Should regional pricing work different?

[Dutchgamer1982]

**some regions get a discount because they are poorer... can be against it.. (like me) or support it.. but what I find most anoying about the whole ordeal is this :

I like in the netherlands.. our region is the most expensive.. but when I am on holiday in another region I cannot use my games...


Should it not be :
Region 1 : most expensive can use in all 7 regions..
Region 2 : 2d most expensive, can use in regions 2-7
Region 3 : 3d most expensive, can use in regions 3-7
etc..

that they wanted to give a discount to 3d world countries is fine and all.. and that they wanted to prevent those cheap licences to be traded to us europeans I get too... but us europeans who pay the same as before regional pricing should be still able to use our games globally...

[ShelLuser]

I don't see how you wouldn't be able to use your games in other countries or areas.

[Mad Scientist]

You can use your games once you have them.

What you're likely alluding to, is trying to bypass the regional restrictions for purchase prices. So, yes, it's locked to your localized payment method - not by trying to bypass regions by using vpns.

You successfully purchase a game, almost always you can travel anywhere and play it without issues.

[Dutchgamer1982]

Originally posted by ShelLuser:

I don't see how you wouldn't be able to use your games in other countries or areas.

Say I travel to america.. (north american region).. or to runesia (african region) or turkey (middle eastern region) or even the philipines (asian region)... logging in with an account with all games on it purchased in the netherlands (european region) makes them impossible to play.
**yes while in those regions I could buy games for that local region on the same account... for the local lower price.. but those in turn ofcourse will not work either...

and before you say it does not happen.. or that on holidays one should not game.. well say I go work as volenteer in a hospital ship in africa for 12 months.. or in an orphenage in brazil.. going to want leasure time too don't I?...

[rawWwRrr]

You're discussing two different things. There is region pricing and then there is region locking. If there is a game that you can't play because you are in a different region than then one in which you purchased it, that is region locking.

[Dutchgamer1982]

Originally posted by Mr. Gentlebot:

You can use your games once you have them.

What you're likely alluding to, is trying to bypass the regional restrictions for purchase prices. So, yes, it's locked to your localized payment method - not by trying to bypass regions by using vpns.

You successfully purchase a game, almost always you can travel anywhere and play it without issues.

from what I heared from people who did travel to africa, asia, of even the states.. trying to run games bought in europe in those regions on an dutch account... while in those regions is imposible..

[Dutchgamer1982]

Originally posted by rawWwRrr:

You're discussing two different things. There is region pricing and then there is region locking. If there is a game that you can't play because you are in a different region than then one in which you purchased it, that is region locking.

true.. but the one usually presumes the other.

[Mad Scientist]

Either region locked as the above poster said, or you don't have it installed if it's on a different machine. A lot of users think being installed on one machine magically installs it to any other when signing in without having to download.

Region locks are to prevent general attempt at abuse or for other legal reasons. Else just Dev choices.

Does it give you a specific error? Because it should.

Else, you seriously are describing two entirely different things.

[rawWwRrr]

Originally posted by Dutchgamer1982:

Originally posted by rawWwRrr:

You're discussing two different things. There is region pricing and then there is region locking. If there is a game that you can't play because you are in a different region than then one in which you purchased it, that is region locking.

true.. but the one usually presumes the other.

Well, no. Region locks have nothing to do with region pricing. Region locking works no matter who is paying more or less for their games.

[Satoru]

Originally posted by Dutchgamer1982:

but when I am on holiday in another region I cannot use my games...

Citation Needed

This literally isn't the case at all so not sure why you're making stuff up. I travel all the time between Asia (Japan, HongKong, Thailand, Singapore), Europe (France, used-to-be-EU UK, Italy, Portugal, Spain, Netherlands, Germany, Belgium), North America (USA, Canada), and my games have never magically 'stopped working'.

it would also be a lie that you cannot buy games while travelling

https://help.steampowered.com/en/faqs/view/2B3F-DAEF-846B-A0E8

Since you maintain your home country store when abroad and can continue to use your home country's payment methods. Again I've paid for seasonal sales while abroad all the time without issue.

[ShelLuser]

Originally posted by Dutchgamer1982:

Say I travel to america.. (north american region).. or to runesia (african region) or turkey (middle eastern region) or even the philipines (asian region)... logging in with an account with all games on it purchased in the netherlands (european region) makes them impossible to play.

