Telltale Games TOS

Mods, please feel free to move this if it's not where it ought to be.

I was just about to buy The Wolf Among Us when I read the Terms of Service, to wit:
All games and other products you download or otherwise lawfully access from the Site (collectively, the “Software”) are licensed to you on a non-exclusive basis and not sold. Additional or separate license terms may be set forth in the Software itself, and you may be obligated to accept those terms in order to access or use the Software.

Does this mean what I think it means?
Okay, I'm pretty sure it means Telltale is as rotten determined to rent their games instead of selling them as Steam but it doesn't hurt to ask, does it?

Gil.

Gil,

That is the "catch all" for all games released - download or boxed copies. It's been used as far as I can remember. Some are just worded differently but the same meaning goes.
You agree the same for GOG or Steam or the box copies.

Interesting.
GOG's Eula makes the same sort of statement BUT the games are sold with the explicit promise that they are free of DRM and you can pretty much do whatever you like with them though GOG trusts us to behave honorably.
Whatever the Eula says, they are, in effect, Sold and you own them outright.

I can't tell what's going on with Telltale so I'm asking.
If I buy this game, do I own it or not?

Gil.

Don't confuse the ownership of the game with the copies sold. You have only the copies of the game.
GOG states that you have to do-respect- are liable with whatever the owner-game companies states. That is what you agreed to.

The only owner of the game is the one that holds the copyright - publisher or the developer.

I don't believe you understand what I'm saying.
I understand that Telltale owns the concept, the implementation, all that jazz, and you are not allowed to reverse engineer it or alter it in any way.
But a copy is exactly the same thing as the original and if you own a copy you mean to play, you should "own" it.
I want to know if Telltale has any form of DRM on this game that would allow them to prevent your playing it.

Game vendors are a different kettle of fish but Steam is able to prevent your playing a game you "buy" there.
GOG is not.

Gil.

I might be misunderstanding this but I think DRM does NOT prevent you from playing the game. It's like a key to a house. If you own the house you can allow entry to the house by giving someone the key. I would not give a thief the key to the house though. Pirates are burglars that do this.
Now, some sellers-games do not use DRM and it is just a step up from an open house.
DRM is just a security - another door to go through.
Again this is given by the owner of the copyright - the permission to use or not use the key (DRM free).

Your question is if TellTale has any form of DRM. It is best to ask them.

TellTale Season games are not permitted to be sold or traded as listed here.

You have purchased the rights to play the game, you may not sell it or lend it to anyone.

Ana

I'm sure none of us want to get embroiled in yet another re-hash of "ownership" but I did find an interesting read HERE which helped explain some things to me

Such as this bit .... which, I must stress, is not the full quote ....

".... the commonly taken position is that when we buy a boxed game, we own the DVD, but only have a license for the software on it. A ‘licence’ is essentially a limited personal right to use the software on certain terms and conditions – it doesn’t give you the right to e.g. sell/transfer/copy/reproduce the software."

I stopped buying games from Telltale when I found the Wallace & Gromit DVD I bought from them used online activation, the same as the download version.

And yes the DRM can prevent you from playing the game if you run out of activations, though Telltale may provide a new activation code if you email them about the problem.

Thanks for the replies everyone.
I'm sorry I didn't get back sooner but yesterday was, well, a pistol.
And thanks for letting me know about the online activation, Jenny.
I'll have to think about it.

Gil.