Accpet Steam's New EULA or Say Goodbye To Your Steam Account UPDATED

[thebobmaster_v1legacy]

'The one thing they love more than a hero is to see a hero fail, fall, die trying. In spite of everything you've done for them, eventually they will hate you.'

You just quoted "Spider-Man", and your avatar is Basil of Baker Street. That is just pure awesome.

 

[PhunkyPhazon]

Well... I don't agree with completely shutting down your account, but it's your choice whether to use Steam or not. Using Steam requires agreeing to their TOS. If you don't like it, don't use it. That simple.

This is true but it sucks for the people with alot of games on steam that disagree with the new TOS.

People actually read those things?

 

[Vigormortis]

I'd imagine that Origin is like this, and any other DD service that doubles as DRM likely works the same way.

The difference being, this was one of the reasons everyone hated Origin.

It wasn't why I hated Origin.

I hated Origin for two reasons:

1) The fact that EA has had over a decades worth of knowledge, both internally and externally, to build from when conceptualizing Origin but seemingly failed to use any of it. They could have easily seen what works, what doesn't, and what things either helped the competition or hurt them. Then, they could have taken that knowledge and applied it to Origin. Thus, releasing Origin not as just another awful, poorly designed, poorly implemented, blatant cash-grab of a DD-service but rather a real, if even better, direct competitor to Steam and other services.

2) The utterly childish, insulting, and all-around obnoxious ad campaign they ran (and continue to run) leading up to the release of Origin. It was a campaign of lies, misdirections, spin, and mud-slinging. It did nothing to paint Origin in a positive light but rather simply insulted the competition and anyone who used the competitors services/features/games. Essentially saying, "Those other guys suck and are evil, and so are you if you like them, so pick us instead."

Basically, I hate Origin because it represents everything I hate about EA today. Or rather, what EA has become since 2007/2008.

 

[Ultra Man30]

Unless the terms of service involve me donating my organs to them at a time of their convenience I don't really care.

Spoiler: Apathetic Butterfly is apathetic.

There is also some Origin guy somewhere looking at all the cat pics I have on my PC.

That Butterfly doesn't look too apathetic. It looks like he has just seen something that he cannot unsee and is in a terrified stupor over it. I mean look at its eyes. When I look into those eyes I hear "I've seen some things and I wouldn't recommend them".

 

[Tranquility]

So you question the legality of a service and yet continue to use it?

Oh, no, I'm 100% certain that the service is legal.

Hell, even the ToS is legal going by recent precedents. Whether it is ethical or not is something else, but then again, it doesn't effect me...and when it does effect me, I will stop using it.

I stopped trying to be some kind of righteous defender of all that is good a long time ago. Until I feel a business decision has an impact on me, I continue on the path of acting like it doesn't have an impact on me...since it...doesn't.

 

[Elamdri]

"Oh, your contract says I can't sue you? That's cute."

 

[The_Lost_King]

Regardless of how this ends up working out, this is a good example of why gamers should not be excited for the upcoming all-digital distribution revolution, that video game publishers are pushing for. Often you are not buying a game, but simply a license to play a game. The problem with that (as evidenced by Steam?s new subscriber agreement) is that the license can be taken away from you, at any time, for any reason, and without compensation.

I really don't like the idea of buying the "license" instead of the actual game. I can't think of many other things I pay good money for that can be taken away from me at the sellers whim.

You have always been only buying the license. You just have a disc which is a physical game license, not an actuall game.

 

[Tranquility]

"Oh, your contract says I can't sue you? That's cute."

Yeah, the ToS doesn't say that you can't file a lawsuit against them.

 

[aksel]

If I ever do decide to completely wipe my Steam account, the first step will be pirating every game I own (key word being OWN).

I paid for those games. They are mine to keep.

 

[Tranquility]

If I ever do decide to completely wipe my Steam account, the first step will be pirating every game I own (key word being OWN).

I paid for those games. They are mine to keep.

Depending on how long it takes for the UK's recent decision to make it's way to the US, you might not have to do that.

 

[aksel]

Depending on how long it takes for the UK's recent decision to make it's way to the US, you might not have to do that.

I live in the Faroe Islands. Not part of EU (technically).

Not that it matters. You can't file a lawsuit, remember?

 

[Epona]

Regardless of how this ends up working out, this is a good example of why gamers should not be excited for the upcoming all-digital distribution revolution, that video game publishers are pushing for. Often you are not buying a game, but simply a license to play a game. The problem with that (as evidenced by Steam?s new subscriber agreement) is that the license can be taken away from you, at any time, for any reason, and without compensation.

I really don't like the idea of buying the "license" instead of the actual game. I can't think of many other things I pay good money for that can be taken away from me at the sellers whim.

You have always been only buying the license. You just have a disc which is a physical game license, not an actuall game.

No, the disc/card/cart is a copy of the game and you have 100% control over what you do with it. Will you play it at home? Will you play it a friends? Will you sell it? Will you smash it? Will you frame it? Will you put it in storage?

It's funny the lengths people will go to convince everyone that "you've never owned your games".

So, tell me, should I be worried that someone is coming to take my copy of *Secret of Evermore?


* That's an SNES game that is not available as a digital download. In case you didn't know what SOE was.

 

[MrFalconfly]

What is it with all these "You can't sue me" clauses in the ToS's?!?

How were they even made legal?!?

Oh I see the issue. While I live in europe and I have rights which, even if I wanted to, I can't forfeit the companies are based in the US which have inane laws that makes this kind of bullshit possible.

Oh the wonders of a globalized world with overseas shipping. Marvelous.

 

[asinann]

The question isn't whether you have to click "I accept", but rather or not they can legally uphold their TOS. If I pay you for, say, a year of internet access, with the agreement that I'd have access for exactly 12 months, and you later say "Well, we're changing our contracts so now it's only good for 6 months", do you figure that would hold up in court?

Steam can *say* "You can't sue us", but if I do, what are they going to do to stop me? Cut off my steam service? If I'm suing them I'm probably well past the point of caring about that.

Except now you can't sue, you can only go into small claims/arbitration. Wonder how this effects games that you've bought a physical copy of but require steam to play, like DoW2.

On the fence about how I feel about this, no real way I can see for a consumer to defend this with any amount of self-interest, objectively it's a good way to keep customers who may be thinking of jumping ship from the service, no one's gonna leave if their library is being held hostage, and in a month or two they'll forget being strong armed.

The clause is illegal in almost every state and even if you agree to it they can't actually enforce it. It's like when you sign a waiver of your right to sue a bungee jumping company, completely unenforceable.

 

[Waaghpowa]

To my knowledge, EULA and TOS agreements don't really hold up well in court. If that's the case, I really don't see what there's to make a big fuss about.

 

[Tranquility]

To my knowledge, EULA and TOS agreements don't really hold up well in court. If that's the case, I really don't see what there's to make a big fuss about.

Pretty much.

Any frivolous claim like "omg they accidentally released it a day early and I bought it then they made it so I can't play it" will pretty much get thrown out at the door.

Serious claims like "omg they drained every customers bank account without permission" will rip right through the ToS.

 

[Frostbite3789]

http://wegotthiscovered.com/news/valve-accept-steam-subscriber-agreement-disable-account/

So if you disagree.

That's how EVERY online service works.

When Origin does it's Satan's work though.

That's what pisses me off, the horrible double standard.

 

[Racecarlock]

No valve, you're not supposed to be in a contest to be worse than EA. Stop it.

I'm glad I started my DD purchases with GOG. I don't think they pull shit like this.