You can get any soundtrack you want on piratebay, youtube or usenet channel. Why would you bother with all that hassle if it's all one click away on a torrent site?

You can apply the same for the most of games.

That's the big question... We'll see after 2-3 months when some data emerges how all this went... In Belgium too there are laws about refunds but the common refunds are from single individuals whereas the steam "grey market" is more shaddy and organised.

And well, as in my response in TammerWisk, then why don't GOG users scream and bash GOG in a big shitstorm with with 20.000 wishlist votes about their refund policy which is abusive to customers? ;)

I still don't really see the issue. Short of somewhat overhauling things (ie. a dedicated soundtrack section of the store with no refunds) this is how things more or less have to work. Honestly though it needs to be remembered that this is easily the most inefficient way possible for someone to steal supplemental media.

In all likelihood the system is set up to operate on good faith more or less for the first <x> claims (provided they stick to <x> guidelines). Steam doesn't have the support structure in place for a policy closer to GOGs to work, and the fact of the matter is as long as they have a system in place to crack down on abuse it really isn't anymore exploitable in the long-run than any other refund system. I can more or less guarantee that any users trying that kind of stuff multiple times is going to get Valve's foot so far up their ass they will be able to taste it (hell people that abuse VPNs for cheaper games have been getting more or less completely banned and restricted from everything except the purchases already made).

Valve is a lot of things, but I don't see them implementing a system that is going to lose money. I'm sure there are safeguards in place, just you happen to be in the whole 'good faith' position. There may be hidden factors no one outside of Valve is privy to.

mmm, simply coz some people find Steam easier than pirating games (less clicks and no virus guaranteed). Haven't you read all the testimonials on how GabeN saved pc gaming? ;)

GOG's refund policy is abusive to customers? That's new, how did you find that out? All I'm saying is that Steam's refund policy is putting consumer first.

Actually, they don't lose money as most people will probably choose the steam wallet refunding instead of paypal refund to increase their odds of refunding. The one who gets nothing is the dev.


Example from this article:
http://www.gamasutra.com/blogs/AndrewPellerano/20150604/245208/Steam_Refund__Friend_or_Foe.php

Player buys a copy of a game for $20.
Standard Steam split means Steam gets $6 and the developer gets $14.
Player decides to get a refund.
Steam defaults to placing the $20 back into the player's Steam Wallet.
The developer now gets $0.
But Steam has $20 locked into your Wallet. Nearly any way you spend that $20, Steam is taking their 30% cut or more. So Steam has still made their $6, at least.


Haven't you seen some threads on the Internet asking the same refund policy from GOG? ;)

After all, why can't we just download our games, play them and ask then a GOG refund within 14 days as covered by EU laws? Customer rights first! :o)

Yes, it would be neat if GOG adhered to them as well.

Nonetheless, you're currently fabricating an issue. Wait and see. If it becomes an issue, Valve will work on solving it - they have always advertised Steam as a good place for developers as well as customers. But I highly doubt it will.

Again I don't see them doing anything overt to screw the devs or let the devs be screwed. Valve/Steam is highly dependent on the developers/publishers. How many times do you think Valve would honestly allow that? And how many people do you actually think are that unethical, that aren't already pirating shit liberally? Again there are far easier ways to steal if someone is that unethical (and people thinking "potential" malware is a huge risk or a even a deterant are really really uninformed). As concerned as you are with developer/publisher/IP holder rights, shouldn't you be riding the DRM train? Pouring one's efforts into combating scumbags is fruitless.

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Honestly the only change that should probably occur is moving soundtracks and other extras from DLC to some unique category on the storefront. As it stands right now no one can own the DLC without owning the game so the little extras you are worried about more or less have to be refundable to avoid locking people into games and stuff (especially where deluxe editions and such are concerned).

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Overall this is a non-issue. If abuse ends up being rampent you can bet the 'good faith' window is going to get a hell of a lot smaller (and a lot of the people found to be abusing the system are going to get more than they bargained for in punishment... Valve doesn't fuck around when it comes to punishment).

UPDATE: just checked now and the OST files are still in my default steam library on hard drive even if the "DLC" has been deleted from my account page in the steam application. ^o^

Contact Valve, that actually is a significant issue/bug that should be sorted out.

....mmmm, steam customer base is "special" I would say.... Latest curator scandal is just one of the many defaults on the platform regarding its community behaviour.

That was exactly my point about the DRM-free stuff ;)

Eh? The DRM-free stuff is fine, the issue is the fact that it doesn't delete the DLCs (or at least the supplemental material DLCs) from the main folder when they are refunded.

The curator thing:
http://www.reddit.com/r/Steam/comments/38dega/curators_using_threats_of_bad_reviews_to_extort/


On the DRM-Free stuff : well, I guess we'll have to agree that we disagree :o) Personally, when something is refunded it's normal for me that you can't "use" it anymore (in this way, I'm OK with steam refunds in general when the DRM is applied) but we'll leave it at that otherwise this thread will end up in a useless quotes war ;)

Yeah, this is true.
Oh good lord, really?

That needs fixed ASAP