So it seems Steam can get worse.

[smackababy]

Just because you haven't been caught doing something illegally doesn't mean its not illegal. Steam doesn't care whether you bought the game through legal means or not, they just know a batch of keys is being resold (against their policies) and can ban them wholesale at a moment's notice. Good luck getting your money back from a eastern european vendor.

I think the legality of grey market software is dubious at best. Personally, I wouldn't risk it, as I'd hate to lose even just access to that game in order to save a few dollars. I am not poor, I can afford a $50 game vs a $35 one. While, I'd like to get it cheaper, using the grey market isn't the most risk free of ways for that to happen.

Steam has frozen accounts for this kind of stuff, so losing your entire account would be pretty crappy.

 

[Grooveriding]

When I saw Steam was switching Canadians to regional currency a few weeks ago I was concerned how that would pan out. So far I haven't seen anything that stands out as yet. Prices are about 5-10% more in CAN than they are in US. Seems about right.

Our dollars were on par up until early this year. It would of been interesting to see how prices played out back then and if they were kept on parity.

I buy keys from a few different sites. The only one I know for certain to be totally legit is GMG. But I use G2A and CJS sometimes as well and have never had issues. VPNs are a huge no no on steam for buying anything. I use VPNs to unlock games early that release in Asia before NA, but this never causes problems and they don''t care about that. You'll get banned if you use VPNs to buy games on Steam at the cheaper prices in regions like Russia.

 

[Topweasel]

I think the legality of grey market software is dubious at best. Personally, I wouldn't risk it, as I'd hate to lose even just access to that game in order to save a few dollars. I am not poor, I can afford a $50 game vs a $35 one. While, I'd like to get it cheaper, using the grey market isn't the most risk free of ways for that to happen.

Steam has frozen accounts for this kind of stuff, so losing your entire account would be pretty crappy.

People use Illegal for too many things. It's not illegal. But the practice probably breaks TOS for Steam and the Eula's for both Steam and the software. Which means the codes even if real money was paid for them at the very beginning can be rejected at any time and accounts closed or frozen for breaking agreements. Really it only if you are circumventing taxes and or censorship in your area can it then it can be considered illegal.

 

[norseamd]

Fixed that for you.

Yes, the games may come from a legitimate source, but then the reseller exploits regional pricing by selling them outside of their intended market for a lower cost, which specifically goes against most (all?) publishers' demands.

While it's not usually enforced, a game developer/publisher can definitely revoke these Steam keys if they want to, because they were sold against their policies.

It happened just a couple months ago when Sniper Elite 3 came out. Tons of people's Steam keys were revoked and removed from their accounts, and it turns out it was because all of those people had purchased the game from gray-market websites. If they had purchased these keys from a legitimate source like GMG and not "CHEAPKEYS4U.RU" or whatever, this wouldn't have happened.

You fail at US law.

 

[norseamd]

Fixed that for you. Yes, the games may come from a legitimate source, but then the reseller exploits regional pricing by selling them outside of their intended market for a lower cost, which specifically goes against most (all?) publishers' demands. While it's not usually enforced, a game developer/publisher can definitely revoke these Steam keys if they want to, because they were sold against their policies. It happened just a couple months ago when Sniper Elite 3 came out. Tons of people's Steam keys were revoked and removed from their accounts, and it turns out it was because all of those people had purchased the game from gray-market websites. If they had purchased these keys from a legitimate source like GMG and not "CHEAPKEYS4U.RU" or whatever, this wouldn't have happened.

Just because you haven't been caught doing something illegally doesn't mean its not illegal. Steam doesn't care whether you bought the game through legal means or not, they just know a batch of keys is being resold (against their policies) and can ban them wholesale at a moment's notice. Good luck getting your money back from a eastern european vendor.

Just like Steam does not care about you or your moral right and is more or less operating illegally against EU legal code and policies.

 

[norseamd]

Steam should fix their shit before XMas rolls around or they just might miss some sales.

They may or may not. I would not count on anything at all.

 

[TheSlamma]

So go to GOG and GTFO

GOG is awesome

 

[StinkyPinky]

Developers decide game prices, not Steam.

You fail.

We keep hearing this argument but it's half-assed. Steam is a major player and could easily put pressure on publishers not to gouge certain geographical regions. But they don't. Publishers can take most of the blame but Steam are complicit imo.

 

[NickelPlate]

for canadians anyway...

wtf steam how you gonna rip off canadians.

Somebody has to support Gabe's eating habits...

 

[norseamd]

Somebody has to support Gabe's eating habits...

