Steam Refunds and Changing the Digital Distribution System

Image courtesy of wegotthiscovered.com

Steam, arguably the most well-known digital video game distribution platform in the video game industry, recently began utilizing a revolutionary new feature: full refunds for digital game purchases. This may seem relatively insignificant in the grand scheme of things; after all, people have been trading and getting refunds for games as long as they have been available. But, to my knowledge, this marks the first time a major company has allowed their customers to receive a full refund for a digital product that they have purchased, for any reason. The terms and conditions, as outlined on Steam's website, are as follows:

"You can request a refund for nearly any purchase on Steam - for any reason. Maybe your PC doesn't meet the hardware requirements; maybe you bought a game by mistake; maybe you played the title for an hour and just didn't like it. It doesn't matter, Valve will, upon request via help.steampowered.com, issue a refund for any reason, if the request is made within 14 days of purchase, and the title has been played for less than two hours. You will be issued a full refund for your purchase within a week of approval. You will receive the refund in Steam Wallet funds or through the same payment method you used to make the purchase."

Valve, the company that created and operates Steam, obviously has set some pretty strict guidelines for how refunds will work. When I first heard about this, I was worried that people would quickly take advantage of it, by buying a game and completing it, only to demand their money back, effectively playing a game for free. However, it is apparent that Valve has crafted a fair way to allow gamers with legitimate complaints to get their money back. I only wonder if this marks the beginning and end of digital refunds for games, or if it represents the first step in massively changing the way digital games are sold and distributed.

As a gamer, I typically stick to buying physical copies of games, unless of course they are digital-only. I do this mainly so that I can trade them back in when I want to get a new one and not have to pay full price. There have been ideas and rumors floating around about the trade or sale of used digital games since they became readily available. In my opinion, allowing refunds for digital games is probably as far as gaming companies are going to go in regards to the sale of second-hand digital-only products. The idea of a "used" digital game makes very little sense to me. For instance, if I purchase a physical copy of a game, it comes with a case, a slipcover, and a game disc. Like many other physical things, the minute it reaches my hands it begins to depreciate. It no longer holds the same value as it did when it was brand-new.

Because digital games are intangible objects, they cannot obtain or show wear and tear, nor can (or should) they depreciate in value. They do not have cases or discs, and exist exclusively as a digital entity that cannot be seen or touched. If I buy a game for $15 right now, it should still be worth $15 years from now (unless of course it goes on sale or is reduced in price). Allowing someone to buy a digital game for $30 instead of $60 because it is "used" breaks the whole digital distribution system. Why would anyone in their right mind pay $60 for a digital version of a game when they could get it for $30, especially considering that both versions are in exactly the same condition?

If digital game trade were to work, developers would remove certain features or functions from the game (like multiplayer) to reduce its value. Still, as it is right now, the trade of digital games does not seem like something that would work. However, Steam and Vale have the right idea. The process and rules they have set up allow people to receive refunds for digital purchases without being able to take advantage of their services. As far as I am concerned, this is as far as refunds/trades will get for digital games, but who knows what the future has in store.

Fire and Blood: My Thoughts on Mad Max: Fury Road

For weeks on end, I have been trying desperately to turn my feelings about Mad Max: Fury Road into comprehensible words to no avail. Just about every attempt boiled down to me saying "IT'S PERFECT GO SEE IT" over and over. It's now been three weeks since it opened in theaters, and the fires that it set in my brain are slowly starting to recede, and I am finally able to clearly state exactly why I feel that Fury Road is, and forever will be, the greatest movie-going experience of my life.

Mad Max: Fury Road is a film that takes a part of you with it when it's over. I left the theater with my head buzzing and my body slightly weakened, like I just finished an intense two-hour workout. I couldn't think straight for a few hours after watching it for the first time; it's a miracle that I was able to drive home safely. It left me breathless and exhausted, yet I still wanted more. I knew the minute I walked out of that theater that I was going to see it again.

From a technical standpoint, Fury Road is an astonishing achievement. It does so many things so well; it's a masterclass in editing, cinematography, directing, production design, world building, sound editing, acting, and practical effects work, and should be studied in film school for years to come. It should also be said that it's a minor miracle that a film so packed with wall-to-wall action can be so comprehensible. There wasn't a single point where I was confused as to where people were, what they were doing, and how they got there. This is a film that starts at full speed and only gets faster, but you never get lost in its frenetic, breakneck action.

Like the last two films in the franchise, Max plays more of a supporting role here, stumbling into the story by accident. It's Imperator Furiosa, played so brilliantly by Charlize Theron, who takes center stage, and it's her story of redemption that is the heart and soul of the film. Furiosa, along with the five women she has tasked herself in saving from a lifetime of sexual slavery, are all very capable, believable individuals. Not once are those women objectified or used as some sort of "accessory"; each has a unique mindset and set of abilities that are utilized throughout the film. They are more than just a plot device; they are real, believable people who play a key role in their own survival.

Fury Road never falls victim to the many tropes that plague many Hollywood action movies, especially ones that feature female characters. Our heroes are able to reach a reasonably happy end not because Max comes along and saves the day, but because everyone plays a vital role and works together. No one person is more important than another. Furiosa and Max are evenly matched, and they both realize that the only way they are ever going to survive is if they work together. They quickly get a feel for each other's strengths and utilize them whenever needed. Over the course of the film they get to know each other just enough to build a solid partnership; there are no forced implications of any sort of relationship building between the two; they're just two people working together out of necessity (and chance) to survive.

One of the most refreshing things about Fury Road is that it doesn't preach to its audience. The world and the characters that inhabit it are explained through subtle yet revealing visual clues. You get a clear understanding of who these characters are and what makes them tick by just watching them. You understand the trials and tribulations that they experienced without ever having the film delve into some long-winded backstory. It trusts the audience to unravel its mysteries without having to be constantly shown the solution. Not once does it take the people watching it for granted. I can't tell you how refreshing it was to watch a movie that let me discover its world on my own.

It's been said before, but it bears repeating: Fury Road is unrelenting. There are a few breaks now and then that allow the characters and the audience breathe a little, but its foot never fully comes off the accelerator. Everything is always moving forward, never wasting a single frame. The action is brilliantly choreographed and shot, and is constantly one-upping itself. After watching the sandstorm sequence, I was certain that there was no way anything that the film could throw at me from that point on could top it. I was (happily) proven wrong again and again, constantly having to pick up my jaw off of the floor. The way this film builds is a lot like climbing Mount Everest, only when you reach the summit you just keep going up, blasting through the atmosphere and into deep space.

Mad Max: Fury Road a film that reminded me just how powerful, inspiring, entertaining, and beautiful cinema can (and should) be. It is a modern action masterpiece that has set the bar for all films to come. It is almost mind-boggling that a film that spent so long in development could not just turn out as great as it did, but to become a benchmark for all modern filmmaking. It's a film that makes me want to go out and create something. It's as inspiring as it is breathtaking.

Much like he did with The Road Warrior in 1981, George Miller has rewritten the book on action cinema. From now on, I will judge every film in one, simple way: "Is it as good as Fury Road?".

Sadly, I think that answer will always be "no".