If Steam stole your games?

dreamers75 · 31-12-2013 11:19PM #1

Would you notice?

I had 91 games after last years Steam sale, this year I started with 85. Games are gone and I dont know which ones

Would you notice if steam stole your games ?

Nollog · 01-01-2014 02:33AM

I brought that up with steam support before, they denied any games were removed.
No idea what happened.

Washington Irving · 01-01-2014 03:27AM

If you had any demos in your library they are removed if uninstalled/expired so that could be it.

Some games come with separate DLC/betas which may have been later combined with base game in the library.

challengemaster · 01-01-2014 03:48AM

http://hexus.net/gaming/news/pc/64193-order-war-first-game-erased-steam-user-libraries/

the_syco · 01-01-2014 03:58AM

dreamers75 wrote: »

Would you notice if steam stole your games ?

Maybe not, until I went to play it. Then I'd probably pirate it, guilt-free since I paid for it.

Monotype · 01-01-2014 12:48PM

Most of the games I get are DRM free - better control and I'm willing to support their model. Those that aren't I can afford to lose and I'll only buy DRM laden games at rock bottom price.

If the time comes and steam falls, I won't be the one ranting about it (though I might be a little pissed). If you agree to their terms and support them, then it's the risk you take.

Would I notice if some started disappearing? Depends on the game. There are ones that I wouldn't notice. There's ones that came with bundles that I don't think I'd have interest in and single player games that I don't intend to come back to.
I have noticed a few games disappearing for a day or two before. Usually soon after I install it on one computer - it seems to be missing from a library on another. It's happened about 2 or 3 times.

dreamers75 · 01-01-2014 04:26PM

Got burned with Swat 4 and Hitman bundle on 2 other places that went bust and renamed. Still waiting for swat 4 to be re added......

Lost all of those games.

Dyr · 01-01-2014 04:56PM

Was swat 4 ever on steam?

dreamers75 · 01-01-2014 05:23PM

Bambi wrote: »

Was swat 4 ever on steam?

Nah some other thing that rebranded and anyone who owned swat 4 tru it lost it as they never put it back into our accounts.

Revoker88 · 01-01-2014 09:54PM

http://www.maximumpc.com/steam_removes_defunct_game_user_libraries2013

Saw this today and thought of this thread

Dravokivich · 02-01-2014 10:57AM

I don't get how this is excusable:

you're granted a license to use them, and nothing more.

Software distribution has been done by licensing for years, but is not removed from the user when it becomes obsolete and/or legacy. They are making this sound very much like you are leasing the use of software. Which is a completely different thing, they have a "Purchase" button on their site, you are buying the license. Not leasing it.

challengemaster · 03-01-2014 03:41AM

Dravokivich wrote: »

I don't get how this is excusable:

Software distribution has been done by licensing for years, but is not removed from the user when it becomes obsolete and/or legacy. They are making this sound very much like you are leasing the use of software. Which is a completely different thing, they have a "Purchase" button on their site, you are buying the license. Not leasing it.

I suppose if its a case of the game developers making the game obsolete and shutting down all servers (as was the case, it was only playable when online anyway), then the license is essentially a license for nothing anyway.

It'd be similar enough to any piece of software (but we'll say Windows 7 as an example) being discontinued and all images/installers being removed, and all activation requests being refused. You may well still own a license for the product, but the product is no longer in use, and the license is now no longer valid.

It's more than likely written into their disclaimers in a more official version of this:

"X corporation maintains the right to discontinue any and all products at any time without prior warning. Should any products be discontinued by X corporation, any licenses for said product will no longer be valid"

Dravokivich · 03-01-2014 09:38AM

I don't know much of the game that was removed to be honest, but it's mentioned in the article that there was single player capability within it. It's not as if the environment of the game was solely online multiplayer. And what's to prevent the publisher selling the IP if someone else was going to maintain and expand it?

This isn't solely a matter of the game no longer being selectable to play/install, with a constant greyed out icon on your games list. It's been removed from the games list entirely. So those who purchased it and should rightly own it, do not appear to any more. In the EU, you become the owner of the license you are sold. Their disclaimers can't go against that, no matter how they attempt to redefine "licensing software," if they have it hidden in T&Cs somewhere, unless they are to make it undoubtedly clear you are leasing the use of software.

If Steam stole your games?

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