It's probably outside of steams control as it's likely a legal issue that has to get resolved first.

If the publisher owns this info then the companies need to go after them to get this or wait for steam to resolve the problem somehow.

Otherwise just don't rebuy the game as long as your version works.

The developer already made 2 separate posts...

Sorry，I can't set the game to be free. I have to guarantee the survival of my team.

I know it's not about the price. Not try to look for excuse, but it will be impossible for us to send 70k+ keys to each of the players even if steam give us permission.

Originally posted by cSg|mc-Hotsauce:

The developer already made 2 separate posts...

Sorry，I can't set the game to be free. I have to guarantee the survival of my team.

I know it's not about the price. Not try to look for excuse, but it will be impossible for us to send 70k+ keys to each of the players even if steam give us permission.

:cool_seagull:

Already been a part of that conversation. There have chosen a anti consumer stance on this.
You can't charge me twice for the same item.
I am trying to find a resolution that does not result in punishing the consumer for the misbehaviour of some idiot publishing company who can't read or completely ignores the rules and the greed of a dev who refuses to do the right thing. Whats better for them, 70k+ happy customers or some percentage of them unhappy and boycotting them. They could make DLC sales with a free copy included and at least get the proceeds from the DLC sales, now for an unknown number there will be zero money made.

Originally posted by Chompman:

It's probably outside of steams control as it's likely a legal issue that has to get resolved first.

If the publisher owns this info then the companies need to go after them to get this or wait for steam to resolve the problem somehow.

Otherwise just don't rebuy the game as long as your version works.

Pretty much all I can do other than try and get some kind of positive resolution by making some noise.
All owners should be reimbursed or provided with a replacement. Pretty common practice everywhere else but here it seems.

Originally posted by The Monk:

Originally posted by Chompman:

It's probably outside of steams control as it's likely a legal issue that has to get resolved first.

If the publisher owns this info then the companies need to go after them to get this or wait for steam to resolve the problem somehow.

Otherwise just don't rebuy the game as long as your version works.

Pretty much all I can do other than try and get some kind of positive resolution by making some noise.
All owners should be reimbursed or provided with a replacement. Pretty common practice everywhere else but here it seems.

Does your version still work?

If it does then what would the problem be?

Where would the money come from for a reimbursement as steam does not have the money anymore and the game devs will have not gotten 100% of the sales as there are multiple factors that take their cut?

Originally posted by Chompman:

Originally posted by The Monk:

Pretty much all I can do other than try and get some kind of positive resolution by making some noise.
All owners should be reimbursed or provided with a replacement. Pretty common practice everywhere else but here it seems.

Does your version still work?

If it does then what would the problem be?

Where would the money come from for a reimbursement as steam does not have the money anymore and the game devs will have not gotten 100% of the sales as there are multiple factors that take their cut?

No longer will receive updates to a title still in development, no bug fixes, no promised roadmap updates, not to mention this practice/attempt to double down likely illegal in multiple countries.

Yes, that's right they got there cut, steam got their cut, the banned publishers got their cut. They got my money once, why should they get it twice? Would you pay twice for the same cup of coffee? Would you pay twice for the same game?

Imagine if a big AAA $100 game tried the same thing. There would be a total riot, it'd be all over the press.

Last I looked steam could generate as many keys they want to, they don't want to do that though.

Consumers should not be punished for the mistakes of the publisher, simple as that. They should be made to absorb the cost either.

Originally posted by The Monk:

Originally posted by Chompman:

Does your version still work?

If it does then what would the problem be?

Where would the money come from for a reimbursement as steam does not have the money anymore and the game devs will have not gotten 100% of the sales as there are multiple factors that take their cut?

No longer will receive updates to a title still in development, no bug fixes, no promised roadmap updates, not to mention this practice/attempt to double down likely illegal in multiple countries.

Yes, that's right they got there cut, steam got their cut, the banned publishers got their cut. They got my money once, why should they get it twice? Would you pay twice for the same cup of coffee? Would you pay twice for the same game?

Such is the case with Early Access.
You aren't paying for a fiunished game sio the delivery of a finished game is optional.

Originally posted by The Monk:

Last I looked steam could generate as many keys they want to, they don't want to do that though.

Not quite.
There are limitations.

Originally posted by The Monk:

Consumers should not be punished for the mistakes of the publisher, simple as that. They should be made to absorb the cost either.

Thems the breaks.
Nothing to be done there. It is, funnily enough, totallky legal. for them to do this.
All the agreements and such were with the old publishing party.

Those do not necessarily apply to the new publisher.

DOes it suck. Yes. But this is one of the things you consider when buying indevelopment games. YOu are only due the unfinished indevelopment build.

You are debating the point based in incorrect assumptions

1. It wasn't Early Access, was released on March 25th and was at v1.1.5 It was still being actively updated, fixed and improved with new content including a free class month or two back.

2. No idea really about the keys, but limitations aside there are ways to do the right thing with existing allocated keys.

3. Not according to consumer law in many countries, (no I am not going to quote legal documents,) but it is also completely immoral.
I am honestly baffled why you would be defending this behaviour. Is it just to be argumentative or do you condone this sort of thing?

Imagine you came into my electrical store. I sell you an air conditioner. Its a good unit for a good price and has added servicing and filter cleaning for the next 2 years. You ring up for a service and find out the manager has fled the country after embezzling all the money and I tell you I am going to invoice your for the same air conditioner again. Thems the breaks huh? But it's for the teeeaaaamm!!!

