Although this initiative has been available since March in beta phase, it is now that Steam has announced the definitive arrival of family groups, a new pioneering function in digital game lending that allows members of a family unit to share their computer games with other members.
Steam, the digital distribution platform for video games via client, web browser or mobile app, has confirmed this Wednesday the arrival of family groups. Its users will probably welcome this new function with open arms, although the company has already warned of the limitations. These policies are intended to avoid the mass creation of groups with the aim of saving money on the purchase of titles, similar to the problem that Netflix had with the exchange of passwords and shared accounts between friends.
This new tool, which replaces Steam’s Family Sharing and Family Mode, allows up to 6 people to create a group so that everyone can play the titles purchased by one of them. But the Steam Family concept is pretty clear: they must be close people who live in the same household.
It’s not clear whether Steam will monitor users’ IP addresses, to detect when someone logs in from a different location. But they have enabled an alternative control: preventing an adult from rejoining another family group after leaving one for up to a year. This policy is already a way to prevent users from using this feature with friends or strangers to save money.
Another limitation is that two people cannot play the same game at the same time. Group members can use Steam at the same time, but multiple people cannot play the same game at the same time (they can play different titles).
Progress in digital distribution of video games
As several users point out, this new tool represents a step forward in the online video game market, allowing the digital lending of video games in a simple and convenient way, similar to how streaming platforms work. “Steam Families is a collection of new and existing family-related features, giving you a single place to manage which games your family can access and when they can play,” says Valve’s platform.
This feature incorporates a number of options to control usage within the household. For example, parents can implement controls to limit the time or type of games that minors can access, while children can ask the adult to pay for their shopping cart. Reports on game time can also be viewed, and the use of features within a game can be limited.
Developers will be free to decide whether their Steam game is suitable for use within family groups or not.
Since this new feature replaces the previous Family Loan system, it is possible that this Steam feature will be discontinued in the near future.
