Steam is now region locking games

[biostud]

http://www.techspot.com/news/59185-...pc-games-stop-people-exploiting-currency.html

Only a day after Apple pulled the plug on online sales in Russia, Valve is also taking measures to prevent users from exploiting low currency values on Steam. Effectively immediately the company says that games bought on its platform will be region locked to the region it was purchased from.

The move is aimed squarely at people who were exploiting a loophole by purchasing games as gift purchases at a fraction of the price from countries such as Brazil and Russia, and then selling them to western gamers at a discount. It’s likely also a reaction to the plummeting Russian Ruble.

The lock has been confirmed to be in place in Brazil, Rusia, Indonesia and their neighboring areas. Apparently, those who have activated games originating outside their region before the change will still have access to them.

It’s unclear if other regions where pricing isn’t significantly affected such as the US and Euro-currency countries will see the same restrictions. For now Valve hasn’t officially addressed the move either, so we’re not sure if once activated, locked games will still be playable when traveling abroad.

 

[M0oG0oGaiPan]

that's kind of lame. the whole regional pricing thing is kind of bs anyway. these guys reselling keys are still buying the games. they're just taking advantage of the differences in prices in two different markets. aka arbitrage.

i'm sure this is within the rights of the steam subscriber agreement so it's just something we have to deal with. i think g2a sells international keys. nuuvem also (brazil). those two sites sell steam games for cheap at times. g2a was a great source for new releases.

 

[DaveSimmons]

I'm fine with this.

If you don't like the North American prices you can do what I do: wait for a sale. You probably have dozens of unplayed games in your Steam library, so chip away at that backlog while you wait for the legit price to drop down to what you're willing to pay.

It does stink for a few countries where prices are even higher than in the US, but they can try to vote with their wallet.

 

[splat_ed]

The problem with this is those who move overseas. Do they lose access to the library that they've built up?

 

[ControlD]

I think everyone saw this coming for awhile now.

I have always been too chicken to try buying anything but the NA versions in the first place.

I would assume that this is just going to be for purchases moving forward. I doubt Steam is going to start locking games you already have in your library, but I could be wrong.

 

[lupi]

Everyone loved steam and it's drm, so no point now un-prostrating yourself before the steam god.

 

[RussianSensation]

That's why when working overseas I've been buying Origin games and Steam games when back at home in Canada/US.

 

[clok1966]

Free MP3's, free Movies, why shouldn't game be free. Seems we all think nobody should get paid for making games. I think we should use the same analogy for gas (in the US) while we all think gas prices are horrible, we pay far less then most of the world.. market area's are not all the same.

 

[Skurge]

The problem with this is those who move overseas. Do they lose access to the library that they've built up?

They say you can keep all previous games.

 

[Sho'Nuff]

I wonder if this will affect greenmangaming. I've always wondered how they are able to offer discounts on brand new games.

 

[ControlD]

I wonder if this will affect greenmangaming. I've always wondered how they are able to offer discounts on brand new games.

I'm not sure, but all of the codes I have purchased from GMG have been real North American codes, not ones from areas with cheaper game prices.

 

[cbrunny]

This probably has more to do with the Russian currency crashing than it does any other thing. A good chance this will change if/when Russia stabilizes.

 

[MeldarthX]

Russia won't stablize for while as Saudi's declared price war on Russia's oil....*and indirectly on US shale oil* this is to give them breathing room for 5 years because once US congress allows US shale oil export; that will break Opec's stronghold on oil......

cbrunny you very well could be onto something; but I doubt they will unlock regions once they lock them. But then again Sony did that with PS3 games.....on the bluray; there was only one that actually region locked; they took so much flack they unlocked the game.

 

[lupi]

Free MP3's, free Movies, why shouldn't game be free. Seems we all think nobody should get paid for making games. I think we should use the same analogy for gas (in the US) while we all think gas prices are horrible, we pay far less then most of the world.. market area's are not all the same.


