Steam now tells gamers up front that they're buying a license, not a game

Steam appears to have started posting a notice in its shopping cart that purchases on its storefront are only for a license and not a game, according to a notice spotted by Engadget. It looks like an attempt by the company to get ahead of a new California law coming next year that forces companies to admit that buyers don't actually own digital content.  When you open your shopping cart with items inside and before going to payment, a notice at the bottom right states: "A purchase of a digital product grants a license for the product on Steam." This is the first time our editors have seen of a notice like this (and we use Steam a lot), so it appears to be relatively new.  Engadget Last month California governor Gavin Newsom signed AB 2426 into law, forcing digital marketplaces to make it clear to customers when they only purchase a license to access media. It will not apply to permanent offline downloads, only digital copies of video games, music, movies, TV shows or ebooks from an online storefront. Companies that fail to comply could face fines for false advertising if they don't explain in clear language the limitations of a given digital purchase. The law followed situations like Ubisoft deleting The Crew from player's libraries after the game's servers shuttered. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/steam-now-tells-gamers-up-front-that-theyre-buying-a-license-not-a-game-085106522.html?src=rss Continue reading at 'Engadget'

[ Engadget | 2024-10-11 08:51:06 UTC ]
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Rockstar Games co-founder Dan Houser's next projects are a graphic novel and an audio drama

Absurd Ventures, the new creative studio from Rockstar Games co-founder and ex-creative director Dan Houser, has announced its first projects. As it happens, neither of them are video games, at least not yet. The first of these two new universes is called American Caper, which will debut as a... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2023-11-29 21:02:58 UTC ]
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Licensing Hotline: November 2023

Read on for news about the new publishing program based on popular board game Ticket to Ride, two recently released Dr. Seuss podcasts, merchandise to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Tortall universe, a new Dick Tracy comic book series, brand extensions for Spookley the Square Pumpkin, and... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-11-28 05:00:00 UTC ]
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All the best Black Friday deals of 2023 from Amazon, Walmart, Target, Best Buy and others

Black Friday 2023 is finally upon us, and even though the sales seemed to start a little earlier this year, most of the deals are still going strong. Plus, we're seeing a few brand new deals that went live early this morning. We at Engadget care most about consumer... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2023-11-25 00:10:35 UTC ]
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‘Going Infinite’ Audiobook Review: Michael Lewis Tells His Own Story of Sam Bankman-Fried

“Going Infinite” may have missed the big takeaway, but it offers at least one undeniable pleasure: deep access. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2023-11-17 14:25:02 UTC ]
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Black Friday 2023: The best early deals from Amazon, Target, Best Buy and more

With each passing year, the phrase "Black Friday" becomes more of a misnomer. What was once a day of post-Thanksgiving special offers has become a month of sales promotions from retailers across the web. It's happening again in 2023: Target and Best Buy are already... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2023-11-03 16:30:54 UTC ]
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KKR Closes Deal to Buy Simon & Schuster

The process of selling Simon & Schuster has been long and tumultuous, and was waylaid by an earlier antitrust suit. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2023-10-31 02:10:51 UTC ]
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How to find the best gaming console for you in 2023

There is no such thing as the "best video game console," but figuring out which one is right for the gaming experience you want is more in reach. There are seven systems that you could reasonably call “current gen,” and others, such as Valve’s Steam Deck, further... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2023-10-27 14:00:06 UTC ]
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Why executives at Esports Business Summit are (still) bullish on competitive gaming

In the lead-up to this year's Esports Business and Gaming Summit, the event's organizers polled 112 North American gaming and esports executives about their thoughts on the industry’s current trajectory, representing a cross-section of executives in sectors including broadcasting and media,... Continue reading at Digiday

[ Digiday | 2023-10-24 04:01:00 UTC ]
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A Memoir of My Former Self: Hilary Mantel's final book is a reminder of the many stories she still had to tell

The book shares secrets – Mantel’s own alongside those of the writers, historical figures and places she describes. Continue reading at The Conversation

