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Steam Family Sharing

Old 09-11-13, 12:36 PM
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Steam Family Sharing

http://store.steampowered.com/sharing/

Eat your heart out, Microsoft.

September 11, 2013 - Steam Family Sharing, a new service feature that allows close friends and family members to share their libraries of Steam games, is coming to Steam, a leading platform for the delivery and management of PC, Mac, and Linux games and software. The feature will become available next week, in limited beta on Steam.

Steam Family Sharing is designed for close friends and family members to play one another's Steam games while each earning their own Steam achievements and storing their own saves and application data to the Steam cloud. It's all enabled by authorizing a shared computer.

"Our customers have expressed a desire to share their digital games among friends and family members, just as current retail games, books, DVDs, and other physical media can be shared," explained Anna Sweet of Valve. "Family Sharing was created in direct response to these user requests."

Once a device is authorized, the lender's library of Steam games becomes available for others on the machine to access, download, and play. Though simultaneous usage of an account's library is not allowed, the lender may always access and play his games at any time. If he decides to start playing when a friend is borrowing one of his games, the friend will be given a few minutes to either purchase the game or quit playing.
Some of the FAQ:

How do I enable Family Sharing on my computer?

Family Sharing is enabled in one of two ways: You can either locally enable sharing in Account Settings, with Family Sharing & Devices, or remotely respond to a user’s Steam request to share your previously installed games via email.

Is there a limit to the number of devices I can authorize to share my Library?

Yes. A Steam account may authorize Family Sharing on up to 10 devices at a given time.

Can I share specific games, or do I have to share my whole library?

Libraries are shared and borrowed in their entirety.

Can all Steam games be shared with friends and family?

No, due to technical limitations, some Steam games may be unavailable for sharing. For example, titles that require an additional third-party key, account, or subscription in order to play cannot be shared between accounts.

Can a friend and I share a library and both play at the same time?

No, a shared library may only be accessed by one user at a time.

When I authorize a device to lend my library to others, do I limit my own ability to access and play my games?

As the lender, you may always access and play your games at any time. If you decide to start playing when a friend is already playing one of your games, he/she will be given a few minutes to either purchase the game or quit playing.
Old 09-11-13, 12:38 PM
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Re: Steam Family Sharing

Good stuff, Valve!
Old 09-11-13, 12:39 PM
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Re: Steam Family Sharing

Cool. I'll need to enable this in our house. Seems preferable to constantly logging each other out of Steam.
Old 09-11-13, 12:42 PM
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Re: Steam Family Sharing

So similar to the Family Sharing that was discussed for MS. Interesting.
Old 09-11-13, 12:46 PM
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Re: Steam Family Sharing

Originally Posted by Music
So similar to the Family Sharing that was discussed for MS. Interesting.
It's great news for console gamers because it means there's now more pressure on MS to bring back their plans for this, and for Sony to get their shit together and implement it, too. We all win!
Old 09-11-13, 12:46 PM
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Re: Steam Family Sharing

Sweet, now I can also not play any of the hundreds of games my friends have in their libraries.
Old 09-11-13, 12:48 PM
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Re: Steam Family Sharing

This will probably be on game consoles by the end of 2014. Surprised Nintendo, MS or Sony didn't think of it first. wink/grin emoticon.
Old 09-11-13, 12:49 PM
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Re: Steam Family Sharing

Originally Posted by RichC2
Surprised Nintendo, MS or Sony didn't think of it first.
Old 09-11-13, 12:50 PM
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There is a DVD talk group in Steam, in case anyone wants to start sharing.
Old 09-11-13, 12:51 PM
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Re: Steam Family Sharing

But this will never happen! Microsoft would never be so stupid to let people play their digital games for free.

Lol, people are so stupid sometimes. Hopefully the Xbox One adds this feature back in early next year. Still a shame they caved in an changed all their policies, but at least things like this should speed up their process of reimplementation.
Old 09-11-13, 01:01 PM
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Re: Steam Family Sharing

Originally Posted by chuckd21
Sweet, now I can also not play any of the hundreds of games my friends have in their libraries.
LIES!!!!!.... ddd.
Old 09-11-13, 01:01 PM
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Re: Steam Family Sharing

Originally Posted by Raul3
There is a DVD talk group in Steam, in case anyone wants to start sharing.
I can't recall if I joined this group or not. I'll have to check when I get home later on today.
Old 09-11-13, 01:07 PM
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Re: Steam Family Sharing

Originally Posted by discostu1337

Lol, people are so stupid sometimes.
Yes... yes they are.
Old 09-11-13, 01:10 PM
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Re: Steam Family Sharing

Originally Posted by Canis Firebrand
I can't recall if I joined this group or not. I'll have to check when I get home later on today.
I sent you an invite.
Old 09-11-13, 01:12 PM
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Re: Steam Family Sharing

Originally Posted by Music
I sent you an invite.
Thanks... you're the best... no matter what anyone else says.

Old 09-11-13, 01:14 PM
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Re: Steam Family Sharing

I KEEL U!!!!!!!! !!@2122112@!!@@!@@!@!@!@die die die~!!!!!!!!!
Old 09-11-13, 01:17 PM
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Re: Steam Family Sharing

Just joined. Give me shared DVD Talk games.
Old 09-11-13, 01:29 PM
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Re: Steam Family Sharing

Can I be an admin for the Steam group? I'd love to help add people too
Old 09-11-13, 01:40 PM
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Re: Steam Family Sharing

You don't need to be an admin to invite people....
Old 09-11-13, 01:43 PM
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Re: Steam Family Sharing

You don't? Must have just been the other group I'm a part of is locked down, I guess.
Old 09-11-13, 01:51 PM
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Re: Steam Family Sharing

Yeah, the only Admin is Joe Molotov... does he even post around here anymore?
Old 09-11-13, 04:40 PM
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Re: Steam Family Sharing

Originally Posted by discostu1337
But this will never happen! Microsoft would never be so stupid to let people play their digital games for free.

Lol, people are so stupid sometimes.
Yeah, look at that first post. Clear and concise. I repeat, CLEAR. CONCISE. Had that been an announcement* from MS it would have been another 500 words, broken up into tweets and then muddled further by a half dozen execs and representatives saying ten different things than what the announcement says.

So yeah, if the X1 plan was just the same than MS gets all the blame for fucking up the messaging. No need getting pissy at gamers who just wanted clear answers from the beginning. If the family sharing was all that and a bag of chips, MS should have been championing it as the #1 feature instead of Kinect and TV.

The blame for its removal falls squarely on MS for it's messaging not gamers for wanting clear answers.

*that's assuming they'd put together a real announcement instead of kinda maybe saying, "yeah you can share games. Goodnight!"
Old 09-11-13, 05:08 PM
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Re: Steam Family Sharing

Just joined the DVDTalk group on Steam.
Old 09-11-13, 05:26 PM
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Re: Steam Family Sharing

I agree with Corvin.
Old 09-11-13, 05:35 PM
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Re: Steam Family Sharing

Yup. Corvin is right. MS left us to speculate, and that obviously didn't work in their favor. I bet Steam saw what they were trying to do, and said, "Yeah, we can do that too."

Last edited by Dan; 09-11-13 at 05:41 PM.

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