German group sues Valve

They do not own the games. It is a digital download which means the buyer is not receiving anything physical product. You also have to consider effects when it is possible to purchase the game, save the files, and then "sell" it back to Valve. Add in a simple crack and there you have a pirated game with the help of Steam. The very fact that they are suing over something as trivial as this is absurd. Steam offers deals outrageously lower than from any other source. If they sold games at the usual price, but offered the option to sell them back, customers would more than likely lose money in the long run.

Don't you dare F' with Valve.

You can already buy games over Steam for cheaper than the used box equivalents one might get at say, Gamestop. The new purchases over Steam also benefit the people who make the games as opposed to buying a more expensive used disk. So what it comes down to is that Steam is the currently in the best middle ground possible. You can buy games for cheap, and every single purchase made is good for the industry, allowing devs to make money and keep improving their games and producing new ones.

Germans are right. If I own a game, I should be able to resell it or even give it away. This is one of the oldest consumer law known from Stone Age. But if this option will win, promos will probably end or be significantly reduced. Anyway I support them. The problem is that owners of digital stores have too much freedom - they can ban account worth thousands of dollars with blink of an eye. And what you can do with it? Sue them? And pay a lawyer another few thousands? To be honest customer rights are very reduced on Steam. Customers have no guarantee that they'll be able to download their games for some period of time, if company or service will go bankrupt or will be closed. Governments should do something with this.

Entirely my opinion:

There is a great solution for this, give people try outs. Allow people to test the game (not the crappy demos) for 6 hours or so and if the person actually enjoyed the game, he would keep it.

If its a bad product ( Ah Dragon Age II, masterpiece from my Hall of Shame... ) then give them the ability to do the exchange the game with other people. It would create a live market for people and would be great to get your game for a great deal.

Give people the ability to put the item into their tryout boxes. In 6 hours, a person can decide to put the item into auction. Once an item is put into the auction, it can't be taken back. Let people make their trades, create an auction for them. If the person decides game is too good to be auctioned, they keep it. They lose the ability to create an auction after 6 hours.

Nice one Germany.

You could still sell your Steam account to someone if you really wanted. I've never sold a game in my life, even when they were still in boxes.

I won't lie, I really wish I could sell games from my library, I really do. That said, Steam already sells games cheaper than most used games ever were, gives free preview weekends, and is downright awesome. Maybe if I couldn't get most games under $50, I'd change my stance, but as it is, I think me paying 25% for awesome games just a few months after release is worth not being able to sell it. Besides, what would used prices be when Valve already brings the prices down so much? I'll sell my digital copy of Skyrim for 23 cents!

I'd also like to know what I'd be selling. I can't touch digital items like you can an actual box. It's my choice to buy digital thus giving up the right to resell, and even if the suit is won, valve just tacks on an online pass and still ends up charging more for used than the game is new on Steam...

Frankly I don't mind having my cd key tied to one account. If it actually only cost like max $20 a new game. But they will never do that. Most games cost way above that.

Legally the group is right though. You bought the license for it which is the cd key. You should be able to sell it. Problem is getting it untied to an account. Which is another legal minefield.

I really hope Germany wins this and spreads worldwide. No disrespect to Valve, but I am 110% pro-consumer. With the direction the games industry is going, this would be a major coup to put power back in the hands of gamers.

"If I pay the full price for a game, then why am I not allowed to do with it what I want" People purchase Steam games at full price? O.o

Wow. Scary how many ppl are backing up Steam here without know what the argument is actually about. The Germans are 100% spot on. Someone needs to challenge this point all the way through the courts. I should be able to sell the key for my old Steam games. I can't see the difference between buying a game on steam and in a shop.

People going on about how cheap Steam is (it's not actually that cheap for new games) are totally missing the point. The sale price is not the point.

Only way it would work is if you are able to resell your cd key. Which then you would simply have to be able to unlocked it from your account. Aka just gift that key to another account.

to add the view of a german guy :P there is no doubt in germany, that this law is not for digital products. i never heard about this case though.... its probably just this one lady who thinks that way

The wording for buying digital content should be, "A lifetime subscription for one or more item/s of digital content for one fee." rather than making it seem that you own the game when you "purchase digital" content.

You can't expect to get much value from reselling in the PC Market. Since its a global market, the value of your $60 game is already brought down to $20-30 on day 1 because of cheap Russian prices.

they sell games on the super cheap what more do you want... selling video games is stupid IMO so many time have i wanted to go back and play a PS1 game or older and guess what i still have them....this argument is dumb

I wonder if they know the meaning of Tangible and Intangible services..

Simply no. Valve is one of the FEW game companies out there that are pretty friendly to the customer, and i don't really need to sell my games considering i've likely paid less than an actual used copy.

Go sue EA instead...

The sad truth is that if your able to simply 'resell' your old games than the entire digital market will fail. It is simply an impossible task. I'm not saying that what we are doing now is the right answer but making it so that we can just sell games used is the definite wrong answer.