The physical games market is dying, which has directly lead to thefall of companies like GameStop. However, digital games have always had the downside of users not being able to resell them, keeping some players from ever purchasing them. But, a new ruling in France has determined that Valve must let Steam users resell their games, potentially opening the floodgates for digital redistribution.
The ruling was handed down by the Paris Regional Court after nearly three years of proceedings. The decision is a major victory for UFC-Que Choisir, a French consumer rights group that had been battling Valve over the issue. Now, Valve will have a variety of clauses in their user-agreement annulled, including one that essentially banned the resale of digital games on the platform. This should have a profound effect on the service in the European Union, as Valve will now have to allow what is essentially a second-hand market for digital games.
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Of course, this ruling may not immediately affect consumers in the United States - if it does at all. But, this sets a precedent for similar rulings all throughout the world, and not necessarily just for Steam. It’s not inconceivable that other digital storefronts will be forced to take similar action in the near future, making this a landmark ruling in the games industry worldwide.Valve is already making changes to Steam, but this may have an even bigger effect on the platform.
Needless to say, this should excite fans that have been wanting to trade in some games in their libraries. Not only that, but the ruling will also apply to microtransactions. Players probably still won’t be able to resell a common item for much, but it will at least help after being burned by a loot box. With theUK saying that Loot Boxes can be considered gambling, digital stores may soon be forced to change in numerous ways.
The ruling does, however, raise a few interesting questions. How much is a resold digital key worth compared to one purchased directly through Steam? A digital code can’t physically depreciate, and could potentially be sold for the price it was bought at. Plus, it’s another way that sales can be taken from developers themselves, which is arguably the worst part of the ruling. Still, it should prove to be exciting for consumers, though those in the US likely won’t be affected for some time, if ever. In the past, other platforms have considered the move, and there are even rumors that thePS5 may allow for digital trade-ins.
