I cant have access to my Xbox cloud files? GDPR???

[Manos]

So I had valheim (which I liked very much) from gamepass but I didnt want to continue using a subscription service, thus I cancelled it and got Valheim from steam. The problem was that the save files are located in the cloud and I couldnt transfer my character to steam because I couldnt no longer access the xbox version of the game(all of this could have been avoided if I did a local back up through the game ..  :/). Nevertheless I contacted microsoft to request access to my files in the cloud but I was rejected... Did a little digging and save files could be argued personal data so from my point of view the access to them should be obvious and easily granted as other companies do. The most ridiculous proposion was made from the agent who told me to resubscribe to the service login to the game and backing them up locally. Like no shit how I didnt think of that.. Idk tell me your opinion if you consider that we shoud have access to our cloud files. I have the transcript below for anyone who wants to read it (forgive my typos I am dyslexic not a native english speaker and after a point I was writing furiously xD)

[PDifolco]

Didn't read the whole thing, but thing is MS has no reason to help you as you've unsubscribed...

Get a free subscription period, transfer files, and cancel subscription , it's the only way

[Eigenvektor]

IANAL, but I don't think game saves count as personal data and storing these on a server likely doesn't count as processing personal data. Even if, yes the company has to tell you what kind of personal data they store. And they have to make it available to you upon request. But they are free to make it available in any form. Which means that technically they could send you a big pile of paper containing 1s and 0s.

[Mark Kaine]

29 minutes ago, PDifolco said:

Didn't read the whole thing, but thing is MS has no reason to help you

i mean that is true, but also the problem.  its ops data and they should get it when requested. 

 

this is like taking a ransom fee and then blaming the hostage, for well, being dumb enough to have been taken hostage,  aka victim blaming. 

the only reason Microsoft actually would ever have to "help" the op is the law.

 

 

but since the law is in direct contradiction to Microsofts business they won't do that until someone makes them.

 

kinda like steam won't let you sell your games ,*even though they're required by law to do so*

 

gatekeeping at its finest.  

[Mark Kaine]

9 minutes ago, Eigenvektor said:

IANAL, but I don't think game saves count as personal data and storing these on a server likely doesn't count as processing personal data. Even if, yes the company has to tell you what kind of personal data they store. And they have to make it available to you upon request. But they are free to make it available in any form. Which means that technically they could send you a big pile of paper containing 1s and 0s.

correct.  which op could then reverse engineer and problem solved! hence they wont do even that, unless forced by a court order.

[PDifolco]

8 minutes ago, Mark Kaine said:

i mean that is true, but also the problem.  its ops data and they should get it when requested. 

 

this is like taking a ransom fee and then blaming the hostage, for well, being dumb enough to have been taken hostage,  aka victim blaming. 

the only reason Microsoft actually would ever have to "help" the op is the law.

 

 

but since the law is in direct contradiction to Microsofts business they won't do that until someone makes them.

 

kinda like steam won't let you sell your games ,*even though they're required by law to do so*

 

gatekeeping at its finest.  

Sure, I don't say it's fair nor even legal, but the legal way is just not really an option here

Let's them rather work for free and bail out

[Donut417]

You didn't purchase the game, you where merely renting it via a subscription. In my opinion  Microsoft is kinda in the right. If you want access to data that was generated via a sub then you need to sub to the service to have access.

 

At the end of the day it comes down to the laws of your jurisdiction. In the US I highly doubt you would have a case. In the EU, maybe, but Im not an expert in EU law.

 

If it were me, I would just buy a month sub and transfer the data. OR just start over. Not worth the stress or high blood pressure.

[Mark Kaine]

in the end - while gdpr is indeed a thing yes - you could also make the case op knew exactly what he was signing up for (a glorified renting scheme) and thus never intended to own anything.  is a save file really personal / private data?

 

also would it not have been possible to backup the save while the subscription was active? 

 

(more a hypothetical question but i see no reason Microsoft would allow that,  that's how they pressure you into re-subbing after all, neither do i believe the save would be compatible with the steam version) 

 

 

all very unfair and anti consumer of course, but since politicians dont understand any of that, possibly very legal also.

 

but not a lawyer,  so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 

[Mark Kaine]

40 minutes ago, Donut417 said:

If it were me, I would just buy a month sub and transfer the data

yeah, see above... do you even know the save isnt copy protected? and its compatible with the steam version? 

 

most saves from diff stores are never compatible  - for obvious reasons (gatekeep) 

[Donut417]

29 minutes ago, Mark Kaine said:

do you even know the save isnt copy protected? and its compatible with the steam version? 

According to a post I found you can pull you saved data from steam on the Xbox version, so they do cross saves. What the OP probably needs to do is get access to the Xbox version and sync their saves.

[Holmes108]

1 hour ago, Donut417 said:

According to a post I found you can pull you saved data from steam on the Xbox version, so they do cross saves. What the OP probably needs to do is get access to the Xbox version and sync their saves.

 

It's been a while, but I'm 99% sure I did exactly this when it first came to console. I was originally playing on Steam, and then was able to seamlessly play as the same character from my xbox (and switch aback and forth) when it released with crossplay.

 

 

[Manos]

I fixed the problem by buying the game from the xbox store getting the saves and then refunded. Still kinda troubled by MS attitude. I still think the data should be considered personal data at least from the GDPR point of view so for EU citizens at least should be a way to access them. Nevertheless I contactd MS chat service (not the xbox as before) and asked them what was their GDPR policy and why I was refused access to my xbox cloud data. The answer was that  a request has to be made through a ticket process , which at the end of the conversation was opened.  I got the feeling also that they may invistigate why i was not told about this option from the agent of xbox but its a feeling. I had already resolved the issue so at that time I didnt want to invest any more time in asking questions. When I get an answer from the ticket I'll update