Steam recently changed an important detail when purchasing on its platform. The leader in the distribution of games on PC and Steam Deck now displays a notice at the basket level, indicating that purchases made through this means correspond to a license and not to the ownership of a game. This measure seems to be a proactive response to an upcoming California law that will require companies to clarify that buyers do not actually own the digital content.
Steam anticipates upcoming legislation
When Steam users view their cart before checking out, a message appears at the bottom right: “Purchase of a digital product licenses the product on Steam.” This is the first time that customers have been treated to such a message, which is sure to spark a reaction. The creator of Valve has also updated its conditions.
Last month, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed the law into law AB 2426which requires digital marketplaces like Steam, but also the App Store, the Play Store and other PS Stores for example, to clearly inform customers when they are only purchasing a content access license.
This law applies to digital versions of video games, music, movies, TV shows and e-books available on online shopping sites, but not to permanent offline downloads. Companies that do not comply with the law could be fined for false advertising if they do not clearly explain the limits of digital purchases.
The legislation was thought up following several incidents in the video games industry, the most infamous being that of Ubisoft removing The Crew. We understand better why the company has lost nearly 90% on the stock market in recent months.
There is no doubt that Apple will soon indicate this on its store, and that consoles with disc readers still have a bright future ahead of them…
