Steam

[Anorion]

most Indian tech journalists are just giving their narrow minded opinions. It's just what that guy believes. It is full of careless remarks and unsupported statements.

Biggest mistake is confusing own usage scenario for everyone's usage scenario. The type of games one plays as the type of games everyone plays.

 

[Skud]

ROFL! Well anyway, the market items seem to have lost their price suddenly. All selling for half their USD prices. I mean cards and stuff. So it take a long time to get to 10k. And even then you can't really extract the money from steam. It stays with steam, they just allow you to get some more region locked licenses.

With 1400 items in market and another 2k+ in inventory, I'm not so sure about that.

 

[Alok]

Looks like every game I'll get will be playlocked. But what about offline mode?

 

[aniketdawn.89]

Looks like every game I'll get will be playlocked. But what about offline mode?

Not all. Only games that will give you that notification that it is playlocked.

Offline mode won't help much. You can't keep steam offline forever I guess.

 

[anaklusmos]

Not all. Only games that will give you that notification that it is playlocked.

Offline mode won't help much. You can't keep steam offline forever I guess.

I'm not getting it, what does region locking mean for us?
Right now I'm in India, and I have a truckload of games on my steam account. Supposing I move to the US in the future(very likely), will I not be able to play those games? If yes, what will the restrictions, if any, be?

 

[aniketdawn.89]

I'm not getting it, what does region locking mean for us?
Right now I'm in India, and I have a truckload of games on my steam account. Supposing I move to the US in the future(very likely), will I not be able to play those games? If yes, what will the restrictions, if any, be?

See, I will lay this out plainly to the best of my understanding:

Axiom 1: pre inr pricing on steam :

You bought games from steam store at US prices so no region lock. All games you got this way are playable while online everywhere except on Mars maybe.

Corollary 1:

Games you activated during this period using retail keys that are global will also work same as above. But keys that were region specific will be playlocked- so they become disabled once you leave the region.

Axiom 2: post inr implementation on steam

Games are now region/play locked but only the ones that have that info shown on their store page. So going forward, all games you buy in this steam account which display region lock will be play locked as well i.e. they will become disabled when you leave the region.

Corollary 1:

All retail keys you activate now will continue behaving same, i.e if it is a key for RU/IN then it is region/playlocked. But if it is global or ROW key, you can play anywhere online except maybe Venus.

So this is my understanding- anybody find any discrepancy please correct- I would be more than happy to be told that I am wrong on the region/play lock part.

Phew- long post! Cheers.

 

[kamikaz]

Well unless and until steam puts up a notification that this game will be playable in India ( like they do when we buy it as a gift ),we can always hope ,for a refund at least ,if it comes down to that

 

[seamon]

I'm not getting it, what does region locking mean for us?
Right now I'm in India, and I have a truckload of games on my steam account. Supposing I move to the US in the future(very likely), will I not be able to play those games? If yes, what will the restrictions, if any, be?

I am in USA and I can access all region locked Indian Games(Tomb Raider, XCOM, Bureau XCOM, Deus Ex- HR etc). Just make sure you use your Indian card to make purchases in USA or in the desperate of times, buy a retail wallet card. Steam won't change your region from India to USA.

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Steam only changes your region when you use a local card to make a purchase.

 

[aniketdawn.89]

Well unless and until steam puts up a notification that this game will be playable in India ( like they do when we buy it as a gift ),we can always hope ,for a refund at least ,if it comes down to that

True that. But most AAA titles now have NOTE boxes on their store page saying:

This game is only playable in blah blah!

So basically the regional pricing on recent AAA titles for us is like a double edged sword. The prices are not really that low and to add to that you can't play them if say your company sent you on site abroad.

For square enix titles like mankind div etc. that have mouth watering preorder prices, well I dunno if they are locked- doesn't say anything in the store page.

 

[Skud]

I think as long as prohibitrunincountries is not set for your sub, the game is not play locked. And Steam doesn't change the region automatically, you have to specifically request for it, or use a card of that region.

 

[aniketdawn.89]

I am in USA and I can access all region locked Indian Games(Tomb Raider, XCOM, Bureau XCOM etc). Just make sure you use your Indian card to make purchases in USA or in the desperate of times, buy a retail wallet card. Steam won't change your region from India to USA.

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Steam only changes your region when you use a local card to make a purchase.

Steam basically has two modes for migration- one is vacation mode which is short term and so you still get to buy from your local store. This mode is persisted as long as you use the country payment method which you mentioned. You are still in vacation mode (try to keep it that way )

Second is long term migration where you have to change your country to the new one by using new payment method.

I think that is the gist of it.

Second scenario may cause your playlocked keys to stop working. So you have to contact support for a solution.

