Valve is finally going ahead with the plans for Family Sharing though Steam. This will allow each individual user to earn their own achievements and keep their own game saves to the cloud. You can authorize sharing on up to 10 devices at a time, which is pretty generous. Some games that require a subscription or account key, such as Defiance, aren't share-able, and users must share entire libraries,not individual games. This sounds like a great idea for Valve to keep Steam competitive in the market, especially with the new consoles about to hit the stores. Okay, I'm going to go sign up for the beta and see if I'm one of the lucky 1000
When a user authorizes their device to allow sharing, the lender's library of Steam games will become available for others to access, download, and play. Though simultaneous usage of an account is prohibited, the lender is always able to play their games at any time. If the player decides to start playing while a friend is borrowing a game, the friend will be given a "few minutes" to purchase the game or quit. Gamers interested in joining the Family Sharing beta can sign up through the Family Sharing group on the Steam community. The beta is expected to begin in about a week, when one thousand accounts will be given access. Those chosen will be notified via email.
