Valve is in the same position of power, or an even greater position of power, as Sony. But Valve has never (to my knowledge) removed games from customers’ libraries without compensation. Valve has the track record of not abusing their position of power to the detriment of gamers.
Personally, I still don’t like the amount of power they do hold, which is why I prefer to get my games from GOG when I can. But historically, Valve is not anti-consumer. Valve/Gaben are no angels, they have their fair share of billionaire behavior, but there is simply no comparison with Sony.
Yeah this was the point I was about to say myself. It’s not that Valve has me stanning them at all, but rather the experience has been the same since Steam’s inception in 2003. I go to their Store, I buy the game (but really the game licence, now that we’re more aware), I download it, and play it. Games almost never get removed from your library unless they find them to be malicious (I bought a key for Prey 2006 on eBay years after delisting and was playing it within an hour), so it’s been rather reassuring that money spent is value retained in perpetuity until proven otherwise.
If Valve starts making the same terrible decisions though, they can receive the same pitchfork brigade as everyone else.
I do pay attention to what I’m actually buying now that I’m older and more knowledgeable about licensing, but don’t let FUD ruin your experience as a gamer. Just keep your ear to the ground for any terrible policy changes.
Valve is in the same position of power, or an even greater position of power, as Sony. But Valve has never (to my knowledge) removed games from customers’ libraries without compensation. Valve has the track record of not abusing their position of power to the detriment of gamers.
Personally, I still don’t like the amount of power they do hold, which is why I prefer to get my games from GOG when I can. But historically, Valve is not anti-consumer. Valve/Gaben are no angels, they have their fair share of billionaire behavior, but there is simply no comparison with Sony.
…nyeah, fuck it. I’ll upvote that. That’s fair!
Yeah this was the point I was about to say myself. It’s not that Valve has me stanning them at all, but rather the experience has been the same since Steam’s inception in 2003. I go to their Store, I buy the game (but really the game licence, now that we’re more aware), I download it, and play it. Games almost never get removed from your library unless they find them to be malicious (I bought a key for Prey 2006 on eBay years after delisting and was playing it within an hour), so it’s been rather reassuring that money spent is value retained in perpetuity until proven otherwise.
If Valve starts making the same terrible decisions though, they can receive the same pitchfork brigade as everyone else.
I do pay attention to what I’m actually buying now that I’m older and more knowledgeable about licensing, but don’t let FUD ruin your experience as a gamer. Just keep your ear to the ground for any terrible policy changes.