Posted January 04, 2013
keeveek
NOPE
Registered: Dec 2009
From Poland
StingingVelvet
Devil's Advocate
Registered: Nov 2008
From United States
Niggles
MOMOSaysMAHAYO;)
Registered: Apr 2009
From Australia
Posted January 04, 2013
Anyways back on topic, anymore deals people recommend?
Gazoinks
Is an AI
Registered: Dec 2011
From United States
timppu
Favorite race: Formula__One
Registered: Jun 2011
From Finland
Posted January 04, 2013
The simple fact is that disposable income standards vary wildly across the world. For that reason you have to sell at a much lower price in places like Russia to get any sales, but then people in other countries take advantage of it which makes publishers try and restrict access.
But they are not. Have less income? Buy cheaper games, e.g. older ones, or indie games. Just like if you have less money, you don't buy an expensive sports car, but some cheap second-hand Nissan.
This makes more sense especially considering that even inside the given regions, there are wildly different incomes.
That said, of course it is up to the publishers to decide. I can only vote with my wallet.
Post edited January 04, 2013 by timppu
SimonG
SimonG597
Registered: Sep 2010
From Germany
Posted January 04, 2013
Bastion, for those who don't already have it.
I am Alive (never played it, but for a fiver it is interesting enough)
Grimrock is very cheap, it uses Steam workshop for mods.
P1na: And this happened on big enough numbers to make publishers care enough to enforce the whole region lock thing? I know some of my friends import PS3 titles from the UK, as it is cheaper there and there appears to be a company shipping all around Europe. But I would have thought the risk of this going on massive scale began with digital distribution, where you just need to email a key and not mail a whole box, yet the region lock has been going on at least since PS2 times (probably longer, but I was never a console player and thus have no idea) There are whole sites set up that resell Steam keys from retail boxes sold in those areas. I won't post them here, but they are there. Heck, I even used them for my Dead Island copy. With all the confusing around the state and release possibilities I simply thought "f'ck this". Wasn't even worth the reduced price I paid (still 30€).
Regional locks are like speed limits. In a perfect society you wouldn't need them, but currently they are unavoidable.
But even the current Steam system is far from perfect. Not enough countries/regions and no option to buy "international versions" when in Russia. Had to use my dandy VPN for that. But many problems are beyond Steams (or Amazons) control in regard to gaming licenses. I hope with the eventual disappearance of retail this will get better. It already works a lot better with indies.
I am Alive (never played it, but for a fiver it is interesting enough)
Grimrock is very cheap, it uses Steam workshop for mods.
Regional locks are like speed limits. In a perfect society you wouldn't need them, but currently they are unavoidable.
But even the current Steam system is far from perfect. Not enough countries/regions and no option to buy "international versions" when in Russia. Had to use my dandy VPN for that. But many problems are beyond Steams (or Amazons) control in regard to gaming licenses. I hope with the eventual disappearance of retail this will get better. It already works a lot better with indies.
Post edited January 04, 2013 by SimonG
P1na
Wandering fruit
Registered: Apr 2012
From Spain
Posted January 04, 2013
I have noticed changes recently on the way steam works. I now seem to be able to use my Basque address when paying from Ireland and my Irish address when paying from the Basque Country. It usually just tells me it needs to readjust prices and whatnot and forces me to repeat the process, but the payment gets through.
Before, it always forced me to say I lived in the country I was currently at in order to be able to buy something (thus my fiasco with Bioshock), and so I've told steam I lived anywhere from the UK to Korea. I haven't tried paying with an address in the UK, where I stayed a month in Summer, but I might be able to pay in £. I don't know the requirements for steam to allow you using a foreign address, I'll give it a check when I can. I think this is good, for I will not be forced to lie anymore when I travel.
I get the similarity between the region lock and speed limits. Just wanted to say, the moment steam gets stupid about it and restricts a game to IPs on the area they were bought, I'll stop using it and return to piracy. The only reason I went for digital distributors was to have my games available when I suddenly feel like playing Fallout Tactics in Indonesia. If I can't get my legally bought games from steam, I'll get them ilegally from piratebay. And I won't feel any worse for it.
PS: If it turns out I can pay on any currency I want out of the places I've logged into steam from, I don't know if I'll consistently abuse the system or not. But if I do, I would use the £ prices. I can't see the UK any poorer than Ireland or Spain, and that voids my moral restrictions on the subject.
