New Steam Agreement gets rid of forced arbitration and waivers for class action lawsuits - eviltoast

Noticed this update got pushed just now.

Edit: Seems they’re doing this to prevent costs from arbitration. Read comment below.

  • Hugucinogens@lemmy.blahaj.zone
    318·
    3 months ago

    After a short read, the case is specifically “Steam is prohibiting developers from selling their games to other platforms, at a price lower than that of steam, and then pockets the 30% platform cost, due to effective monopoly power”.

    Which, if true, is super bullshit.

    • Orygin@sh.itjust.works
      681·
      3 months ago

      It’s false if I remember correctly. Steam prohibits you from selling steam keys outside the store for less than the price on steam. They don’t forbid you from selling cheaper elsewhere

        • FlowVoid@lemmy.worldEnglish
          521·
          3 months ago

          Why is that reasonable? Storefronts don’t get free keys from Steam, they have to buy them. After they pay Steam, they should be allowed to sell them at any price they want.

          Imagine if Ford said you couldn’t sell your car for less than what Ford dealers charge for used cars.

          • zod000@lemmy.ml
            42·
            3 months ago

            I am almost certain that steam keys are actually free to developers, which is the whole reason for the policy.

            • Grenfur@lemmy.one
              14·
              3 months ago

              Exactly! Pirate Software talked about this a while back. Steam doesn’t want you cutting them out, and then them still being responsible for the bandwidth to download and host your game.

            • woelkchen@lemmy.world
              1·
              3 months ago

              I am almost certain that steam keys are actually free to developers, which is the whole reason for the policy.

              Yes, they are. That’s what many of the Kinguin etc. keys are. People/bots pretend to be game reviewers/streamers and ask for free keys. I have a “Game Press” license for a game because back then I didn’t know of that method. I was under the impression those were keys sold by the developer in foreign markets for adjusted prices. Now I know better.

      • Grenfur@lemmy.one
        16·
        3 months ago

        Its this one. And the reason is that if steam sells a game at $10 and humble sells you a steam key at $5, steam gets no profit and is 100% responsible for the bandwidth when you donlload it, for hosting the page, for the market, etc etc. Basically steam doesn’t want to assume all the work with none of the reward. Which I don’t really see an iissue with.