Game ownership articles

New proposed bill would make video games something you own, not rent

Why it matters: Two years after Ubisoft's The Crew went dark and took 12 million copies with it, the question of whether you own the games you buy has finally reached Congress. A proposed bill by Representative Ritchie Torres is short on detail and long on obstacles, but it is the first federal attempt to answer a question the industry would rather leave alone.

Sony says gamers don't own their digital purchases, but 44 examples of its own wording suggest otherwise

The fight to stop publishers from bricking your games and shutting down servers just got a powerful new enemy

Steam now explicitly states you're not buying the game, just a license

Editor's take: Steam has become one of the first companies to admit that you do not own the games you buy. This acknowledgment comes as new regulations take effect. We've long known that digital game purchases are nothing more than long-term rentals, and there's little we can do to change that. However, more transparency around this arrangement is welcome nonetheless.

Valve confirms your Steam account cannot be transferred to anyone after you die

Ubisoft is removing The Crew from libraries following shutdown, reigniting digital ownership debate