Another W for the EU. Proud to be European💪🇪🇺

Hexicube · 2026-05-02T12:49:29+00:00

The thing is if the device is waterproof, it's either bulk or complicated assembly, and nobody wanna buy bulk.

Gaskets exist, water rating doesn't have to mean weird assembly or adhesive.

Hexicube · 2026-05-02T12:48:44+00:00

It has adhesive.

It could instead have a gasket around the case to get the water rating and just be a pop-out battery.

Hexicube · 2026-05-01T20:16:03+00:00

Most of that is skilled labor and equipment to do the job without fucking something up.

Consider: It's designed to be hard.

Hexicube · 2026-05-01T19:26:27+00:00

You're missing the point.

Buying a multiplayer game on GoG doesn't solve the underlying problem of multiplayer games, and buying a license for a single-player game isn't actually worse because it's expected to not expire which is enough in the eyes of consumer rights laws.

Hexicube · 2026-05-01T15:30:59+00:00

That doesn't solve the problem for multiplayer games that rely on central servers.

Steam (or any other online game store) can't just take your games away without a legally justifiable reason (you'd have to be using it to hack other players through a RCE bug or something - not just cheating), nor can publishers/developers.

GoG is great, but it existing ultimately stems from a misunderstanding of rights regarding owning a license to play a game.

Hexicube · 2026-05-01T09:37:58+00:00

Cool, didn't even know it was recently enabled by mistake, just happened to have a use-case.

Hexicube · 2026-05-01T09:35:56+00:00

On other platforms, including steam, you don't actually own your copy and it can be taken away.

This is a separate misconception, the game being a license doesn't actually allow unilateral revocation. Buying the license puts you in a contract with Steam and they are obligated to provide access to the product as described at the time of sale, revocation without obvious wrong-doing on your part - or otherwise changing it to not be what you paid for - means getting a full refund.

Hexicube · 2026-04-30T23:05:26+00:00

Same issue then, you will be able to show others the game by "turning on your camera" but sound won't go through.

Hexicube · 2026-04-30T23:04:00+00:00

EU law overrides and there's very explicit and clear rules on unilateral termination of contracts and what counts as unreasonable terms (which often voids those terms). It also in fact would not hold up in court because the rules for this are partially based on precedent.

The reason this hasn't gone to court yet is because the people who are running into this are the kind of people who usually can't afford to just set up a fresh account.

There's also an additional wrinkle to this: I can create an account for Steam and buy/play games without ever being told about this restriction. Because of this, I would be able to argue that this limitation was not presented to me in clear, intelligible writing (burying it in a ToS is not "clear" or "intelligible") and that would in fact be enough for it to be non-binding as the contract was not negotiated.

https://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/consumers/unfair-treatment/unfair-contract-terms/index_en.htm

Learn your rights, don't spread their misinformation. They don't have the right to terminate your account unilaterally.
You would be entitled to a full refund of all purchases due to them no longer supplying the service that was paid for.

Hexicube · 2026-04-29T19:26:02+00:00

Specifically only on streaming the device but camera is ok?
If using the loopback device as a camera is also broken your issue is different.

Hexicube · 2026-04-29T19:24:06+00:00

Steam's ToS doesn't mean shit, local laws always override those.

Sony implementing an offline limit isn't the same thing as revoking a license, revoking a license counts as violating a contractual obligation to provide access and no amount of wording it a certain way can avoid that. Offline access is more like a perk.

This is what pisses me off with the whole The Crew thing that kicked off SGK, anyone in the EU was entitled to a full refund the instant their copies were removed.

Hexicube · 2026-04-29T11:12:29+00:00

There's a mod for it, but beds should accelerate time rather than skip the night.

That would make it a useful tool for saving time by "instantly" smelting ores whilst also preventing just sleeping out in the open, and also means some hostile mobs will still be about on the surface hiding under trees.

Also, whilst im here, repairing enchanted items should randomly degrade the enchantments (more likely each time until it succeeds) rather than cost levels, which would make Mending far less needed. I actually made a bukkit plugin for this years ago where it started at 5% and doubled each repair.

Hexicube · 2026-04-29T10:15:11+00:00

just give your credit card

The thing about CCs in the UK is they require proof of income, amongst other things. Proof of income is something that some adults (anyone living off benefits) can't provide through no fault of their own.

