190°

If Valve's Steam Policies Get Challenged In Court Gamers Could Resale Their Games, Says VZBV

Gaming Blend "According to the Verbraucherzentrale Bundesverband e.V., representative Eva Hoffschulte, speaking on behalf of the Federation of German Consumer Organisations and executive director Gerd Billen, the consumer rights advocacy group is trying to pursue the matter in court and they believe that things will get underway later this year."

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cinemablend.com
DigitalAnalog3924d ago

If we are allowed to "resale" our game then the value of DD is changed significantly. As such, Steam sales would be the first to go as it is the main reason why so many feel comfortable purchasing a non-tradable copy.

NioRide3924d ago

Exactly, used games come up we actually lose out more so then we do win.

When I'm paying 75% off of a title, And picking up games for 5$ vs 30+ I hope to never see steam get marked for used.

Anon19743924d ago

I have no idea why people are just assuming sales would go. We have a used game market with physical software. Do games never go on sale as a result? Of course not.

The fact of the matter is the EU has ruled already on this matter last year. Companies can't block the transfer of online, digital content from one user to another. Those licenses as of last year are transferable.

It'll take the industry time to adapt, but if they don't facilitate the transfer of licenses from one user to another themselves, someone else will come along and figure out a way and they'll be left out. Best to get in front of this legislation and take control of license transfer themselves. The court's have already ruled on the matter in the EU. Now why that means nothing would ever go on sale is beyond me.

DigitalAnalog3924d ago

The thing is with DD is how would Steam itself would compete with scalpers. This isn't like a "used" sale where clearly the physical product is being used. Here the DD code is EXACTLY the same.

E.G. XX game gets 9.99 Scalper compete's with a lower price. How is steam going to gain profit from that?

CRAIG6673924d ago

Dude you REALLY haven't though that through...

jimmywolf3924d ago

@DigitalAnalog

steam would not have too compete, it earned off the selling the game, then it earn again by charging a seller fee.

similar too how cards work, now i would not be surprised, if cards are a beta prototype for used games.

if you go to the market in steam, to buy a card. it show vales cut %5 an developers cut %10

cyguration3923d ago

@DigitalAnalog

Jimmywolf is right. The trading cards is pretty much the same as selling games and they sell for pretty cheap with Valve getting a cut.

If anything, trades would facilitate Valve to make even more money given that people would only be able to sell games after they buy them and then Valve would get a cut per every priced trade.

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 3923d ago
badz1493924d ago

what I don't understand is why people are bringing physical item rights into its digital counterpart? why would suddenly people think that it's necessary for them to be able to resell digital products?

trading in physical copies are not just the content itself but the condition of the disc itself too. try having a big scratch on your disc and see if you can sell it anywhere. you can't because the scratch devalued the item even if the game runs fine! the ability to resell depends on the disc first and the rest, second!

with digital media, how will reselling work? games are installed into your HDD!

1. take away your game key? pfft...it's not like there aren't enough cracks available for free out there. so you get some of your money back and still retain the game, very smart!

2. send a virus to corrupt the install data? yeah...that will go down just great! /s

3. take away your HDD? how? using FBI?

DRM will be a headache if reselling of digital contents is allowed. why chose to go digital if you've known that there will be no reselling?? oohh...I know, those sales are crazy, right? so...you gain some, it's just natural you'll be losing some too! plus, how much do you want back for games you bought for $5? a dollar?

Conzul3924d ago

just because you don't know how it can be done, doesn't mean it can't be done.

Steam will adapt, and everyone will be praising its aptitude once again.

Gigaguy7773923d ago

Easy, since it's through Steam, it will delete all of that game's content from your Hard Drive, remove the game from your library, and remove anything else that would allow you to get the game back without buying it again.

NioRide3923d ago (Edited 3923d ago )

Except people use fake codes on steam, and not just every now and again.

Dirt 3 had a massive wave of some 50k fake keygened keys hit the market.

Anon19743923d ago

"Why would suddenly people think that it's necessary for them to be able to resell digital products?"