The current payment method does not match the country of the store. The cart has been converted and the updated total will show on the next page. You may also review your cart here, or change your payment method below.
I tried to buy Kane & Lynch with an UK address, and the payment went through. Then, for the heck of it, I tried Dark Souls with an US fake address, where I've never been. Unexpected error. So I guess it's limited to countries you've logged in from before.
Before, it always forced me to say I lived in the country I was currently at in order to be able to buy something (thus my fiasco with Bioshock), and so I've told steam I lived anywhere from the UK to Korea. I haven't tried paying with an address in the UK, where I stayed a month in Summer, but I might be able to pay in £. I don't know the requirements for steam to allow you using a foreign address, I'll give it a check when I can. I think this is good, for I will not be forced to lie anymore when I travel.
I get the similarity between the region lock and speed limits. Just wanted to say, the moment steam gets stupid about it and restricts a game to IPs on the area they were bought, I'll stop using it and return to piracy. The only reason I went for digital distributors was to have my games available when I suddenly feel like playing Fallout Tactics in Indonesia. If I can't get my legally bought games from steam, I'll get them ilegally from piratebay. And I won't feel any worse for it.
PS: If it turns out I can pay on any currency I want out of the places I've logged into steam from, I don't know if I'll consistently abuse the system or not. But if I do, I would use the £ prices. I can't see the UK any poorer than Ireland or Spain, and that voids my moral restrictions on the subject.
The current payment method does not match the country of the store. The cart has been converted and the updated total will show on the next page. You may also review your cart here, or change your payment method below.
I tried to buy Kane & Lynch with an UK address, and the payment went through. Then, for the heck of it, I tried Dark Souls with an US fake address, where I've never been. Unexpected error. So I guess it's limited to countries you've logged in from before.
Post edited January 04, 2013 by P1na
SimonG
SimonG597
Registered: Sep 2010
From Germany
Posted January 04, 2013
I used my Steam account quite liberally around the world and it never gave me trouble.
Ubivis
New User
Registered: Sep 2010
From Germany
Posted January 04, 2013
I used my Steam account quite liberally around the world and it never gave me trouble.
P1na
Wandering fruit
Registered: Apr 2012
From Spain
Posted January 04, 2013
I used my Steam account quite liberally around the world and it never gave me trouble.
EDIT: I just remembered a moment when, from Ireland, I couldn't pay with paypal because my paypal account was... domicilated? with a Basque address. And I couldn't use a Basque address in Steam because I was logging in from Ireland. If steam had had a physical form other than my dear laptop, I would have punched it.
Post edited January 04, 2013 by P1na
Niggles
MOMOSaysMAHAYO;)
Registered: Apr 2009
From Australia
Posted January 04, 2013
New Flash Deals
Symphony -66% $3.39
Ace of Spades --50% $4.99
"We're sorry This game is not available in your region"
Can someone tell me what the last game is? Im betting its a rockstar published game?
Symphony -66% $3.39
Ace of Spades --50% $4.99
"We're sorry This game is not available in your region"
Can someone tell me what the last game is? Im betting its a rockstar published game?
Rodzaju
Official Bastard
Registered: Jan 2010
From United Kingdom
Niggles
MOMOSaysMAHAYO;)
Registered: Apr 2009
From Australia
Posted January 04, 2013
Ok thanks. Probably not showing because we get the censored Left 4 Dead 2 here :/. Both 1 and 2 are 75% off btw the way $4.99 each
StingingVelvet
Devil's Advocate
Registered: Nov 2008
From United States
Posted January 04, 2013
EDIT: I just remembered a moment when, from Ireland, I couldn't pay with paypal because my paypal account was... domicilated? with a Basque address. And I couldn't use a Basque address in Steam because I was logging in from Ireland. If steam had had a physical form other than my dear laptop, I would have punched it.
P1na
Wandering fruit
Registered: Apr 2012
From Spain
Posted January 04, 2013
EDIT: I just remembered a moment when, from Ireland, I couldn't pay with paypal because my paypal account was... domicilated? with a Basque address. And I couldn't use a Basque address in Steam because I was logging in from Ireland. If steam had had a physical form other than my dear laptop, I would have punched it.