Steam now tells gamers that they are buying a license, not the game itself

Steam is now starting to explicitly state that it is selling a license to a video game and that even if you purchase it, it's not yours.

Steam is one of the most popular digital distribution platforms for video games. (Image Source: Valve)

Valve, the company that operates the popular video game marketplace Steam is explicitly starting to disclose that you do not own the games you buy from the platform. The payment checkout screen, which appears right before you complete the transaction now has a note that states that “a purchase of a digital product grants a license for the product on Steam.” While the note is currently showing up on the desktop version of the app, the note is yet to show up on the mobile version of the app.

Why is Steam adding the new note?

Recently, the state of California, United States gave a green light to a new law which requires online marketplaces like Steam to clearly state that gamers are buying a license to a game and do not own the product.

The move comes after gaming studios like Ubisoft and Sony were found out to remove digital purchases from a user’s library. While Ubisoft revoked access to games like The Crew, Sony is restricting user access to old Discovery shows. However, after a huge backlash, Sony changed its mind and brought all the old shows back on the platform.

As it turns out, Valve might have added the new note to get ahead of the law. According to the new law, digital stores like Steam will no longer be able to use words like “Buy” or “Purchase” if they are selling a license.However, the new law is not applicable to digital marketplaces like Good Old Games (GoG), which allow users to download an offline installer which can be used to install games without internet connectivity.