That's the law now, according to the EU. Software or digital licenses are allowed to be resold now. Prior to this it was usually worked into the End User's Agreement that when you purchased a license to a piece of software, it was non-transferable. The EU courts have ruled on this now and said "not so fast".

So while they didn't go so far as to mandate that a company must setup the means with which to transfer licenses, they can't block the transfer of licenses from one individual to another like they were trying to do with their agreements.

Stricter DRM is the only way I can see them making this possible to comply with the court ruling. They don't expect the industry to turn on a dime and commit to this overnight, but unless this ruling is overturned, what choice does the industry have?

I have no doubt Sony and Microsoft will also at some point unveil a system for transferring licenses for digital media. Microsoft already said they had a system lined up for trading games online. No doubt this was in part to take away from used game sales and pocket that money themselves, part to keep them in compliance with the laws in Europe. Of course, we know they had to back away from their all encompassing DRM plans, but there's no reason they can't still do an online market for digital only games.

I have no idea what Sony's going to do to become compliant with these recent legal changes. Or Nintendo for that matter. Or if they'll just encompass the EU or if they'll roll out whatever their new marketplace will be worldwide.

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 3923d ago
3-4-53924d ago

It's not a bad idea totally. We could sell off some of those games we bought that we may never play or that ended up not being what we thought they were, or as good as we hoped.

To keep people from profiting all you would have to do is make it so you can only sell your game for 85% of what you originally paid for it.

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 3923d ago
Fireseed3924d ago

And we haven't yet because they approach DRM in a responsible and consumer friendly way.

CRAIG6673924d ago

People HATED Steam when it first arrived,it was the DEVIL, just as much as people hated xbox one's initial DRM framework, but people have come round because the benefits are so great, not to mention the convenience...

I for one couldn't care less about selling my steam games anyway, I like to have my games collection available just in-case.

khan_saab3924d ago

being able to re sell your steam items is a good thing people. it goes into the core belief that once you buy something, you own it.some of you may not like it because you speculate that things are going to cost more. I ask, is the possibility of losing deals ( which i believe won't happen) worth denying someone their right to as they wish with their property? if we can gain the legal ability to do as we want with our online content then i believe it is a matter of time before we see the end of DRM as they go hand in hand.

NioRide3924d ago (Edited 3924d ago )

While true the problem is, people could buy a game for a fraction of the price on a steam sale, then turn around and sell the game at retail a few days later.

In the end, steam probably would remove the sales all together.

So we will end up losing far more than gaining.

sourav933924d ago (Edited 3924d ago )

Maybe they could make the resell conditions in such a way that you will receive half of what you paid for it. Perhaps that could work. Though tbh, I'm completely happy with the way steam works now, but I won't say no to the idea of being able to resell my games. Of course, if they remove features/deals just like what MS did with the DRM,then I'd rather things stay the same.

jimmywolf3924d ago

@NioRide
simple supply an demand, what your saying can be done now, with little effort. buy said game on sell as a gift, an wait too sell it ....

@sourav93
free market is fine, their wont be one seller. just like with the cards, everyone wanting too sell, will drive down the price. also they would be a % cost, that goes too vale an the developers, so everyone profits.

NioRide3924d ago

Yes it can be done now, But this is entirely different.

This is activating a game, playing it and then turning around and selling it to someone.

This will pretty much make steam sales vanish all together.

s45gr323924d ago

Is it not possible to have both (able to resell say steam games, trade, and buy used plus keep the deals), it's our legal right to resell and trade say products along with buying used products.

NioRide3924d ago

Its not our legal right to get sales though.

Adding in used games means we will no longer have the option to get deals.

Also selling illegal keys, stolen keys, and key generated keys will be a huge problem.

And in truth, we own nothing, if you read your manuals that come with games and user agreements, we pay for a right to use the product. We actually don't own anything.

awi59513924d ago

Im sorry games dont get special protection movies,music,cars have to do the same thing. Just make a better product people want to keep and stop making crap games.

WeAreLegion3924d ago

No. They show us respect. We need to show them respect.

