alt Hacker NewsNeeds to be a law against the taking away of product functionality after the sale, even if it's contractual/EULA. A ban should never take the game away from the owner, and in cases where it does then they need to be refunded (treble damages on top of license, lawyer, and court fees if it takes a judgment to induce the refund). Getting banned on Steam, say, in the sense that all of one's purchases are invalidated should be impossible legally. In cases where an account is prevented from login, items and inventory must still be accessible for trade as those represent real time effort put in by a paying customer. Want to enforce your code of ethics in a multiplayer game? Can't charge for the game or users legally have rights against bans, and bans must follow a proportionality continuum and you must have a human-attended cost capped (at license cost, and only on loss) appeals tribunal system with record.
Replies
Why is that different from speeding while driving ?
Be a nuisance to society -> get fucked. That's a pretty universal principle
I don't mind cheaters getting their asses kicked. Let them lose real money. If you accidentally get banned, that's a different story though.
And it's just a game that's not playable anymore, not the whole Steam account, isn't it?
Maybe then just label them as cheaters and allow them to only game against other cheaters.
If you cheat or ruin game for other players, you deserve to lose the access.
Other players paid too.
The money loss is kinda the point. Cheaters can fake a new identity but if they get caught fast enough cheating becomes unaffordable.
Even banks in the real world don't have that level of customer protection.
It's a video game, it's really not that big of a deal.
Cheating will not get you banned on steam though, at worst your account is publicly shamed if its a VAC game.
People play multiplayer games to have fun and interact with others. If you behave badly, be it cheating or otherwise, you should be banned from using the multiplayer service because your behavior impacts other people.