Steam: “German accounts can only buy games in the German language as gifts.”

A person with IA-KRaTTe nickname came into our IRC Channel today and told us a really disturbing story.

Read this to find out more:

“Gifting Company of Heroes to an United States citizen leads to language problems and even after my friend from the USA made a Steam Support ticket, they refuse to change his Company of Heroes to English language.

Why the hell do I gift a game to a friend in USA when he can’t play it in his language? Why does Steam Support refuse to change the game into his language ?

I’m from Germany. The German version, like the US, does not have Swastikas, nor is the gore cut. It is the SAME damn thing, except that everything is written and voiced in German.

So, now what ? My American friend is stuck with a German version of the basic Company of Heroes, and I bought it during the Weekend Deal. There go my 5 Euros. He can’t use the game because it’s in the wrong language and Steam Support doesn’t want to change the language for a reason that doesn’t make sense at all.

My friend wrote me this over Steam:

Unfortunately, due to German federal law, German accounts can only buy games in the German language as gifts.

WHAT IS THE POINT OF THIS ?! WHY IS THERE NO WARNING.

Because of THIS I cannot play Company of Heroes with him.”

What do you guys think? Is this really the German law? Or is Valve just being too cautious?

Posted

August 11, 2009

News, RAGE NEWS!!!1, Steam Updates

stranded

Tags:

CoH, germany, steam

Comments

10 responses to “Steam: “German accounts can only buy games in the German language as gifts.””

Some Geek with a solution

October 21, 2010

I found a solution that works for most steam games!
go to C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\-Steam name-\-game-\Game\Data\Game.ini and change (Locale=”De”) to (Locale=”En”).

Reply
Reaver

February 3, 2010

Have a similar issue myself:
A friend gifted me Titan Quest Gold, considering the offer and all.
-Romania(me) 4.99eur
-Germany(him) 2.49eur
-UK(other friend) 2.49pounds
So now i have redeemed the game and it’s only in german ;
In ‘-properties-language-english’, the setting doesn’t work.
And in my account the game appears as “Titan Quest Gold (DE)”..figures :(
My friend also tried a dummy purchase and he could’t see any specification regarding the games restrictions.
I’m waiting for a support answer now, but can’t hope for much.
At least they should implement a warning label of some sort.

Reply
0cube

August 14, 2009

I didn’t mean that, thats why I “xD” ‘ed
nvm.
wow you’re lucky with that xD
i know somebody who has the opposit of that xD hes in austria and only gets cut games >_<
(Its his internet provider though…) if i login with his acc on my comp, then everything stays uncut xD

Reply
LifeTimeKid

August 13, 2009

@0cube: you mean me with abuser? i think not that im abuse the austrian law ^^ im just lucky that steam removed my account from the “cut” list

Reply
0cube

August 13, 2009

austrian law abuser ^^ xD…

well… theres no law against it xD

Reply
LifeTimeKid

August 12, 2009

I have no problems, my games are still uncut and im a german too ;)

Reply
Toaster

August 12, 2009

Because of germanys past and recent amok runs of youth. Games have to take the blame for it and gamers from there have to suffer. After my oppinion they have poor politicians without insight. :P

Reply
glubbar

August 12, 2009

Wow! Very interesting story.

I think it’s both. But I know that German government SUCKS big time right now, and it’s probably going worse and worse. I think it’s their fault in the first place, because they tend to make such really weird and awkward laws….

Then Valve is being lame too, because there’s nothing written about it anywhere… unless someone proves me wrong.

Reply
Dragoon

August 11, 2009

Considering Australia and Brazil have tough law too, regarding legal protection for children and young persons I wonder how Steam handle them.

As exsample CS is banned in Brazil for simulation violence against human beeings and Australia has for computer games 15 years has highest age rating.
Any game that does not meet the condition for the free for 15 years old rating does not receive any rating at all. It is de facto banned because games requires a rating to be sold legally.

Reply
0cube

August 11, 2009

its just valve f**king around and being too lazy…
theres no law against language things… there would be only a lawsuit if a US guy or some guy from a country with the UNCUT version of a game (e.g. Left 4 Dead) gifting the game to Germany, and it would be Uncut then… ONLY that would be a lawsuit i guess…

Reply