FlyingFoxy3924d ago (Edited 3924d ago )

Prices of good games will go up, prices of shit games will fall like a rock because everyone won't buy or will sell them.

But.. i like the thought of being able to sell games, even if for half the retail price, i want to get rid of dead island and it's sitting in my steam games.. ugh that game's not a patch on l4d 1/2 or Killing Floor.

Ogygian3924d ago (Edited 3924d ago )

The relative price of MMO's will go up, as they are not for resale. Also, games like Bioshock which are awesome but not very replayable will be heavily resold, and so will become unprofitable to release on PC. I suppose replayable single-player games like Skyrim will be less affected, but there are very good shorter games which will suffer.

This will help F2P, MMO's and other types of online multiplayer games, but is going to cripple single-player games out of existence.

This is sad for single-player lovers like myself but I suppose good news for those more interested in MP experiences. I just hope it doesn't rear its ugly head in the UK.

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70°

Why Are Steam's Recommendations Dogpoop?

Blindfolding myself and clicking a Steam page at random would serve me better recommendations than Steam’s algorithm

Read Full Story >>
thegamer.com
UltimateOwnage8d ago

Hmm, not sure I agree with that. The recommendations I get are usually pretty good, but then again I have pretty large library of games on Steam and hundreds of them in my wish list, along with lots of curators I follow for it to build recommendations off of. On occasion it will throw me a random FIFA game or something I've never bought or shown interest in, but mostly its decent IMO.

80°

5 Best Metroidvania Games on Steam (March 2024)

Dive into the best Metroidvania games on Steam, from hidden gems to top-rated classics, and embark on unforgettable adventures!

jznrpg18d ago

Skul is a metroidvania ? It’s on PS+ soon I’ll check it out. If it’s good I’ll buy a copy physically if they have one

Nacho_Z18d ago

If Pseudoregalia is one of the best I'd hate to see what the worst look like.

330°

Dragon’s Dogma 2 releases to mixed user reviews, as microtransactions criticised

Players can pay to edit their character, resurrect the dead and other actions.

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videogameschronicle.com
AdonisIsBeast26d ago

Who cares as long as it’s optional

phoenixwing26d ago

paying to edit your character is kind of crap as far as microtransactions go

Xristo26d ago (Edited 26d ago )

I hate any/all MTX in a paid game (especially a full-price game)... but know that you can spend in-game currency (RC), which you get from killing mobs, to completely remake your character.

phoenixwing26d ago

@xRisto how much did it change the gameplay though? Changing your character would have probably not cost any rc if they weren't hellbent on getting money by making it inconvenient

koga8826d ago

You can literally edit your character using in-game gold, dropped from monsters or obtained from selling items, as soon as you reach the first main town. You can even use Rift Crystals obtained from other people using your pawn or dropped from monsters to change your entire character or Pawn. It's paying to avoid doing something that is literally in the game.

PRIMORDUS26d ago

They are lucky there using Denuvo or their game and all future DLC etc. would be for free. 🤣

phoenixwing26d ago

@koga you completely missed the point i was making but go ahead and act like i'm being the wrong one

lucian22925d ago

you can pay ingame currency though; why are ya so derp

+ Show (3) more repliesLast reply 25d ago
Crows9026d ago (Edited 26d ago )

Capcom cares quite a bit....hence why it was kept from reviewers and initial impressions.

As far as optional...yeah...ALL mtx are optional. That's not the problem. The miss the mark entirely.

Heck buying the game is "optional" too.

The fact that they were hiding this is scummy as hell. I was going to buy this day 1 or day 3. Now I'm reconsidering the purchase entirely because as the reviews point out...there are certain design decisions which have not changed but funnily enough seem to be remedied by these mtx...