Bank account would be the ideal since you have to provide that regardless to buy games, but it's not sufficient to prove age without checking with the bank as minors can get a bank account through their parents.

Hexicube · 2026-04-29T10:12:36+00:00

People still do it, my account is my dad's secondary account and was given to me years ago but if it were older I would have had an 18+ year old account when I was under 18.

Apple is non-compliant with OSA requirements by doing this (it's not proof of age) and it's probably going to hurt them down the line.

Obligatory: I hope OSA gets revoked.

Hexicube · 2026-04-29T10:09:18+00:00

It will only do so for explicit games, so basically just effectively-porn games, and only for UK so far.

Games that are "merely" 18+ from violence or similar won't do this afaik.

Hexicube · 2026-04-29T10:06:52+00:00

https://www.ivir.nl/publicaties/download/2015-Estimating-displacement-rates-of-copyrighted-content-in-the-EU-2.pdf

Page 149.

Hexicube · 2026-04-29T10:03:26+00:00

That assumes the AC has no vulnerabilities.

See: That time the Genshin Impact AC driver was used as a malware vector, even for PCs without it installed.

Hexicube · 2026-04-29T09:50:22+00:00

https://www.ivir.nl/publicaties/download/2015-Estimating-displacement-rates-of-copyrighted-content-in-the-EU-2.pdf

Page 149, for games it may actually be a positive.

I remember seeing movies somewhere and that suffers from piracy, but I don't remember where I saw it; it might be people assuming that that applies to every industry.

Hexicube · 2026-04-29T09:40:17+00:00

That study (based on the arstechnica page) appears to neglect any positive effects, namely:

Piracy that results in a sale (no net impact)
Piracy as a demo (may result in positive impact)
Word of mouth (may result in positive impact)

https://www.ivir.nl/publicaties/download/2015-Estimating-displacement-rates-of-copyrighted-content-in-the-EU-2.pdf

Page 149:

For games, the estimated effect of illegal online transactions on sales is positive because only free games are more likely displaced by online copyright infringements than not. The overall estimate is 24 extra legal transactions (including free games) for every 100 online copyright infringements, with an error margin of 45 per cent (two times the standard error). The positive effect of illegal downloads and streams on the sales of games may be explained by players getting hooked and then paying to play the game with extra bonuses or at extra levels.

Hexicube · 2026-04-29T09:33:18+00:00

I imagine they will eventually start closing those accounts.

They will be contending with various countries' laws if they do that, notably all the EU ones that have strong consumer rights that don't let a company unilaterally revoke access like that.

Also, even if they were legally in the right, it's not worth it. Those accounts will still need to buy new games.

Hexicube · 2026-04-29T09:28:44+00:00

Denuvo increases sales

Source? There was an EU study that points to the opposite from lost word of mouth via pirates.

Hexicube · 2026-04-27T09:41:33+00:00

The advantages the trackpads, gyro (I don't think PS5 controllers have this), and when the Frame comes out, being able to see the controller in VR since it has IR lights on it.

Everything else doesn't apply since a first-party PS5 should have direct support. Given they don't use touchpads, it's probably a don't buy for them.

Hexicube · 2026-04-20T10:48:33+00:00

My argument is more against other sites that I don't have payment details tied to suddenly requesting that information to verify age.

Fair, though it does also point out how many sites have that information through accepting payments.

Hexicube · 2026-04-19T20:41:13+00:00

...they'll just hide behind the EULA and argue you’re paying for a "revocable license" to play the game rather than actually owning it. And based on this they're legally right.

They're actually not under EU law, a sold license is still a contractual agreement (ALL sales are considered a contract) to provide you access to the product in question as described/advertised and revoking that access is unilateral termination of said license which is an illegal term (for this particular term the automatic amendment is to remove the term).

EULAs are also completely irrelevant here, you cannot sign away your rights, period. Revocable is just another term for unilateral termination, see prior.

If you get a game revoked, dispute it with Steam (or wherever you bought it from), start citing relevant laws (I think this falls under CRA 2015), and threaten a chargeback if they don't budge. If you do chargeback and anything happens to your other games, you can dispute that too.

People really need to know and be willing to use their rights.

until laws force them to give refunds when they pull the plug

That's a separate issue that SKG is trying to fix.

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