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Hey there, everyone.
As you probably already know, activating some Russian CD Keys on Steam has required a Russian IP, for a while now, which I can even somewhat understand, but now Steam has started to actually prevent you from PLAYING Russian version games.
First and right now prominent example: The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Now, I know you can still start the game through the launcher instead of through Steam, but that's not the point I'm trying to make here.
I do understand the whole regional pricing dilemma, but I am fairly sure that this is breaking some EU contraband laws.
If, for example, I went to Russia for vacation, bought the game, activated it and then came back, I wouldn't be able to play it anymore. No matter what the EULA says, this is a form of theft, in one way or another.
What are your thoughts on the matter?
(And maybe someone with more legal knowledge can even back me up here?)
What did they expect? People will always buy the cheaper version if it's the same quality or works the same, always. So what now, are they actually saying you can't play a game but .exe still works? LMAO.
I live like 1,5 hours of driving from Russia, what if I actually go there someday and purchase some games? Hmmm.
Valve games for a long time work only in Russia, now other publishers also catch the idea that customers buy cheap Russian games and activate them on steam. So the greedy bitches are not happy cause they want more and more money
Luckily not. 
All games gifted by Russian friends are ROW 
That means they does not have any regional restrictions
Huh, I wasn't aware that they've been doing this for Valve games for longer already.
I'm pretty sure my Orange Box was Russian and all.
Now I wonder even more, though… can they really do this, legally?
As I said, I'm pretty sure this breaks some contraband laws, since they're basically outlawing the export of those games.
I think that steam can basically do everything… Just think that they can perma-block your account without any warning…
any russians want to be my friends…….? been looking at the price difference and would love some games gifted to me. we pay premium prices here in Australia so any saving is a good one
I consider this normal.
You are not suppose to buy from other region but from your own.
You are suppose to buy it from your local games store or directly from Steam.
Both price according to region.
If everyone buys from Russia, then whats the point of getting local distribution licensing?
Local games store will not import games and even shut down.
ultimately, it damages relations between publishers and local dealers.
Buying foreign CDKEYS online is smuggling.
(Just because one can easily buy foreign CDKEYS, does not make it right.)
*Those cheaper prices are for the people living in that country.
*Prices are set according to your local games industry (mainly stores) pricing and currency.
Currency relations between Publishers origin country and your own can be a factor.
They are way more complicated than you think.
*Example: Most Apple products are Made in China, so are they cheaper in China?
NO, in fact they are all more expensive than buying them from US, even when they do not have to even import it.
Classic example of regional pricing
*There are products that has a price differ, getting "sneak" from Hong Kong(free port) to Mainland China.
(But thats smuggling, and its illegal.)
*Digital and physical products is no different. Especially when the CDKEYS you are buying came from boxed retail version.
What if you were to get a friend to open an account using a Russian VPN and use it exclusively to gift you games and vice versa?
What if you were to open that account yourself to gift YOU the games?
They will notice eventually, if you use an account only for gifting, or you gift an unusual amount of games
comscier said:
I consider this normal.
You are not suppose to buy from other region but from your own.
You are suppose to buy it from your local games store or directly from Steam.
Both price according to region.
This is not true, I live in a country that's a part of European Union which means I can buy whatever I want from any other EU country. I can even order a game from Spain and it's no one's business. Local prices in Poland for new, Steam activated games are usually not more than 20-30€. On Steam these games are 50€-59€. But retail version sometimes are in Polish only, and I don't want to play in Polish and I won't pay 20€ extra for it. So I will get a gift from someone else or I will buy it in other possible way.
Cronobbe said:
They will notice eventually, if you use an account only for gifting, or you gift an unusual amount of games
How would they notice that? I would say it is a relatively normal thing to do for a non-gamer (your girlfriend, family, some other friends) to have a steam account to gift games, and at the same time never use it for anything else.
The people around me know that I don't want physical copies of games, that I prefer them on steam, so they do only gift copies. I don't see anything out of the ordinary in having an account used to only gift games, so I don't see how Valve would notice anything.
3dog said:
What if you were to get a friend to open an account using a Russian VPN and use it exclusively to gift you games and vice versa?
What if you were to open that account yourself to gift YOU the games?
Seems legit. The problem is to find a working VPN each time that you have to gift something… I actually use VPNs from vpnod but I think that their promotion will end soon :(
Actually, any discrimination inside the Common/Internal Market is against the law. In EU, you are supposed to be able to buy or sell whatever you want in whatever other EU nation you desire. Banning someone from a local market on the base of nationality is prohibited.
comscier said:
I consider this normal.
You are not suppose to buy from other region but from your own.
You are suppose to buy it from your local games store or directly from Steam.
Both price according to region.
yuga81 said:
Actually, any discrimination inside the Common/Internal Market is against the law. In EU, you are supposed to be able to buy or sell whatever you want in whatever other EU nation you desire. Banning someone from a local market on the base of nationality is prohibited.
comscier said:
I consider this normal.
You are not suppose to buy from other region but from your own.
You are suppose to buy it from your local games store or directly from Steam.
Both price according to region.
I am not sure how many people are aware of this… but
when you buy a game from any online distributor (including Steam) , they grant you a license for using that "software"
you don't own anything.
And due to this, your local retail laws don't apply. (You are paying for a license with agreement)
that way, they can be ignore a lot of the retail laws.
That is also the reason why when your account got ban, all you can do is go through small claim court.
(cuz anything above that will you most likely lose)
ok i have the vpn and the russian steam account but now i have another problem. australian credit/debit cards have the region imprinted in the ccv thing preventing me from buying anything from the russian store. anyone know a way around this?
3289275 said:
ok i have the vpn and the russian steam account but now i have another problem. australian credit/debit cards have the region imprinted in the ccv thing preventing me from buying anything from the russian store. anyone know a way around this?
Try adding some funds on steam wallet or use paypal
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