That's kinda stupid. First, if some is selling something, excluding shipment cost variances, why would it not be the same for everyone. And since these are digitals, that doesn't even apply.

Second, base gas prices are the same everywhere, cost of transportation being the major real variance followed by government interference by applying taxes or subsidizing cost.

 

[darkewaffle]

That's kinda stupid. First, if some is selling something, excluding shipment cost variances, why would it not be the same for everyone. And since these are digitals, that doesn't even apply.

Second, base gas prices are the same everywhere, cost of transportation being the major real variance followed by government interference by applying taxes or subsidizing cost.

Because not everyone has the same ability to pay. Many, many countries have much lower levels of disposable income than we (assuming the US) are fortunate enough to have but companies still want to be able to sell there because they want that mindshare for the future when those countries and peoples become more economically robust. So they sell there at a loss or at cost, whatever their accounting and relations teams deem appropriate, and make up for it with that 'added value' as well as by being 'subsidized' in a way by the richer consumers.

I make a lot of money (in game) playing most games and apply the same principals. I have a price in mind that, say, crafting something is worth given the time and effort I put into the craft and the time taken to reach that 'level'. They're reasonable for most customers (and if an affluent one offers more I'm not going to turn the extra away). But if someone is short on cash and can only offer a certain amount, I'll weigh whether it's worth the time and the goodwill and the likelihood for them to spread my name and come back to me in the future. It usually is unless I am especially strapped for time or they're being super stingy lol.

 

[Genx87]

Wonder how this is going to affect World of Tanks?

 

[SMOGZINN]

Free MP3's, free Movies, why shouldn't game be free. Seems we all think nobody should get paid for making games. I think we should use the same analogy for gas (in the US) while we all think gas prices are horrible, we pay far less then most of the world.. market area's are not all the same.

Companies have no problem using economic differences to buy cheap goods in China and hire cheap labor in India, so why is it wrong when I do it?

Because not everyone has the same ability to pay.

Nor does everyone in America. If you have enough money that paying a bit more is not a burden you are probably not seeking out secondary markets to save a little cash.

 

[slag]

Wonder how this is going to affect World of Tanks?

I never went through Steam to get world of tanks. It's a free download from their site.

 

[sandorski]

I spent XMas in the US and last year I couldn't buy anything from the XMas Sale while there. It really pissed me off and I suspect I won't be able to do it this year as well.

What really annoys me is that Steam knows where I live, why doesn't it offer me access to my Regions store when I am out of that Region? This is the damned Internet, not some shop down the street!

If I am mistaken, then I'll be happy, but if I am locked out I will be checking out Origin and other places.

 

[StinkyPinky]

Not good, but so far it just seems to be locking down keys from lower income areas of the world not just the entire planet. So at this stage key sites like GMG should be ok....

 

[SunnyD]

I wonder if Kirstang v. Wiley can be applied to this in any way, shape or form. To be fair, I see very little difference between that case and the end user logging in with VPN, purchasing a foreign version of a title, then turning off the VPN and authorizing against Steam's local servers to play it.

 

[Fallen Kell]

I think we should use the same analogy for gas (in the US) while we all think gas prices are horrible, we pay far less then most of the world.. market area's are not all the same.

We pay less than most of the world because we don't have the same level of taxes on gas that most of the world has (and we are currently pumping the oil, and refining it into gasoline and other petrol products here in the USA so don't have to deal with the added costs of overseas transporting of the raw or refined products as much, at least in the continental lower 48 states).

Our low taxes on gas is also the reason the highway fund is essentially bankrupt with billions of dollars worth of interstate highway roads, bridges, overpasses, and tunnels that need major work due to age and wear/tear.

 

[lupi]

I'm fine with them selling less elsewhere, them adding additional DRM on it though it a unk move among other things.

 

[zerogear]

As far as I know, it is only locking Gifts

 

[xantub]

If it's only gifts, it's fine, but if they lock the actual games that does suck, as people move around. Will I only be able to play games I purchased in different countries only when I'm in those countries? I would imagine this sucks specially bad for people in the military.