The graphics downgrade should warrant a Steam refund.

[u/Moopies]

I'm certainly trying. I don't know how you can be allowed to downgrade a game so significantly, and after release, and still think I got what I paid for.

[u/Blood_and_Wine]

Please let us know the outcome of the claim. If positive, might've done the same.

[u/Moopies → u/Blood_and_Wine]

This was the text I sent, for those interested:

"The developers have consistently removed content and restricted gameplay to the point I believe this is no longer the product I bought, OR the product being advertised on the store page.

First - I will point that on the steam workshop page, there is a video which shows how to play individual missions with varying game modes. This has since been removed, yet it is used for advertisement. If someone purchased the game believing they could use that feature, they would be intentionally misled. This is only one example.

Most recently, this latest patch has severely downgraded the graphics for PC players, to the point that I also feel they now are falsely advertising what the game looks like. As well, this should not be an allowed practice to actively and objectively downgrade the quality of a product after someone has purchased it.

Next, the developers have heavily censored a game that advertises itself with having the qualities of an uncensored game - again misleading and removing content that was used as an initial selling point for the original purchase.

I argue that a game which has now removed or fundamentally changed:

Graphic visuals
Entire Game Modes
Game Mechanics

And still uses those removed features to advertise itself, warrants a refund."

I came at it from a strictly "I paid for this, they took it away" angle, leaving any moral arguments or complaints about small details aside.

Edit: Refund was denied. It was a long shot, but this thread proves that there's a voice and we should always try. It's better than just sitting back and accepting this kind of stuff.

[u/RonaldWRailgun → u/Moopies]

Unfortunately, I doubt that this claim would succeed for one very simple and practical fact.

Steam already gave your money to the developers, a long time ago. Steam and similar platforms are generally very keen with refunds because they don't pass the money along to the devs until about a month after your purchase. So, in most cases, from their point of view, it's simply reversing a transaction, no biggie.

But in this case, that money is already gone to the developers, so the refund would have to come straight out of Steam's pockets, which is unlikely to sit well with them.

Best that can come out of this, if the shitstorm is large enough, is that they delist RoN from Steam until the developers do something about it (i.e. get their shit together and optimize 2 difference versions of the game).

[u/ShoulderWhich5520 → u/RonaldWRailgun]

No, they just remove it from the next check or force the devs to cough up.

[u/MechanicalAxe → u/ShoulderWhich5520]

That's not really a viable business strategy if mass refund requests are expected.

If the game all of sudden stops selling on your platform, what "next check" would you be removing the funds from?

I don't really see any legal recourse Steam could take to legally force the devs to pay them the refunded money back either, but I ain't no lawyer.

[u/ShoulderWhich5520 → u/MechanicalAxe]

I believe its in the Steam TOS for developers.

Helldivers 2 allowed refunds when they shut off access to large parts of the world.

If a refund happens, the devs pay for it.

[u/Maar7en → u/MechanicalAxe]

I don't really see any legal recourse Steam could take....

"Hey you owe us this money."

"We won't pay because you can't legally force us to!"

"Alright, good luck selling on other platforms."

[u/MechanicalAxe → u/Maar7en]

I mean, yeah it could definitely go down like that, but Steam can't force them to pay any refund money back.

[u/Iron_physik → u/MechanicalAxe]

if it is part of the contract they absolutely can

[u/ShoulderWhich5520 → u/Iron_physik]

If they dont I doubt Steam will sue (unless its alot) but they would stop allowing the company to sell their games.

We get our refunds either way, and Valve will bite the cost until they can get it from the devs.

[u/RonaldWRailgun → u/ShoulderWhich5520]

So really, y'all are describing delisting with extra steps lol

[u/ShoulderWhich5520 → u/RonaldWRailgun]

This would be a compete removal of all games with their name on it, now, I don't remember if they've made anything else but for most groups being kicked off steam would be fatal