[ The Conversation | 2023-10-19 14:40:38 UTC ]
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Why own a newspaper in 2023? Ask the very rich men trying to buy the Telegraph | Jane Martinson

With debts of £1bn, this isn’t some ordinary financial asset. The desire to own the papers says more about power than profitSo much has changed in the generation since the Telegraph newspapers and the Spectator magazine were last put up for sale in 2004, including how much money they make. Yet... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2023-10-19 11:00:20 UTC ]
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Along Utah’s Wasatch Front, LGBTQ Bookstores Make a Statement

The King's English Bookshop in Salt Lake City doubles down on supporting Drag Story Hours following a bomb threat, and is preparing to launch a new venture, Mosaics Community Bookstore and Venue. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-10-19 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Licensing Hotline: October 2023

Read on for news of Choose Your Own Adventure brand extensions, Fox Chapel's first media tie-in, Claris licensed products debuting in the U.S., a new licensing agent for Dog Man, and more. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-10-17 04:00:00 UTC ]
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This gorgeous-looking game lets you control a colony of photorealistic ants

The world of ants is a mysterious one, as we’re still learning new stuff about the most populous insect on Earth. Soon we’ll be able to get a more hands-on approach with everyone’s favorite picnic-ruiners, thanks to the forthcoming insect sim Empire of the Ants. The... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2023-10-13 19:10:34 UTC ]
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Microsoft buys Activision, maker of Diablo, Warcraft, and Call of Duty, for $69 billion

United Kingdom regulators were effectively the last hurdle stopping Microsoft from purchasing Activision Blizzard, in the biggest merger the video game industry has ever seen. That hurdle was cleared this morning as the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority relented to adjusted terms.... Continue reading at PC World

[ PC World | 2023-10-13 14:10:14 UTC ]
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Capen Publishing Buys Six Imprints from Southwestern Family of Companies

Capen Publishing Company has acquired the Favorite Recipes Press, Quail Ridge Press, Beckon Books, Blue Sneaker Press, Greenwich Publishing, and Historic Hospitality Books imprints from Southwestern Family of Companies. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-10-11 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Oof, when did streaming movies, games, and music get so expensive?

Cable used to be the only game in town for wide entertainment. Sure, if you wanted to subscribe to a game like EverQuest or World of Warcraft, you could (and well, guess the rest of us were never seeing you again). But for variety, cable is what you had—and it wasn’t cheap. So when... Continue reading at PC World

[ PC World | 2023-10-04 14:10:27 UTC ]
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‘Fortnite’ maker Epic Games lays off 830 employees, 16% of workforce

The company is also selling and spinning off some of its divisions as the video game industry faces cutbacks. Epic Games, maker of the smash hit Fortnite, isn’t immune to the troubles of the video game industry. The publisher announced Thursday it was laying off 16% of its staff, which works... Continue reading at Fast Company

[ Fast Company | 2023-09-28 14:15:00 UTC ]
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You Too? Kim DeRose on Telling and Retelling Stories of Sexual Assault

It occurred at, of all places, a local tapas bar. I was sitting with a group of other Brooklyn moms when someone mentioned that my debut novel was going to be published soon. Everyone congratulated me and asked what the book was about, so I gave them a brief rundown: a group of teenage girls […] Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2023-09-28 08:55:40 UTC ]
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The Rules of the Game: How Genre Can Illuminate Theme

Writing literary fiction is a freeing thing—there are no rules, there is just a story waiting to be told. When I started writing my first novel, The Theory of Flight, I knew that I wanted it be a character-driven story that explored difficult social and political terrain in order to reveal... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2023-09-27 08:45:38 UTC ]
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Murdoch brainwashed Britain. That’s the comforting tale the left tells itself. But is it true? | Gaby Hinsliff

The influence of News Corp is overstated – and politicians need to revamp their tactics and schmoozing accordingly‘What are you going to do about the Sun?” It was the first question Neil Kinnock asked, when a bunch of eager young political advisers setting up a now long-forgotten campaign for... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2023-09-24 07:32:16 UTC ]
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