-
Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.
Steam Family Sharing Thread: Share games that you will never play.
- Thread starter MRORANGE
- Start date
diablos991
Can’t stump the diablos
This password sharing is ridiculous.
I don't understand why this can't use an email authentication.
I don't understand why this can't use an email authentication.
Stumpokapow
listen to the mad man
Yep, it's pretty hilarious actually.
The idea is that you would personally log into a PC, then 'Authorise' it. Allowing them access your games.
You only need to give out your password if you can't get to their PC.
Well, I can't really access their PC, they don't live near...
Blergh. That's soured me on the concept. Unless you can give them your password and change it afterwards without it revoking access.
The owner of the library always has full access. The owner will force others off of a game if they launch any game. Signing on or off has nothing to do with it.
Yes you can do this. It's intended to be used with people you know enough to actually go to their house or give them temp access to your account.
famousmortimer
Banned
I've never shared my Steam account in the past but I have had it on my desktop and laptop at the same time. If i go on one it knocks the other off. I kinda remember seeing somewhere in steam you could have 5 activations.
So this new system, if I understand it correctly....
1. Ups the activations to 10 instead of 5.
2. Makes one computer the master account so others signing on won't knock that person off, but that person signing on would knock the other person off.
Questions:
What happens if one of "family members" is playing a game and another one of "family members" signs on... since neither is on the master machine does it let the first or second guy play?
Overall it's fairly underwhelming. I have some friends in japan and new zealand so since we are up at different times I'll get a bit of use out of it... but honestly I could be doing that already. 10 people when only 1 can be on at once seems like a clusterfuck.
So this new system, if I understand it correctly....
1. Ups the activations to 10 instead of 5.
2. Makes one computer the master account so others signing on won't knock that person off, but that person signing on would knock the other person off.
Questions:
What happens if one of "family members" is playing a game and another one of "family members" signs on... since neither is on the master machine does it let the first or second guy play?
Overall it's fairly underwhelming. I have some friends in japan and new zealand so since we are up at different times I'll get a bit of use out of it... but honestly I could be doing that already. 10 people when only 1 can be on at once seems like a clusterfuck.
This is one i'm unsure of. I would test it, but my friends aren't on. I can't imagine a second friend playing a game would force the first off. If anything only one can play at a time or all 10 can.
I wouldn't call it completely useless since it at least now gives those friends access to your games using their own accounts. They can get achievements, play multiplayer on their own account etc.
RoadHazard
Gold Member
How is this different from the other person just using your account (after you've logged in once and saved your credentials)? Is it basically just that that person will be able to keep saves and achievements tied to their account? I guess it also prevents you from being locked out of the account, since the owner of the library is prioritized.
Also, do the games the other person wants to "borrow" already need to be installed on that person's computer before they can be played? The wording on the site makes it sound like that's the case. So does that mean that every time the person wants to try something new, that game needs to first be installed using the owner's account before the other person can request access to it? Sounds awfully tedious.
No they do not need to be installed. There is no requesting access once you are all set up. The games appear in your steam library tagged under the person's name like "Cartman86's Games". You install and play them like you would any other game. You can even set custom categories for them like they were your own games.
Well, I would go to their house if they lived closer.
If you can change passwords after though, it's not as bad I suppose. I trust family and friends enough to borrow my games and stuff, I just don't really trust anyone enough to have my passwords.
I've shared with two friends. Just changed my password for the initial log in and then changed it back once they had access.
Here is a pic of what it looks like. I created a custom category for games from my friends library that I want to play at some point.
That's cool then.
Just a case of waiting for a beta invite. I don't think I know anyone on my friends list who has got in yet.
RoadHazard
Gold Member
So why does the FAQ keep talking about "your previously installed games" in such a weird way, if it has nothing to do with anything having been installed?
And what about giving out your account details? Do you need to do that for someone to get the initial access to your account, or was that also wrong? EDIT: Guess you do have to do this. Why, though? Why not just a simple request to get access?
Don't know why it says installed. Should just say purchased.
Yeah it seems like an unnecessary and possibly dangerous way to go about this. People are going to do it anyways so valve should just make it a simple and safe request.
That is fucking stupid. You should only be kicked out if the owner launches a game currently open.
RoadHazard
Gold Member
It's very easy to understand why this will never happen. If it did, it would mean 10 people could effectively each get 10 games for the price of 1 as long as they set up a rotation for who plays what game when (they could all be playing at once). With the current system that's not really possible.
Although, now that think of it... with the current system, could person A play a game from person B's library while person B plays something from person C's library and person C plays something from person A's library, all at once? If so, you could actually setup a "circle of gaming". Or can your library simply not be accessed while you're playing something, even if what you're playing isn't in your own library?
RoadHazard
Gold Member
Huh, so then you could really do a thing like "A plays B plays C plays D plays E plays F plays G plays H plays I plays J plays A" (each letter being a person and that person's library)? Or does it only work specifically between two people? Like, if A is playing a game from B's library, B can only play something from A's library, and not from anyone else's?