Again you are working on the assumption this was EA. It wasn't. EA I am fully willing to risk the chance and have multiple abandoned games in my library. It happens.

The point you are missing is this is not an unfinished abandoned game. It a 1.0 version + release with active development and no EA risk. It is not a case they are abandoning the game, just the version people have already bought and are now trying to take those exact same files and charge twice for it. They are relisting the same game with the intent to continue development and further fixes and content releases. You know, what I already paid for.

As for legality, well I am sure glad I don't live where you live, as consumers are protected here and Steam has to abide by those rules to be able to operate here. Remember the ACCC announcements regarding refunds for AUS customers on every store page for a while there?

Originally posted by The Monk:

Imagine you came into my electrical store. I sell you an air conditioner. Its a good unit for a good price and has added servicing and filter cleaning for the next 2 years. You ring up for a service and find out the manager has fled the country after embezzling all the money and I tell you I am going to invoice your for the same air conditioner again. Thems the breaks huh? But it's for the teeeaaaamm!!!

They would not charge you again for the ac unit as they have no such ability just like you are not being charged again here.

The extra service probably will no longer apply here unless you pay for it again if they choose to cancel it because of this issue.

I suggest you read the EULA that steam has and what it covers as this probably would fall somewhere in there that covers steams end and they cannot be held liable unless you are willing to fight them legally.

Originally posted by Chompman:

Originally posted by The Monk:

Imagine you came into my electrical store. I sell you an air conditioner. Its a good unit for a good price and has added servicing and filter cleaning for the next 2 years. You ring up for a service and find out the manager has fled the country after embezzling all the money and I tell you I am going to invoice your for the same air conditioner again. Thems the breaks huh? But it's for the teeeaaaamm!!!

They would not charge you again for the ac unit as they have no such ability just like you are not being charged again here.

The extra service probably will no longer apply here unless you pay for it again if they choose to cancel it because of this issue.

I suggest you read the EULA that steam has and what it covers as this probably would fall somewhere in there that covers steams end and they cannot be held liable unless you are willing to fight them legally.

I suggest you read what I wrote they are charging me again. For the identical thing. If I wish to receive future updates, fixes and content, the so called Free Services. Yes is is a discounted price for a limited time, 40%, but it still charging me again for the exact same game. There is no grey are here, it's pretty black and white.
As for the aircon, I am not recharging for the services as they were never charged initially, that's what Free Services mean. I am invoicing you for the unit itself. You still get the free services. Bargain eh?


It was not the devs fault their publisher was banned, though I do not believe they were totally ignorant of what was going on, as that cat is already out of the bag, but they already got their cut of sales and are now trying to double down. I don't care if it an air conditioner or a game, it's wrong and anti consumer.

By the same token it is not my fault of existing customers either, but it is us who are expected to pony up because they made a bad deal with dishonest company.

Tell me exactly why anyone should do that? Would you? I deserve to have the product I legally paid for, how can you not agree with that?

And I am not talking litigation so steams liability is moot. This is a consumer law issue and steam is not above that law, it has already been proven in the past. I could, if I were bothered, contact our regulatory body and force a refund, but it is simply not worth the effort considering the relatively low money involved, but I sure as hell am not divvying up twice, especially considering this title is not the only one I own who had the same publisher (but have yet to announce their own solutions). If the devs can't do the right thing by their customers I'll vote with my wallet instead and try and be satisfied that I got my monies worth out of the now defunct version.
I am just trying to get what I paid for and if not, well then these poor suffering devs you are defending get nothing. Steam can help if they choose too.

I can't believe people defend this behaviour. Be different if it happened to them.

If you believe a game dev/pub is breaking the law in your country, report the game via the store page report function.

I imagine legal disputes would need to be settled before they could do anything en masse. Otherwise the logistics of trying to fix the issue manually is impossible from the developer's perspective.

Originally posted by cSg|mc-Hotsauce:

If you believe a game dev/pub is breaking the law in your country, report the game via the store page report function.

:cool_seagull:

Already reported

For reference from my point of view on how this may be illegal here. I don't have time to do a deep dive and I do not know any consumer law solicitors as I live in a small country town.

"Consumer Guarantees: Under Australian Consumer Law, consumers have certain rights known as consumer guarantees. These include the right to a refund or replacement if a product is faulty, not as described, or doesn’t meet acceptable quality standards. If the vendor sold the same product twice intentionally, it may be considered a breach of these guarantees."

Like I said, I could make an issue of it, but I would rather the devs just swallow the damn bullet and do the right thing.

Steam is obliged to adhere to these laws or they ca not do business here.
They caused this mess by banning the publisher and consequently removing any ability for the devs affected to restore the original products and pages, the least they can do is help rectify it so both the devs and consumers win.

Originally posted by The Monk:

For reference from my point of view on how this may be illegal here. I don't have time to do a deep dive and I do not know any consumer law solicitors as I live in a small country town.

"Consumer Guarantees: Under Australian Consumer Law, consumers have certain rights known as consumer guarantees. These include the right to a refund or replacement if a product is faulty, not as described, or doesn’t meet acceptable quality standards. If the vendor sold the same product twice intentionally, it may be considered a breach of these guarantees."

Like I said, I could make an issue of it, but I would rather the devs just swallow the damn bullet and do the right thing.

If you can prove illegal activities to support, being from Australia, a refund would be an easy thing for them to give you.