In other words they may have left certain features in the game in order to monetize them. So the mtx affected the development of the game in a negative way.

garos8226d ago

I'm certainly not buying it anymore. It has affected at least one sale from me. I'll pick it up second hand

peppeaccardo26d ago

Very close to buy the game at a discounted price but not anymore.
Bad business practice and hence they do not get my support/money !

warriorcase26d ago

It wasn't kept fromreviewers s though. Twitter reviewers are saying there was mention of mtx's in the reviewers guide

-Foxtrot26d ago (Edited 26d ago )

STOP. USING. THAT. SHITTY. EXCUSE

God damn man

Look how DLC changed after Oblivions horse armour, within 10 years most developers took the absolute p***. What was said then aswell? “It’s only optional who cares?” Now look where we all are.

There’s no half measures with these things, when will people realise this.

jwillj2k426d ago (Edited 26d ago )

Oh it’s gonna get worse. Ng+ locked behind mtx, “cool downs” preventing you from playing for more than 3 hours at a time unless u pay the mtx for unlimited access, main campaign bosses, in-game music, certain dialog, difficulty modes, certain npc interactions, all locked behind mtx, etc.. etc. gonna end up being like the NBA 2k games eventually paying for cross overs and shit… They gon get mid-evil on our asses.

OMGitzThatGuy26d ago

I can guarantee most of the items you can buy with mtx and ingame currency wouldn’t exist in ANY paid form if the main goal wasn't monetization. If the goal is to give idiots who are willing to pay for basic game features as mtx a way to do things faster then the only ones the mtx hurt are the non paying players as you are now locking features behind a grind that you chose to put in the game that you are essentially admitting to creating some type of time sink. I have never heard of a game locking basic character editing behind a ingame paywall, it’s usually just an option.

Chard26d ago

Takes two to tango though - unfortunately people buy this garbage which incentivises the behaviour. It's an inevitable outcome of the profit motive

thorstein26d ago

@Mario

Yes. And so are resurrection "Wakestones." You can find them but they're rare.

victorMaje26d ago

Buying the game is now very optional too. If you don’t know why then you don’t get it.

shinoff218326d ago

Because it's only a door way. That's why we care. We've already seen some shit since Mtx was introduced.

Rimeskeem26d ago

1. DD2 is an ARPG with 8 different playable classes
2. There is no multiplayer aspect to the game
3. You can only have one character (have to pay for more)
4. You cannot delete the character unless you go into the game files
5. The game is $70 dollars upfront

Having to pay for more character slots in a game that *features* 8 playable classes is pretty much not optional for an ARPG.

Angyobangyo26d ago

Judging from steam reviews, gamers care. Not plastic gamers. Why didn’t Itsuno mention such MTX would be available in-game? Why weren’t the MTXs there for review copies?

Kiryu199226d ago

Who cares is how all this started. The many many excuses. Please keep defending these greedy publishers and unfair tactics. We be gamers are the problem

Horse armor

$10 online passes if buying a used copy

Cheat codes gone and are replaced by micro transactions

Unlocking stuff by playing games behind micro transactions and XP boosters

It’s only cosmetic

No one is being forced to spend even though publishers are literally making their games more grindy to force people to play

Full priced games have mobile game type micro transactions

$70 priced games because higher development costs while making record profits and laying off record number of employees

And to play the game early pay us extra $20-30 on top of full price

Release games now and promise to maybe fix them later only to abandon the game

Day one patches that make the games worst

If it’s your favorite game defend the publisher if it’s not hate on another publisher for similar content

SixFrvgz25d ago Show
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kenpachi26d ago

Must have picked up some EA crew to put this in the game

robtion26d ago

Yeah these are really bad ones. Directly impacting gameplay too. Super scummy move. I hope nobody buys them.

CrimsonWing6926d ago

Yet Helldivers 2 gets a pass? Y’know a GotY contender by the name of RE4 had them and so does Devil May Cry V. The funny thing is I enjoyed both of those games thoroughly without having to buy a single microtransaction.

What I do consider a valid complaint is not being able to start a new game or being able to edit your character. That’s kind of a seriously baffling decision, but then I think how I played Dragon’s Dogma 1 and I never edited my character and I just did a 100% playthrough on a single file and didn’t start a NG since. So, I don’t think these are really going to impact me, but I can see how it will others.