I have no clue because I'm not going to set up a group meeting with people to test this out (actually I only have 1 person shared so far, lol)
All I know is A -> B and B -> A works, but I'm sure your chain sharing example would work. I see no reason why it wouldn't
ashecitism
Member
So they haven't restricted offline mode? That's nice.
criesofthepast
Member
PS3 game sharing thread was locked on here. Don't see how this is any different than that. Will end badly for all involved if you start handing out passwords to people over the internet. Not what the service is intended for.
I got into the beta. Just to confirm, these are basically the steps necessary to get a friend/family member to participate in library sharing?
1. Change password to something different.
2. Give account info (email/new password) to friend/family.
3. Friend/family logs into Steam using your (original owner's) account info.
4. While logged into original owner's account, on Steam client, friend/family navigates to Settings > Account > Manage Family Sharing and Devices. Authorize their own PC. They now have access to original account owner's library.
5. Friend/family logs out of original owner's account.
6. Original owner logs back into own account and change password again to whatever they want.
Is this the gist of it?
1. Change password to something different.
2. Give account info (email/new password) to friend/family.
3. Friend/family logs into Steam using your (original owner's) account info.
4. While logged into original owner's account, on Steam client, friend/family navigates to Settings > Account > Manage Family Sharing and Devices. Authorize their own PC. They now have access to original account owner's library.
5. Friend/family logs out of original owner's account.
6. Original owner logs back into own account and change password again to whatever they want.
Is this the gist of it?
BertleTheTurtle
Member
I finally got it working.
1. Change password
2. Give info
3. Friend logs in
4. You get email saying someone is logging in
5. You give friend steamguard code
6. Friend installs one of your games after logging in (whatever is smallest really)
7. Friend logs in their account and pushes play on the game they installed from yours
8. You get another email asking to authorize them
9. You click the link
10. Your friend has access to your library now
There might be a quicker way to do that (taking off Steamguard for a minute probably) but that's what worked for me.
Erm, why are you installing a game? Unnecessary. Just use Psycho's steps
BertleTheTurtle
Member
He couldn't see my library that way. After installing a game it worked though.
That's weird, maybe needed a restart? Oh well, at least it works either way!
So I just got in to the beta today and I have gotten a friend to log in to his PC on my account and authorise his machine. It now seems that he has access to my games.
Now, my question is - for me to have access to his games, I am guessing we will need to do the same right? He will have to authorise my PC on his account? He needs to try and get in to the beta I guess >_<
Now, my question is - for me to have access to his games, I am guessing we will need to do the same right? He will have to authorise my PC on his account? He needs to try and get in to the beta I guess >_<
Zombie James
Banned
Just got into the beta. Eager to try it out but not eager to give out my credentials. I don't know why Valve didn't set this up like gifting, where I could "gift" someone on my friends list my library and authorize it by email. Exchanging account information or having someone physically log in on my computer is clunky as fuck.
It's probably meant to be FAMILY sharing, not "share with any random people you meet in the Internet". It's not ideal, but generally speaking you should be able to either have physical access to devices your family and most friends use, or as a secondary solution at least have enough trust in them to share your password.
BertleTheTurtle
Member
I think maybe I was supposed to activate my PC first.Even though that seems redundant.
I shared with a second friend and it worked without her installing a game of mine.
Just got this invite for this. Am I able to authorize a computer without physically logging on there? I have friends out-of-state that I want to try this with.
Edit: I see the steps given above in the topic. Guess I'll try that. I can't seem to find a button to authorize my own computer though. Does that only show up when another steam account is using the PC?
Edit: I see the steps given above in the topic. Guess I'll try that. I can't seem to find a button to authorize my own computer though. Does that only show up when another steam account is using the PC?
BertleTheTurtle
Member
Authorized Devices
No authorized devices found.
I'm on my laptop atm, but usually play on desktop. Maybe I missed the opt-in to start the program, but I wouldn't think the option to "Manage Family Sharing & Devices" would even appear unless it was active.
Edit: i think I was missing the beta opt-in. Thought I already did that, but trying that now.
Edit:2 Was still blank when it restart, but I found the settings and now see the 1. This Computer. Guess the other screen was just displaying settings and wasn't where I could change anything.
Yeah that's what I was going to ask, seems like a great way to have both people playing at the same time.
Hopefully they don't revoke it. (Like making you have to be online or something, that would be terrible)
Maybe if you're a very trusting person, as already mentioned I wouldn't give my password to anyone, not even my family. Doesn't mean I wouldn't trust them with a game, or not doing silly stuff to get bans etc.
I got into the beta anyway, unfortunately, the people I want to share with didn't.
BertleTheTurtle
Member
I don't see a problem sharing my password.
As long as steam guard is on no one can change my password or email without a validation code.
As long as steam guard is on no one can change my password or email without a validation code.
Metalmurphy
Member
So all the games are locked if you are playing any game?
I was playing xcom and my brother said he couldn't play geneforce.
I was playing xcom and my brother said he couldn't play geneforce.
Baron von Loathsome
Member
Correct.
Metalmurphy
Member
Thought it was on a per game basis. Makes this pretty useless side I'm always playing something, and doesn't make alot of sense imo.