News - Steam Family Sharing beta arrives next week

[addz17]

Nice move, will hopefully attract more PC gamers!

[scaryjim]

It looks like the FAQ might have been rewritten recently with only minor changes, but it seems like the single item per library model wins (there was some confusion before). There's also some confusion in the text about whether this would be for a single shared machine or multiple (we know it's multiple at least).

<snip>

Interesting - it looks from the answers you've quoted like:

"Family" Member 1 uses steam on a computer and installs a game.
Family Member 2 logs into steam on the same machine, sees FM1's installed games.
FM2 asks to "borrow" FM1's game - this apparently becomes FM2 borrowing FM1's entire steam Library to access that one game.
FM1 approves (somehow).
FM2 accesses the game, locking FM1's entire Steam library.

Then presumably this process can be carried out on up to 10 devices. So, in my case, we'd all need to log in to steam on each other's computers, install games, then authorise the other family members to use those games, and while another family member was playing one of our games, none of us could play steam games without kicking the "borrower" off the game.

So, better than "stuff you, no game sharing at all", but a long way from a genuine game-borrowing system... as others have said, may as well just log on to each other's steam accounts, pretty much...

[Jonj1611]

This could have been a great idea but once again Steam managed to fudge it.

As I have said many times in the past its wrong the way it works, for instance if I had a lego game my daughter wanted to play and I wanted to play black ops then I should be able too, I paid for the games and I am not playing the SAME game so why shouldn't I be able to play my purchased games when I want. But no steam doesn't allow you to do that and I thought this new system was exactly that until I read the specs.

Its no different as someone else has said than giving someone your steam username/password and they only reason its different now is because they have done away with that bit, otherwise its exactly the same. They had a good chance to make a real difference here but I think they missed the mark by a fair amount.

[CampGareth]

This could have been a great idea but once again Steam managed to fudge it.

As I have said many times in the past its wrong the way it works, for instance if I had a lego game my daughter wanted to play and I wanted to play black ops then I should be able too, I paid for the games and I am not playing the SAME game so why shouldn't I be able to play my purchased games when I want. But no steam doesn't allow you to do that and I thought this new system was exactly that until I read the specs.

Its no different as someone else has said than giving someone your steam username/password and they only reason its different now is because they have done away with that bit, otherwise its exactly the same. They had a good chance to make a real difference here but I think they missed the mark by a fair amount.

On the flip-side in that situation you could just group together with a few mates, buy a single copy of each game on one account and so long as everyone wants to play different things this system would be fine except valve has only had one sale instead of ten or whatever. Whatever Valve's doing, the new system is an improvement albeit a small one, they're gonna have to tread very carefully to continue improving it.

[jimbouk]

This really does highlight just how restrictive having a library of games on Steam is. Locking the whole library is silly, and just greedy of them. As people have said, no better than letting someone else use your login.

I guess people should just create a new login for each game they buy, then they can use the Family Sharing feature to link it back to their main account...

[GeorgeStorm]

For me the big difference between it and just sharing passwords is (I hope) the 'owner' won't have to log out to lend his library to a 'friend', so it means they can still talk on steam chat etc whilst the other person is playing.

If that's the case then it's a direct upgrade to me, sure you can't play games at the same time etc, but you can't now, so it's no loss.

[Jonj1611]

On the flip-side in that situation you could just group together with a few mates, buy a single copy of each game on one account and so long as everyone wants to play different things this system would be fine except valve has only had one sale instead of ten or whatever. Whatever Valve's doing, the new system is an improvement albeit a small one, they're gonna have to tread very carefully to continue improving it.

I am not talking about mates though, I am talking about my daughter, in a specific scenario, ie I buy games for her age, I buy games for me, if I had bought physical copies in the shop she would be happy playing her game and me mine, technically I should be able to play any game I want on my account, games that I purchased, on as many machines as I want in my house, as long as it's not the same game being played there shouldn't be an issue.

In my situation it wouldn't have resulted in any more sales for them as I would still have only bought one copy of the game regardless.

[Spreadie]

I see it as a step forward. Perhaps we will eventually be able to trade the game in our steam collections.

[GeorgeStorm]

I am not talking about mates though, I am talking about my daughter, in a specific scenario, ie I buy games for her age, I buy games for me, if I had bought physical copies in the shop she would be happy playing her game and me mine, technically I should be able to play any game I want on my account, games that I purchased, on as many machines as I want in my house, as long as it's not the same game being played there shouldn't be an issue.

In my situation in wouldn't have resulted in any more sales for them as I would still have only bought one copy of the game regardless.

Did you not know this when you bought it?
You either don't buy on steam or buy it on a separate account. (not saying that's what's best, merely what you have to do)

[Jonj1611]

Pal, I am not stupid right. Of course I knew when I bought it, my point was I would like to see the way Steam works as described in my example.

[Odeas]

They should restrict it so you don't share your library but the single game they've asked for.
You can only share out a game to a single user at a time, but could share multiple games to different users and allow them all to be played at once.

eg. I've got Games A,B,C,D,E.

I share out A to Joe, B to Bob,C to Dave & D to Kev and I can still play game E.
If if choose to play game A, Joe gets a warning and kicked after a few minutes.

This is sharing games as you would if you had the discs.

[Netvyper]

They should restrict it so you don't share your library but the single game they've asked for.
You can only share out a game to a single user at a time, but could share multiple games to different users and allow them all to be played at once.

eg. I've got Games A,B,C,D,E.

I share out A to Joe, B to Bob,C to Dave & D to Kev and I can still play game E.
If if choose to play game A, Joe gets a warning and kicked after a few minutes.

This is sharing games as you would if you had the discs.

This is fine until you start looking at having hundreds of games, as many long-term steam users do. I guess it could be restricted to 5 or 10 loans at a time or similar. I might even be contented with loaning a particular game to a particular friend for a fixed period, say a week. I could re-claim it to play myself, but I couldn't loan it again. With the impatience of most folks these days, that would be sure to generate sales

[Noli]

Bah, I think it's great. People are moaning about the restrictions but it's still better and more flexible. I tried lending out my account before and it's hard because you've got to give your password (possibly changing it) and then when they log in, *you* have to approve the change of computer via *your* email within a short amount of time.

The new system will get rid of that. Even with the restrictions, it's still something for nothing so we should all stop looking a gift horse in the mouth.

[Jonj1611]

You still have to approve them so what exactly is different?

[Odeas]

Netvyper, yeah sorry forgot to include the 10 person limit they've already said is in place.

I agree that lending a game out for a week or 2 then having a limit on when they can lend it again would definately generate more sales, but it'll also just mean people lend out accounts again.

Jonj1611, you wont be giving out your password?

[crossy]

The new system will get rid of that. Even with the restrictions, it's still something for nothing so we should all stop looking a gift horse in the mouth.

Quite true - even flawed as it is, the current system is unarguably a nice addition to what we already have. And given this is a beta who knows what we'll eventually end up with - with enough feedback perhaps Valve may remold the scheme more to what posters here want. Although being able to use one copy for an entire street full of gamers isn't going to be on the cards, that much I'm certain...