Your Steam library is huge, but can you pass it on if you die?
Accidents in life happen at any time. Questions of succession and inheritance often punctuate the departure of a person, and in most cases, all the assets that you have accumulated during your life go to your descendants, or to the people you designate in your will. However, what happens to your digital assets ? If you are a die-hard gamer, you may have already asked yourself this question. Valve, the company that owns Steam, responds to its playersbut not as they expected.
In fact, it is impossible for the platform to let you bequeath your account and your games to your descendants if you die. All those years of buying titles and filling your Steam library will not be able to benefit your loved ones. It's certain Reset that the subject was recently broached, much to the chagrin of players. One user was denied this request after suggesting a merger of accounts rather than a simple transfer of ownership. Unfortunately, neither of these solutions is acceptable.
If Valve had to dot the i's, these conditions of use have from the start been written white on blue (on the company website). We can read :
“You may not disclose, share, or allow others to use your password or Account unless expressly authorized by Valve. […] You are therefore not authorized to sell or charge the right to use your Account to third parties, nor to transfer it. Likewise, you may not sell, charge or transfer the right to use any Subscriptions except as expressly permitted in this Agreement or as specifically authorized by Valve..”
A logical explanation
Unlike a classic property, a video game does not really belong to you. This is a debate that has recently come back to the forefront because dematerialization is taking over physical editions. A few weeks ago, we explained to you why a video game (physical or digital) will never belong to you.
By purchasing a game, you are actually paying a license usage agreement, which the studio can terminate for various reasons. If this rule is valid when you are alive, it is even more valid when you are no longer in this world. So how do you pass on something that isn't yours in the first place? Some companies are accommodating on the subject of digital asset inheritance and account legacy, but Valve does not appear to be joining them at the moment. However, we read that exceptional permissions can be given, so we will have to count on a little luck.
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