Valve Locking Out Gamers Who Buy Orange Box Internationally

Via Opposable Thumbs, a post on the Consumerist site notes that some enterprising gamers who bought the Orange Box in a territory different than the one they lived (to save a few bucks) have now found themselves unable to play the game. "One user, Todd, explains that thousands of crafty North American gamers looking for a deal have 'bought the product (and hence, the serial numbers) at well known international game stores' at a significant markdown. Activation of the purchased titles went off without a hitch. However, Valve apparently has taken issue with the region-specificity of some international versions and has begun locking out accounts of those living in North America, but owning international serial numbers with the message that the purchased game is in the 'incorrect territory.'" Worse, folks who tried to 'make it right' by buying a local copy have found they're basically SOL. I've been a big fan of the Steam concept since it launched, but this is the sort of thing you need to communicate to your users before you sting them.

Comments

..I'm fucked?

[Lord Bitman]

I'm moving to the U.K. in a few months.. will my steam account die? :/

nostalgia

[stratjakt]

remember when you could buy a game and just go home and play it?

you'd either plug in a cartridge, or if it was a home computer game, it would more than likely come with instructions for making a backup copy to play from.

those were the good old days

fuck steam, i have not been a fan of the concept - the concept of what?

the ability bend people over is the only new feature steam really offers over the 'old guard'. no patches to download, no copy protection schemes to hack around, just a game in a box - and if the game didn't work, more often than not, the company that produced it would tank.

fuck valve.. this news is what, a day after zonks glowing slashvertisementbationfest?

Re:Another reason to avoid Orange Box.

[Adradis]

Actually, both of them do have a working pause. Just enable console, and bring it up. Pauses all single player games in Source.

buy in every country ?

[l3v1]

So, I'd have just one question: if I travel, I'd need to buy another game in every country I happen to be ? If so, just keep the friggin' game, there are plenty others.