One of the biggest issues with downloadable games is the inability to share them with your buddies, but that could change in the near future if you use Steam. A NeoGAF poster noticed a few lines of code in the latest Steam beta that mention a “shared game library.” The code includes a dialog box that reads, “Just so you know, your games are currently in use by %borrower%. Playing now will send %borrower% a notice that it’s time to quit.”
With digital games, it’s impossible to sell them back, trade them, or gift them, so the ability to share with a friend is welcomed. If Valve can pull off sharing digital games, it could set a precedent for sharing digital games on consoles such as the Xbox One and PlayStation 4.
There are no details about the limitations of such sharing. Will there be a time limit for sharing that game or can a friend borrow it indefinitely? How many games can you lend out at a time? We’ll just have to wait and see what Valve does.
