[dingnuts]

Steam doesn't let you bequeath your account or anything in it and can ban you from your account at any time with no recourse.

If my game licenses were on the Blockchain I could give them to my kids when I die.

Feels weird explaining this on HN.

[gs17]

The discussion was more about in-game items than game licenses, but that falls under "almost no devs really want that". Devs want to be able to ban problem players from their games. Devs want (or at least would prefer) you to have to buy a new copy of a game instead of a cheap used one. It would be nice if we could transfer the licenses, but the developers don't want that.

And it also doesn't require blockchain. Valve not allowing it isn't a technological limitation, it's a policy. The system can't stop you from leaving a sheet of paper with your username and password on it, but Steam can ban you if they somehow find out.

[wnevets]

> Feels weird explaining this on HN.

Go ahead and explain how the tech of a Blockchain prevents Valve from doing what it wants with the game licenses it sells.

[nucleardog]

How do you enforce the blockchain on Valve?

If they go into the Steam server code and add:

    if username = 'dingnuts':
        return 403

How do you get your games back?

(Hint: You don't.)

So now you're back to "a database hosted at Valve" with extra steps.

[ClassyJacket]

And how do you enforce that Valve implements and respects the blockchain? You can't, and if you do you can just force them to respect a traditional database.

Feels weird explaining this on HN.

[throw646577]

Well, you couldn't, as the licences stand, because they are specifically non-transferrable too, right? In the wording.