Steam has become one of the first companies to admit that users don't own the games they buy. The admission comes as new regulations begin to take effect. We've long known that buying a digital game is really just a long-term rental, and there's very little we can do to change that. Still, more transparency on the issue is welcome.
Steam has started showing a new notice in its shopping cart that plainly confirms the nature of the transaction: "A purchase of a digital product grants a license for the product on Steam." The change is Valve's way of complying with a new California law that bars digital platforms from implying that customers own the games, movies, e-books, and other digital content they buy.
The new rules were signed into law by Governor Gavin Newsom last year, and are meant to curb deceptive marketing practices in the sale of digital media.
Under AB 2426, companies would be breaking the law if they use words like "buy," "own," or other terms that imply full ownership when selling digital goods that are only licensed for use.
The law requires digital stores to state clearly that customers are only buying access to the content, and that access can be revoked or expire at any time.
Companies that violate the rule can be fined for false advertising. The law doesn't apply to permanent offline downloads or physical discs. According to Engadget, the label appears to be fairly new and isn't limited to California Steam accounts.
Limited digital ownership has become a hot topic in recent years, as many gamers have been affected when servers shut down or stores closed. That has led to movements such as "Stop Killing Games."
One notable example is Ubisoft abruptly removing access to the original The Crew after its servers were shut down completely earlier this year.
Even people who paid full price can no longer play the open-world racing game. Ubisoft has added offline modes to sequels such as The Crew 2 to avoid similar situations, but the original game highlighted how little control customers have over their digital purchases. If a company decides to end support, the game disappears instantly.