I call nonsense on that one, you're also being extremely vague here. Logging in on an account which purchased games from the Netherlands. And what region was this account set to?

This may be a good read:
https://steamcommunity.com/discussions/forum/1/1644290549122683139/

(edit)

Or what about this:
https://help.steampowered.com/en/faqs/view/58D3-B80D-2943-3CC6

* Most products purchased for yourself on Steam do not have region restrictions. Any region restriction on a product will be clearly noted on the product's Steam Store page.
* If you are currently traveling, please ensure that your store region is correctly set to the country where you permanently reside.

Yah, pretty sure there isn't any issue here.

[Dutchgamer1982]

well if it aint the case.. so much the better.
people did report to me this problem in the past...
specificly : a person who went to the united states for 6 months in 2011
a person who went to brasil for 28 months in 2013
and a person who went to south africa for 3 months in 2015
all those games were bought on steam.. none could acces their games there....

yes they could buy new games.. but the games they owned and bought here.. could not acces there...

**same with friends who emigrated from the netherlands to new sealand.. all their games (and movies btw but sending a bought here dvd player to them solved that part ) were instantly impossible to acces.

you say such region locking is not in place.... (or perhaps no longer) can anybody actually confirm that?
-or do you say region locking of games is on a game title per game title base... in which case it will be very hard to prove which games have this issue and which don't.


But suppose there aint such a thing : where did those stories I heared first hand came from.. and how is steam preventing say...
a russian buy their 90% cheaper games on brand new steam account.... and than still sell that game to europeans just including the entire account;)

and if you say "well by duration of stay"
-people who work abroad volentairely or otherwise can stay there for many moths or even a couple years...

[Mad Scientist]

Purchasing restrictions is one thing.

People buying and selling accounts is entirely against the TOS and can result in permanent account locks and blacklisting of involved previously used payment methods & billing addresses.

Legitimate activity is you buy games in your region, and those prices are what they are determined by the Developers with Valve suggested prices. Devs choose prices for regions in the end.

You can buy whole abroad, but you'll pay based upon your billing address for price. There's no more abusing that part anymore.

Simply being abroad is extremely unlikely to prevent you from playing it. You also didn't answer if you're using a different machine which didn't have it downloaded and installed to before going mobile. Again, people think installing on any one machine installs it to all just by signing in, which magic installs are not a thing.

[Dutchgamer1982]

Originally posted by Mr. Gentlebot:

Purchasing restrictions is one thing.

People buying and selling accounts is entirely against the TOS and can result in permanent account locks and blacklisting of involved previously used payment methods & billing addresses.

Legitimate activity is you buy games in your region, and those prices are what they are determined by the Developers with Valve suggested prices. Devs choose prices for regions in the end.

Simply being abroad is extremely unlikely to prevent you from playing it. You also didn't answer of you're using a different machine which didn't have it downloaded and installed to before going mobile. Again, people think installing on any one machine installs it to all just by signing in, which magic installs are not a thing.

**those people when traveling abroad used local computers bought there.. but they ofcourse installed it.. like me they are used to build their own pc's.. but getting hardware though customs.. it is usually cheaper to buy there... and leave behind when you leave..

[Satoru]

Originally posted by Dutchgamer1982:

well if it aint the case.. so much the better.
people did report to me this problem in the past...
specificly : a person who went to the united states for 6 months in 2011
a person who went to brasil for 28 months in 2013
and a person who went to south africa for 3 months in 2015
all those games were bought on steam.. none could acces their games there....

Press F to doubt as this has never actually been the case

Like I'm not sure if you're just naive or have literally never left the Netherlands at all.

[Dutchgamer1982]

Originally posted by Satoru:

Originally posted by Dutchgamer1982:

well if it aint the case.. so much the better.
people did report to me this problem in the past...
specificly : a person who went to the united states for 6 months in 2011
a person who went to brasil for 28 months in 2013
and a person who went to south africa for 3 months in 2015
all those games were bought on steam.. none could acces their games there....

Press F to doubt as this has never actually been the case

Like I'm not sure if you're just naive or have literally never left the Netherlands at all.

I have left the netherlands visited many nations within europe.. but I have personally not left the european economic zone yet.
and with options to do things a couple months outside it.. and those stories from friends in the past.. I just wonder..