Summary
In 2019, pop superstar Billie Eilish pondered the age-old question, “When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?” in her album of the same name. While we do not know the answer to that question, we now do know that when we do eventually fall asleep, ourSteamaccounts are coming with us.
Asfirst spotted by Ars Technica, Valverecently informed a ResetEra posterthat a Steam account and its purchased games are non-transferable. According to the Steam Support agent, “Steam Support can’t provide someone else with access to the account or merge its contents with another account.”
But what if I have a will?
Well, Steam support says that your account can’t be transferred via one, either. In other words, when you die,so does your backlog.
Here’s the exchange in full:
Digital Ownership After Death Has Become A Hot Topic
This wouldn’t be the first time that someone has wondered what will happen to all of their digital media once they pass on. In fact, it’s a concern that has been becoming more and more prevalentas digital media and digital accounts become increasingly popularover their physical counterparts.
In the past, it was easy to simply pass on an old stack of books, vinyl records, video games and DVDs. Things get a lot more complicated when all of that media is housed in a virtual cloud, attached to several different accounts and has no physical manifestation. WithSteam quickly approaching its 21st anniversary, it’s only reasonable that gamers are concerned about the future.
In Section C of Article 1, the following is written: “You may not reveal, share or otherwise allow others to use your password or Account except as otherwise specifically authorized by Valve. You are responsible for the confidentiality of your login and password and for the security of your computer system.”
Unfortunately, laws surrounding digital ownership also haven’t caught up. TheStreeter Law Group in the United States wrote about the situation earlier this year. In a blog post, they described how technology has advanced so quickly that laws haven’t had a chance to catch up. According to the legal group, 19 states have passed laws dealing with digital assets, but those laws largely pertain to social media and email accounts and not digital content.
In the end, the hangup relies on the individual service’s EULAs and service agreements. Many of those agreements preclude the passing on of digital content, account ownership or passwords. More so, because so much digital content is considered as a license and not a tangible asset, then that license simply can’t be transferred over, according to many of these agreements.
So, until a law is passed dictating otherwise, it looks likeyour uncompleted backlogwon’t have a chance to be finished by a friend or family member. No. That backlog will haunt you in the afterlife in the same way it does in the present.
