As the concept of digital game ownership undergoes significant changes, Steam’s recent announcement makes it explicit that the video games you purchase are, in essence, merely licenses to access and play them.
In December, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed groundbreaking legislation requiring digital storefronts to clearly disclose that purchases of digital goods, including films, games, albums, and e-books, grant users only a license to access the content, unless specifically stated otherwise for DRM-free products. The underlying rationale for enacting this law is to prevent sellers of digital media from falsely representing to consumers that they own their purchases, thereby clarifying the actual nature of these transactions.
Here is the rewritten text:
For enthusiastic gamers, a crucial clarification is warranted: when purchasing games from PlayStation, Xbox, or Nintendo stores, be aware that you’re essentially acquiring a license to play, rather than outright owning the game itself. Steam has proactively accommodated these changes ahead of the regulatory reforms set to take effect next year. When you add a game to your Steam cart, a notification appears stating: “A purchase order of a digital product grants a licence for the product on Steam.” While this clarification won’t deter many users from utilizing Steam due to sunk cost fallacy and other factors, it may prompt more customers to consider digital ownership more broadly at least.
GOG responded to Steam’s change with a tongue-in-cheek tweet: “Trending checkout banners have us considering one for our own store – after all, who doesn’t love another place to grab your attention?” Will I still own my games if I buy them on GOG? Let’s take a look at their purchasing cart. The message says, “A purchase order of a digital product on GOG grants you its Offline Installers, which can’t be taken away from you.” To put it in context, all video games on GOG are DRM-free, meaning there are no checks to ensure you have the license to play them – just download and install as needed.
In the next 12 months, anticipate an increase in notifications similar to those found on Steam, as well as other alternatives to traditional digital rights management, aside from websites like GOG that offer DRM-free video games. While introducing laws to encourage more storefronts to adopt DRM-free policies is an intriguing idea, perhaps a more practical approach would be to take small, incremental steps.
