NEARstudios Privacy Policy

Effective Date: August 16, 2024

NEARstudios ("NEARstudios," "we," "us," or "our") respects your privacy. This Privacy Policy describes how we collect, use, store, share, and protect your personal information when you visit our website, communicate with us, purchase our products, or interact with our services and platform integrations (collectively, the "Services").

1. Information We Collect

We limit our data collection to what is necessary to operate our studio, communicate with players, and deliver our products and services.

A. Information You Provide Voluntarily

• Contact Information: Email address, name, or social media handles provided when signing up for newsletters, joining playtests, filling out contact forms, entering giveaways, or submitting customer support requests.
• Community & UGC Content: Forum posts, Discord messages, survey responses, bug reports, and any user-generated content or mod materials submitted to us or our official platforms.
• Transactional Information: When you purchase physical merchandise, pre-order products, or support crowdfunding efforts directly through our site, we collect billing/shipping addresses, contact details, and order history. (Note: We do not collect or store full credit card numbers; see Section 2).

B. Information Collected Automatically

• Technical & Analytics Data: IP addresses, browser types, operating systems, referring URLs, and basic usage metrics collected via standard website analytics tools and cookies to optimize website performance.

C. Information Received from Third Parties

• Platforms & Storefronts: If you purchase or access our games or digital items through third-party platforms (such as Steam, Epic Games Store, or console networks), or interact with payment platforms (such as Xsolla), we may receive transaction fulfillment confirmation, anonymized purchase statistics, platform user IDs, or country region.
• Modding Platforms: When modding or community features are enabled via third-party providers, we may receive basic account/usage identifiers required to link and deliver these features.

2. Financial & Payment Processing

We do not collect, process, or store sensitive credit card or banking details. All payment transactions conducted via our website or associated platforms are handled directly by third-party payment processors (such as Stripe, PayPal, Xsolla or platform storefronts like Steam and Epic). These processors operate under their own privacy policies and compliance frameworks. We receive only transaction status tokens, order numbers, and fulfillment details necessary to deliver your purchase.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the personal information we collect for business and operational purposes, including:

• Service Delivery & Fulfillment: Processing orders, issuing digital keys, managing merchandise shipping, and confirming transactions.
• Communication: Sending administrative updates, responding to support inquiries, or distributing newsletters and playtest invitations (where you have opted in).
• Game Development & Analytics: Improving website usability, analyzing gameplay feedback, diagnosing technical issues, and planning community features.
• Legal & Security Compliance: Protecting our assets and users against fraud, abuse, unauthorized access, or legal liabilities.

4. Disclosure & Sharing of Information

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties for monetary consideration. We share personal data only in the following limited circumstances:

• Service Providers: Trusted vendors who perform services on our behalf (e.g., email distribution services, web hosting, analytics, and fulfillment partners) subject to strict confidentiality and data protection obligations.
• Platform Partners: Third-party game services, store services, or mod hosting services (e.g., Steam) strictly as needed to support game cross-functionality, authentication, and user content.
• Legal Requirements: When required by law, subpoena, court order, or government regulation, or to protect the safety, rights, and property of NEARstudios, our players, or the public.
• Business Transfers: In connection with a merger, acquisition, studio restructuring, or sale of assets, player data may be transferred as part of standard business due diligence and succession.

5. Cookies & Tracking Technologies

Our website uses cookies, web beacons, and similar tracking tools to collect basic usage data and enhance site navigation. You can set your web browser to refuse all or some browser cookies, or to alert you when cookies are being sent. If you disable or refuse cookies, some parts of our website may become inaccessible or fail to function properly.

6. Data Rights & Choices (GDPR, CCPA/CPRA, etc.)

Depending on your jurisdiction (including the European Union/UK and various US states like California), you have rights regarding your personal data:

• Access & Portability: Request a copy of the personal information we hold about you.
• Correction & Deletion: Request that we update inaccurate data or delete your personal information, subject to legal record-keeping exemptions.
• Opt-Out: Unsubscribe from promotional marketing emails at any time using the "Unsubscribe" link in the footers of our emails.
• Global Privacy Control (GPC): We honor recognized opt-out preference signals sent by web browsers.

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at privacy@nearstudios.com.

7. Children's Privacy

Our website and services are intended for general audiences and are not directed to children under 13 years of age (or under 16 in certain European jurisdictions). We do not knowingly collect personal information from children without parental consent. If you believe we have inadvertently collected data from a child under these ages, please contact us immediately so we can promptly delete it.

8. Data Security & Retention

We implement reasonable technical and organizational security measures to safeguard your personal information against unauthorized access, loss, or misuse. We retain personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfill the operational purposes described in this policy or to comply with statutory legal and accounting requirements.

9. Updates to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy periodically to reflect changes in our practices, technology, or legal requirements. We will post the revised policy on our website with an updated "Effective Date." Continued use of our site and services following such updates constitutes acceptance of the revised policy.

10. Contact Us

If you have any questions, comments, or data requests regarding this Privacy Policy, please reach out to us:

Near Studios, Inc. doing business as NEARstudios
Website: https://playhawthorn.com
Email: legal@playhawthorn.com