sold your games... very bad.
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I suspect we get cheap games, because it moves product. If you're waiting for a 5 dollar game, you're the bottom of the barrel (don't feel bad, I am too) and price is all that moves the game. And lets face it, most of us have tons of steam games we've never played (and probably never will).

If they said, we'll it's 20 bucks, but you can resell it, I'm not going to buy most games, because I'm not going to get 15 bucks for it.
 
If they do win it is likely to be a Pyrrhic victory at best ... it will just force PC developers to pursue the same means used by mobile apps for revenue (IAP) ... since IAP can't be resold they could give the game for $5 and offer most of the features in game for $45 ... there are many ways this could turn out worse than what we have now
 
kbrickley said:
If they do win it is likely to be a Pyrrhic victory at best ... it will just force PC developers to pursue the same means used by mobile apps for revenue (IAP) ... since IAP can't be resold they could give the game for $5 and offer most of the features in game for $45 ... there are many ways this could turn out worse than what we have now
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a very good point
 
It's a license, and selling it is against Steam policies. Shows you that peeps do not read the fine print. They agreed to it when they signed up for Steam and when they purchase the game. If Steam loses lawsuit, they'll just jack up the price.

I supposed you can create burner Steam account tied to a burner email account. And sell it all that way and circumvent having to file a lawsuit to resell games. I'm sure peeps do that already, but hey. It's France.
 
Could you sell it back to Steam for some type of credit, that could be applied to the purchase another game?
 
I would punch a small defenseless animal to have the ability to get rid of some of the games in my Steam library that are absolutely godawful in my opinion. They aren't even worth whatever ridiculously minimal price I bought them at.
 
BettiePage said:
unless you buy physical media your sol.
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nilepez said:
So long as a physical version is available, I think it's fine. If you want to resell games, buy a disk based version. If you don't pick your poison.
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scojer said:
I say no. Not unless it is installed from physical media.
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Guys, jesus. This is about Steam games, not Xbox. Physical media copies on PC have had as much value as coasters for years now. While there are maybe a few small exceptions, it's all tied to the account now. So great, you bought a physical copy, now you have to install Steam/Origin/Uplay in order to activate it. Now your physical copy is worthless, because no one else can play the game from your disc now. So it's the same situation as trying to sell your Steam copy. Why do so many people still think physical media means you can replay the game on another PC? It's not 2005 anymore!
 
This is just what we need.

No more Steam sales.

No more games going cheap 6-12 months after release.

What is this goof thinking?
 
what if I want to go see a movie then resell my viewing of the movie to someone else.

Steam already added in temporary refunds. Result: Flash sales disappeared. Stupid shit like this has consequences. Maybe the claim is that consoles do this all the time. But they are reselling physical media. It also may cost more than the PC version.
 
Thinking about it, since they're selling you a perpetual license to the software, maybe it should be transferable. A lot of business software already uses this model.

As for physical media, I just bought a notebook without an optical drive and it's a 15" Dell XPS not like it's a Mac Book Air or something. I'd rather have the decreased casing size than an optical drive these days. I can't remember the last time I used any sort of disc on my PC.
 
Well, how much tech support are they obligated to give? None? Common examples being intentional bugs that crop up when software is cracked. Then tons of people complaining about how the game is "broken"
 
SamuraiInBlack said:
I would punch a small defenseless animal to have the ability to get rid of some of the games in my Steam library that are absolutely godawful in my opinion. They aren't even worth whatever ridiculously minimal price I bought them at.
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You do realize you can create a custom list and hide the game to that list. I do it all the time for things I haven't played in years. Or set the view of your library to only show things that are "installed"
 
I would be content being able to put my steam games up on the steam community market, but I wouldn't care if it never happened.
 
I'm unsure if it was for steam credits not money fine or if it was something along the lines of transferring game licenses to other people.
 
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