I work at a facility with public computers for kids and teens, and I'm looking to add some games like Age of Empires to the machines. Do I need to create a separate Microsoft or Steam account for each machine and purchase the game on each account to allow play? Currently, we only have Minecraft on these computers and we're using about five devices per account, which might violate terms of service. Is there a legitimate way to effectively purchase and manage games for public use?
3 Answers
Yeah, definitely look into the Steam Partner Cafe. Just be warned, it can be a hassle to set up, and there are some limitations on game availability. The good thing is that the games usually come at a slight discount.
If you have Microsoft Intune set up, you might be able to buy game licenses directly from the Microsoft Store and deploy them across your devices without needing Steam. That way, you can manage everything more easily.
I think you might be a bit optimistic about that. Many games aren’t available on the Microsoft Store, and after they changed things with Windows 11, buying and distributing paid games got really tricky.
For Steam games, you should check out the Steam Partner Cafe program. It offers some flexibility for public setups, but keep in mind that not every game is available through this program. You can find more info on their official site.
I totally agree! The software is a real headache. Also, they still don’t have silent installs figured out, which makes it tougher to manage.