Gabe Newell and Valve’s legal teams are working overtime at the moment. The company is currently facing a litany of lawsuits, including one from a UK action group accusing Valve of “rigging the market” and another from the State of New York, which alleges that the company causes “serious harm, especially for young people,” due to its “Illegal Gambling” loot boxes.
There’s no rest for the wicked, either. On March 9, Valve was hit with a pair of new lawsuits. The first came from The Performing Right Society (PRS) which confirmed that it had “commenced legal proceedings” against Valve because the company has “never obtained a license for its use of the rights managed by PRS on behalf of its members, comprising songwriters, composers, and music publishers,” and the second, a class-action lawsuit filed on behalf of “consumers nationwide.”
Valve Is Being Sued Once Again, This Time By The Performing Right Society
“The litigation will progress unless Valve Corporation engages positively with discussions and takes the necessary license to cover the use of PRS repertoire, both retrospectively and moving forwards,” said the PRS in a statement (via GamesIndustry.biz).
It argues that Valve requires a license because “many game titles which incorporate PRS members’ musical works are made available on Steam,” including the likes of Forza Horizon, FIFA, EA FC, and Grand Theft Auto.
Great video games rely on great soundtracks, and the songwriters and creators behind them deserve to have their contribution recognized and fairly valued.
Performing Right Society CCO, Dan Gopal said, “Our members create music that enhances experiences, and PRS exists to protect the value of their work with integrity, transparency, and fairness. Legal proceedings are not a step we take lightly, but when a business’s actions undermine those principles, we have a duty to act.
“Great video games rely on great soundtracks, and the songwriters and creators behind them deserve to have their contribution recognized and fairly valued.”
Valve’s Loot Boxes Continue To Land The Company In Hot Water
Alongside the lawsuit from the PRS, law firm HBS Law confirmed it would be suing Valve on behalf of “consumers nationwide” in a new class-action lawsuit.
This lawsuit echoes the one filed by the State of New York, with HBS Law founder Steve Berman saying, ““We believe Valve deliberately engineered its gambling platform and profited enormously from it.”
72 Percent Of Devs Think Steam Is A Monopoly, Claims Study
Devs are looking to branch out beyond Steam to marketplaces like G2A, and e-stores like Humble Bundle.
The suit alleges that “Valve knowingly designed its loot box system using the same psychological triggers that casino game manufacturers have refined over decades to keep people spending money, including unpredictable reward schedules, sensory design, near-miss illusions, chasing losses, and around-the-clock availability.”
It added, “What makes this case particularly egregious is that Valve knew children were on the other end of these transactions. Rather than protect young players through age verification or a parental consent mechanism, we believe they rigged the game to extract more money from them.”
HBS Law says it seeks to “recover treble damages, as well as injunctive relief requiring Valve to cease the operation of its alleged unlawful gambling operation and full disgorgement of gains unjustly received.”
It’s a big blow for Valve as it faces stock issues with its Steam Deck and as it prepares to launch its Steam Machine. It will be interesting to see how it all shakes out.
- Brand
-
Valve
- Original Release Date
-
September 12, 2003
- Original MSRP (USD)
-
N/A
- Weight
-
N/A
