Filter games by class action waiver

All Discussions > Steam Forums > Suggestions / Ideas > Topic Details

CrispyChestnuts 30 Jun @ 9:22am

I suggest adding a feature to let customers filter games by if the Eula contains a class action waiver. As a poor, I will never be able to afford to give up my right to join a class of plaintiffs, so I need to just filter out games that have that. Being able to filter by other obtrusive clauses would be helpful too.

The author of this topic has marked a post as the answer to their question.
Click here to jump to that post.

Originally posted by William Shakesman:

Originally posted by datCookie:
Originally posted by William Shakesman:
As I have said before, the only way you can get from "EULAs are important and binding and it is vital that users understand every inch of them." to "The user is always wrong to ask for any sort of cataloguing, summarizing, or assistance in parsing them." is that it is not really the EULAs you actually care about but you just don't like the users very much.

There are only two places you will find an EULA prior to purchase: on the store page, or on their official website. Developers are currently not required to link their EULA on the store page.

Users are expected to do their own research.

Steam cannot filter games based on EULAs it doesn't even know exist, nor can it read an EULA and filter by what it supposedly says.

I care about what is practicable and reasonable for everyone. This is neither.

There is nothing impracticable or unreasonable about it. Data structures may not exist currently but it would not be even the tenth new required field Steam has asked developers to provide since its inception. Passive voice of whatever the users are expected to do is obvious nonsense as the same argument would justify removing the AI declaration (hell, the AI declaration has just as much a legal justification as this.) or minimum requirements and just letting users go to youtube to investigate as is so common a refrain. The Early Access warning is communicated in multiple prominent places too. There is nothing wrong with communicating important and relevant information that it is important the user understand in multiple places. In fact, it is best practice to do so. And I am certain nobody here would dispute the idea that there is hardly any information more relevant or important to understand than the EULA.

< >

Showing 1-15 of 21 comments

Ettanin 30 Jun @ 9:26am

You can read the EULA before hitting purchase. The document is listed in the sidebar of the store page.

If you do not agree with the EULA after purchase, ask for a refund, which will be granted no questions asked within 14 days after purchase AND within at most 2 hours playtime.

Last edited by Ettanin; 30 Jun @ 9:26am

CrispyChestnuts 30 Jun @ 9:33am

Originally posted by Ettanin:
You can read the EULA before hitting purchase. The document is listed in the sidebar of the store page.

If you do not agree with the EULA after purchase, ask for a refund, which will be granted no questions asked within 14 days after purchase AND within at most 2 hours playtime.

My suggestion would save me a lot of time doing so, as I could knock out while swaths of games without having to comb through their Eula, preventing decision fatigue, creating fewer human errors (with pretty severe legal consequences), and mean folks could find more games that they are actually willing to spend money on faster. There's only so much effort a day any given person is going to spend reading eulas to determine if a game is playable for them. This puts folks in front of the games they want faster, and makes the barrier to buying a game lower

Ettanin 30 Jun @ 9:34am

Originally posted by CrispyChestnuts:
Originally posted by Ettanin:
You can read the EULA before hitting purchase. The document is listed in the sidebar of the store page.

If you do not agree with the EULA after purchase, ask for a refund, which will be granted no questions asked within 14 days after purchase AND within at most 2 hours playtime.

My suggestion would save me a lot of time doing so, as I could knock out while swaths of games without having to comb through their Eula, preventing decision fatigue, creating fewer human errors (with pretty severe legal consequences), and mean folks could find more games that they are actually willing to spend money on faster. There's only so much effort a day any given person is going to spend reading eulas to determine if a game is playable for them. This puts folks in front of the games they want faster, and makes the barrier to buying a game lower

Yes, it would save time for you, but it would force Valve to gather this information and inconvenience developers and publishers.

If it is a concern to you, just read the documents.

Last edited by Ettanin; 30 Jun @ 9:35am

William Shakesman 30 Jun @ 9:35am

Is that common among EULAs? I do not track that much data between them. It certainly seems an audacious and unmerited grab beyond even the typically justifiable levels of corporate overreach.

Naturally this counts as one of those features that if users were accurately apprised of it would result in fewer sales so it is understandable that devs and Valve prefer it be hidden. Remember Valve does not require devs accurately describe any sort of system requirements like "Online Connection Required" so these sorts of agreement overreaches are almost certainly beyond the scope of what they will track

Last edited by William Shakesman; 30 Jun @ 9:37am

CrispyChestnuts 30 Jun @ 9:36am

Originally posted by William Shakesman:
Is that common among EULAs? I do not track that much data between them. It certainly seems an audacious and unmerited grab beyond even the typically justifiable levels of corporate overreach.

Naturally this counts as one of those features that if users were accurately apprised of it would result in fewer sales so it is understandable that devs and Valve prefer it be hidden.