Crows9026d ago

Helldivers 2 is a live service game where everything is obtainable in game with incredible ease.

Not sure about re4 or DMC but nobody is giving anyone a pass ...this article is about dragons dogma 2...not those games.

What is valid are in game features made to supposedly force you to think carefully only to have a surprise online store offer solutions to built in problems for more money.

Goosejuice26d ago

Those same things they are selling can be found Ingame as well. U can buy the character editor through merchants with gold. Don't get me wrong..I dislike these mtx they are doing but you don't need to buy them to be able to get them.

CrimsonWing6926d ago (Edited 26d ago )

Oh my bad, I can’t bring up games with microtransactions that nobody had a sh*t fit over. My mistake.

I love how people move the goalpost.

Crows9026d ago

@goose
@crimson

All mtx sucks. I'd rather helldiver's not have them because it makes me wonder if the rate at which you collect materials. That said. The games features are all fully enjoyable and aren't affected by the mtx.

That's not the case with dragons dogma 2...they left in place features that are supposedly part of the challenge of the game only to let you buy your way out very conveniently. I didn't look through all of them but I've heard some are rare but can be purchased with more money now. Even more so in a game about managing weight load there's a tent, I believe, that you can pay more money for that weighs less than your typical tent...not all sure on all the mtx and I'm aware that you can purchase many through in game vendor but they're incredibly useful mtx that are obtained much more slowly in game...or even a limited amount of them.

Instead is selling fast travel...just let us don't for free....or instead of selling cosmetic changes...how about letting us do it for free...

Nothing in helldivers comes close to this abomination

Angyobangyo26d ago

One is a single player game and one is a live service game. One is $40 vs$70. And most importantly, one game is there to spread democracy.

Ironmike25d ago

It's not incredibly easy for certain things in helldivers though u still have grind quite bit but u ate correct in saying u can eventually get enough medals to purchase stuff

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Moegooner26d ago

Read your comment again and maybe, just maybe you might realise how dumb it was.

CrimsonWing6926d ago (Edited 26d ago )

What was dumb about it? That I pointed out the hypocrisy?

garos8226d ago

It was extremely scummy that capcom hid this from reviewers. I have no doubt this game is good but these type of microtransactions don't sit well with me. They've lost a sale from me

Lionsguard26d ago

I was going to pay full price to support this game because I've been waiting for it for forever but I think I'll wait until I get it for free from Epic or a Humblebundle monthly.

Redemption-6426d ago

I am not defending Capcom, as I am not a fan of MTX in single player games. I do however belive they were open to reviewers about having MTX in their game. The reviewers just decided to leave that part out. Which is very disingenuous. There are some companies that get away with these things. Image if this was done by EA, Ubisoft, or even Activision? I am positive those defending Capcom, would have had their pitchforks ready if the companies listed above did this

anast26d ago

That's why reviewers can't be trusted. In fact, they are not reviewers at all. They get free codes to talk about stuff they don't understand nor care about.

Sanctusone26d ago

I mean it was pretty obvious to anyone with eyes...one of the items you get from deluxe edition was in game items.
1500 Rift Crystals - Points to Spend Beyond the Rift (A)
Which honestly I figured they kept a similar mtx system like DMC5 and the optional red orbs.

Lionsguard26d ago

1500 Rift Crystals doesn't mean anything. The first game had Rift crystals too, you just earned them by people hiring your Pawn and you get it from certain quests.

anast25d ago (Edited 25d ago )

A reviewer's job is to point out the obvious of a product as though they were the consumer. This means reviewers, to do their actual job, would need to review the complete game: the edition they are reviewing, how they got the game, technical aspects, story, and monetization scheme. Since, it is obvious that MT's are a part of the game, it would need to be reviewed. This way people can be informed, so they can decide if they want to play this style of game/monetization scheme.

For example, AC Origins was bad with Mt's. I had to farm side missions or pay to advance the story. This was after I already did close to 25 or more side missions. While I was grinding there were constant reminders that I could pay to ease the grind. I would have never bought the game if it were reviewed properly.

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