 

[aniketdawn.89]

I think as long as prohibitrunincountries is not set for your sub, the game is not play locked. And Steam doesn't change the region automatically, you have to specifically request for it, or use a card of that region.

Can't go on forever, they will block your account for security if you don't tell them that you are travelling and that the sudden N/W IP change is intentional.

 

[Skud]

Steam basically has two modes for migration- one is vacation mode which is short term and so you still get to buy from your local store. This mode is persisted as long as you use the country payment method which you mentioned. You are still in vacation mode (try to keep it that way )

Second is long term migration where you have to change your country to the new one by using new payment method.

I think that is the gist of it.

Second scenario may cause your playlocked keys to stop working. So you have to contact support for a solution.

From what I have heard, they basically take the game out of your library, if you agree, so that you can repurchase. For those who are on the move, sticking to ROW keys/gifts might be a better solution in the long run.

 

[aniketdawn.89]

From what I have heard, they basically take the game out of your library, if you agree, so that you can repurchase. For those who are on the move, sticking to ROW keys/gifts might be a better solution in the long run.

So that is money gone in other words

Again it's customers who suffer and pirates enjoying in the Caribbeans!

Hail DRM free, hail GOG/Desura/Humble Store

 

[seamon]

From what I have heard, they basically take the game out of your library, if you agree, so that you can repurchase. For those who are on the move, sticking to ROW keys/gifts might be a better solution in the long run.

Once I had intentionally changed my region store to USA from the settings. My games got locked. They were still in my library but it said that game is region locked or something like that. Now the thing is I couldn't buy the game for USA as it said that I already owned the game.

After using my Indian card to make a purchase, my store region automatically changed to India.

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So that is money gone in other words

Again it's customers who suffer and pirates enjoying in the Caribbeans!

Hail DRM free, hail GOG/Desura/Humble Store

GOG is buggy as sht.

 

[Skud]

So that is money gone in other words

Again it's customers who suffer and pirates enjoying in the Caribbeans!

Hail DRM free, hail GOG/Desura/Humble Store

Humble has become a Steam key retailer mostly, they hardly flaunt their DRM free credentials these days. Heck, some of the recent HIBs are devoid of any drm free option, which is sad. Desura's future is uncertain, and that only leave GOG as the sole crusader of DRM free games. There was a huge debate some times back regarding regional pricing in GOG, but frankly, since the move to INR in Steam, I think GOG is better with regional pricing for its own survival. Sample this, Banished was Rs 141/- at 75% off at Steam, and it is 5USD presently at GOG at same discount. Now who's gonna pay 2x more for the same game?

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Once I had intentionally changed my region store to USA from the settings. My games got locked. They were still in my library but it said that game is region locked or something like that. Now the thing is I couldn't buy the game for USA as it said that I already owned the game.

After using my Indian card to make a purchase, my store region automatically changed to India.

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GOG is buggy as sht.

Store or client? Never have a problem with both.

 

[aniketdawn.89]

Once I had intentionally changed my region store to USA from the settings. My games got locked. They were still in my library but it said that game is region locked or something like that. Now the thing is I couldn't buy the game for USA as it said that I already owned the game.

After using my Indian card to make a purchase, my store region automatically changed to India.

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GOG is buggy as sht.

Give them time boy. They have potential to surpass steam some day.

 

[seamon]

Client. Pretty damn buggy.

 

[aniketdawn.89]

Humble has become a Steam key retailer mostly, they hardly flaunt their DRM free credentials these days. Heck, some of the recent HIBs are devoid of any drm free option, which is sad. Desura's future is uncertain, and that only leave GOG as the sole crusader of DRM free games. There was a huge debate some times back regarding regional pricing in GOG, but frankly, since the move to INR in Steam, I think GOG is better with regional pricing for its own survival. Sample this, Banished was Rs 141/- at 75% off at Steam, and it is 5USD presently at GOG at same discount. Now who's gonna pay 2x more for the same game?

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Store or client? Never have a problem with both.

I know what you are saying. As I said- steam regional pricing gives you cheap games and an extra lock. 2x the price gives you ownership of the game, not its license.

Choose what suits you

Obviously none of this should happen for people who pay for games. But well that is the world for you.

Wrongdoers always enjoy while those who follow rules get clobbered.

 

[sggupta95]

Once I had intentionally changed my region store to USA from the settings. My games got locked. They were still in my library but it said that game is region locked or something like that. Now the thing is I couldn't buy the game for USA as it said that I already owned the game.

After using my Indian card to make a purchase, my store region automatically changed to India.

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GOG is buggy as sht.

was just wondering some things.
what games did this happen to?was it all games or only region locked ones?
did this happen now or before indian regional pricing?