Yes, more and more everyday

CrispyChestnuts 30 Jun @ 9:39am

Originally posted by Ettanin:
Originally posted by CrispyChestnuts:

My suggestion would save me a lot of time doing so, as I could knock out while swaths of games without having to comb through their Eula, preventing decision fatigue, creating fewer human errors (with pretty severe legal consequences), and mean folks could find more games that they are actually willing to spend money on faster. There's only so much effort a day any given person is going to spend reading eulas to determine if a game is playable for them. This puts folks in front of the games they want faster, and makes the barrier to buying a game lower
Yes, it would save time for you, but it would force Valve to gather this information and inconvenience developers and publishers.

If it is a concern to you, just read the documents.

Yes, I am asking for the people I am giving my money to to implement a consumer friendly feature. Yes it will cost them resources. I think it is worth it. It's beginning to come to a head and it's getting to the point where finding a new game to get is more trouble than it's worth. Valve can decide as they get this suggestion more and more of it is a prudent business move, but it's important to talk about as it is a real problem facing real consumers

Last edited by CrispyChestnuts; 30 Jun @ 9:40am

William Shakesman 30 Jun @ 9:43am

Originally posted by CrispyChestnuts:
Originally posted by Ettanin:
Yes, it would save time for you, but it would force Valve to gather this information and inconvenience developers and publishers.

If it is a concern to you, just read the documents.
Yes, I am asking for the people I am giving my money to to implement a consumer friendly feature. Yes it will cost them resources. I think it is worth it. It's beginning to come to a head and it's getting to the point where finding a new game to get is more trouble than it's worth. Valve can decide as they get this suggestion more and more of it is a prident business move, but it's important to talk about as it is a real problem facing real consumers

The real motive of the EULA respecting class becomes quite apparent when you say "Yes I agree EULAs are important and more effort should be done to make sure users understand what they are signing" and then you can literally hear the record scratch "WOAH THERE I did not mean THAT important. I more meant, you know, ♥♥♥♥ the average user!" There is very little less popular here than the idea a corporation should shoulder any personal responsibility whatsoever.

Last edited by William Shakesman; 30 Jun @ 9:46am

Nx Machina 30 Jun @ 9:43am

Originally posted by CrispyChestnuts:
Yes, I am asking for the people I am giving my money to to implement a consumer friendly feature.

It is your responsibility as the consumer to inform yourself before purchasing of what you are actually going to purchase.

CrispyChestnuts 30 Jun @ 9:50am

Originally posted by Nx Machina:
Originally posted by CrispyChestnuts:
Yes, I am asking for the people I am giving my money to to implement a consumer friendly feature.

It is your responsibility as the consumer to inform yourself before purchasing of what you are actually going to purchase.

Yes. I am asking for a feature to assist in this.

cSg|mc-Hotsauce 30 Jun @ 10:20am

Valve won't add a filter to track class action lawsuits.

#10

Tito Shivan 30 Jun @ 12:47pm

Originally posted by William Shakesman:
Naturally this counts as one of those features that if users were accurately apprised of it would result in fewer sales so it is understandable that devs and Valve prefer it be hidden.

You overestimate the importance people give to stuff like this out of the "chronically online" gamer bunch.

#11

Tezzious 1 Jul @ 11:03am

the eula does not override the consumers legal rights.

#12

76561198407601200 1 Jul @ 11:09am

Originally posted by CrispyChestnuts:
Originally posted by Nx Machina:

It is your responsibility as the consumer to inform yourself before purchasing of what you are actually going to purchase.
Yes. I am asking for a feature to assist in this.

I wouldn't hold my breath on it being implemented as class action lawsuits are not typically something one is looking for when purchasing a game. For the time being you can simply do the footwork yourself if it is in fact that pressing of an issue for you.

#13

a random horse 1 Jul @ 11:10am

No one is ever going to adhere to your insane requirements around mass arbitration. Your incredibly basic understanding of EULA would be comedic if it were not so sad.

#14

William Shakesman 1 Jul @ 11:34am

Originally posted by Tito Shivan:
Originally posted by William Shakesman:
Naturally this counts as one of those features that if users were accurately apprised of it would result in fewer sales so it is understandable that devs and Valve prefer it be hidden.
You overestimate the importance people give to stuff like this out of the "chronically online" gamer bunch.

To post that on a literally online gamer forum is a little... precious if nothing else.

Still, if there then is no meaningful detriment to providing the information and there is no way it can provide a negative impact then I agree that they can put it up. This is another situation where I would be perfectly happy to let practical real world evidence show that my initial hypothesis was wrong.

Last edited by William Shakesman; 1 Jul @ 11:38am

#15

< >

Showing 1-15 of 21 comments

Per page: 1530 50

All Discussions > Steam Forums > Suggestions / Ideas > Topic Details

Date Posted: 30 Jun @ 9:22am

Posts: 21

Start a New Discussion