Well it is too bad he is more than just fat. He is not looking very good in some of his pictures.

 

[BFG10K]

We've been told one of the main advantages of digital is that the extra costs of managing physical goods aren't there. Therefore by extension when it comes to digital goods, the only reasonable regional fees are those to cover local taxes. Anything else is just ripping off customers, plain and simple.

 

[JumBie]

We've been told one of the main advantages of digital is that the extra costs of managing physical goods aren't there. Therefore by extension when it comes to digital goods, the only reasonable regional fees are those to cover local taxes. Anything else is just ripping off customers, plain and simple.

Digital games should in theory be 25% cheaper than those in store. You have to factor in packaging and transportation.

 

[Bateluer]

We've been told one of the main advantages of digital is that the extra costs of managing physical goods aren't there. Therefore by extension when it comes to digital goods, the only reasonable regional fees are those to cover local taxes. Anything else is just ripping off customers, plain and simple.

But we've already been conditioned for 49.99, 59.99, and 69.99. So if they can sell a digital game for the same price, thats more profit per unit sold for them. For games, the convenience factor is a biggie.

For books, however, I'm of the opposite mind. There is zero reason for a digital book to cost the same as or more than a printed book. That leads to extreme piracy, no matter what publishers like Hachette try to tell the consumer.

 

[Rakehellion]

Idk, move to the USA bro.

But they're getting ripped off too! https://www.steamprices.com/us/topripoffs

Who'd have guessed that things cost different amounts in different countries?

 

[gorcorps]

So go to GOG and GTFO

GOG is awesome

Do you mean GMG? Good Old Games seems to focus on older games that have been fixed up enough to work on modern OSes. Green Man Gaming is a popular reseller of steam keys that has all the latest games.

 

[ControlD]

But we've already been conditioned for 49.99, 59.99, and 69.99. So if they can sell a digital game for the same price, thats more profit per unit sold for them. For games, the convenience factor is a biggie.

For books, however, I'm of the opposite mind. There is zero reason for a digital book to cost the same as or more than a printed book. That leads to extreme piracy, no matter what publishers like Hachette try to tell the consumer.

I don't see the difference at all honestly. You are paying a convenience factor with ebooks as well. Simply purchase a book online and start reading immediately. Sure beats driving across town to the bookstore or waiting 2 days for a package to arrive.

In both cases you are paying for the content, not the physical medium that the content arrives in.

I think ebook piracy is probably high because it is easy and the file size is small. Nobody wants to download two 5.7GB ISOs for a game only to find out they are (a) infested with malware/virus and (b) in the wrong language.

 

[natto fire]

People use Illegal for too many things. It's not illegal. But the practice probably breaks TOS for Steam and the Eula's for both Steam and the software. Which means the codes even if real money was paid for them at the very beginning can be rejected at any time and accounts closed or frozen for breaking agreements. Really it only if you are circumventing taxes and or censorship in your area can it then it can be considered illegal.

Just like people confuse criminal and civil law. Breach of contract is illegal, but almost never results in criminal charges. Terms of Service agreements are binding contracts, and breaching them is technically illegal.
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breach_of_contract

/pedant

 

[Topweasel]

Just like people confuse criminal and civil law. Breach of contract is illegal, but almost never results in criminal charges. Terms of Service agreements are binding contracts, and breaching them is technically illegal.
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breach_of_contract

/pedant

ToS's aren't binding contracts any more then Eula's. They are liability limiters at most.

 

[ThinClient]

The Law and Order game isn't 165 Canadian. When you click the link, it sends you to the "TellTale Game Collection" for 165 Canadian, of which Law and Order is only ONE of the MANY games you get.

The US link is just buying the L&O game alone by itself.

It is the same for every link I clicked on.

Africa Flag pack for Call of Duty. The US link is just the pack by itself. The Canadian link sends you to a complete DLC pack, one of which is the Africa Flag Pack.

Stupid website is comparing single items to complete DLC packs and then saying Steam is ripping you off.

Complete fail of a website.

Bwuahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha :awe:

 

[JimmiG]

The same issue exists in Sweden. It's usually cheaper to buy a boxed copy of the game in a local store and then register it on Steam, than to buy the Steam version online. I think I saved about €20 by buying the boxed version of Skyrim, for example.

 

[Mem]

I normally buy retail however if I'm after a digital download only game it's cheaper to go to places like Allkeyshop.com(for any country) and buy a Steam key from one of the many digital game sites listed there,at least there you can shop around for best prices and they are always cheaper then what Steam normally has on offer.