Valve says Steam users don't own a thing, GOG says its games can't be taken away
Digital game storefronts are under renewed scrutiny as Valve updates Steam’s wording to clarify that users only buy revocable licenses, not permanent ownership of the games in their libraries. Commenters contrast this with GOG’s DRM-free model and offline installers, which better preserve access if a service shuts down but still don’t grant full ownership or transfer rights in the legal sense. The exchange widens into concerns about consumer rights, game preservation, regional locks, and how new laws—such as a California requirement to disclose when purchases are merely licenses—might rebalance power between platforms and players.
Steam Licensing and California Law
- Many see Steam’s new “you’re buying a license” language as a response to a California law requiring clearer disclosure for revocable digital goods.
- Several commenters note the law exempts products whose access cannot be revoked and are downloadable for permanent offline use.
- Some express surprise that confusion ever existed; others argue average users reasonably assumed “buy” meant permanent access.
GOG’s Position and Offline Installers
- GOG is praised for DRM‑free installers that can be archived and used offline, even if GOG disappears.
- GOG will, in principle, allow bequeathing accounts if heirs obtain a court order; Steam officially does not, though courts could still compel transfers.
- Some argue GOG still only grants a license and can revoke account access, even if the installer files continue to function technically.
Ownership, Licensing, and Legal Ambiguity
- Strong debate over what “owning” digital goods should mean.
- One side: only rightsholders “own” works; everyone else only licenses.
- Other side: traditional ownership of books/cartridges (use, resell, gift, bequeath) is the relevant model; DRM‑free downloads approximate this, even if copyright limits copying.
- Discussion of first‑sale doctrine and its limited or unclear applicability to digital goods, with some jurisdictional differences noted.
Account Lockout and Platform Risk
- Anecdotes of losing entire libraries due to payment flags, region locks, or client deprecation (e.g., old GPUs no longer supported).
- This fuels concern that large centralized platforms can effectively erase purchases.
Linux Support and Clients
- Debate over GOG’s lack of an official Linux client: some see it as anti‑consumer, others say simple DRM‑free downloads are sufficient.
- Community tools (Heroic, Proton, Wine, Lutris) are mentioned, but experiences vary and updates can be clunky.
Preservation, Retro Gaming, and Piracy
- Many value DRM‑free or emulatable games for long‑term preservation; offline installers and emulation are seen as key.
- Some treat games as disposable consumables; others reject this, pointing to decades‑old titles still joyfully played.
- A strand of opinion holds that if “buying” does not confer real ownership, piracy feels less like “stealing,” especially to regain access to previously bought content.