Blocking certain regions is dumb and pathetic

[Cherry]

I'm planning to buy Tomb Raider and it says that the game is unavailable in my region (Thailand). For some reason these people think that Thai people are pro hackers who will exploit the game and hack the game, otherwise I don't see a legit reason to block certain regions. Out planet shouldn't have so called imaginary 'borders' in the first place.

I hope that Steam will accept Tomb Raider's CD key when I buy it from GameStop in Europe. Unless Italy is another blocked region because Italian are pro hackers and s***....

[o Yung ChopstiK o]

Well, I can tell you right now they do not region block because of hackers. If they did no games would be available anywhere, since everywhere has hackers. It usually has to do with the country not allowing certain games. Tomb Raider is a violent game, perhaps your area did not agree with it and they decided to lock it for your country. I've also heard that it gets region locked only on digital distribution companies, like Steam, because they want to make more of a profit by selling physical copies at local game stores.

[Satoru]

Publishers can only sell games in specific regions for specific reasons. If it's not on Steam its because the publisher cannot or does not want to sell it in that region.

[Pforschie]

Italians are no hackers.. but they are all mafioso!
If you have a Key it is normally no problem to activate it on Steam. I did the same with Dead Island, which isn´t available in my country. Just bought it somewhere else..
but still it would be better to search for the reason why you can´t get it directly. You may throw your money away if it is really "illegal" in your country.

[Mortal Motö]

It may be anything from propaganda and brainwash to some other reasons. For example I think people in middle-east don't get much stuff from America, including games.

Then some games get banned for being too violent or something else. I would believe anything that's against goverment would get banned in some countrys. Or nazi related games will get banned or censored in Germany for some reason. I've never really understood that. It's not like shooting them will turn anyone to one of them nor they should feel sorry for what their great-grand-parents did.

[Mivo]

Postat inițial de Awzum Child O' Troll:

or nazi related games will get banned or censored in Germany for some reason. I've never really understood that. It's not like shooting them will turn anyone to one of them nor they should feel sorry for what their great-grand-parents did.

It is about the display of symbols that are related to the Third Reich. If it is done outside of educational/historical materials or in movies, it is difficult. From a legal perspective, these are symbols that are/were used by unconstitutional organizations, so how they can be displayed and used is limited. It is somewhat inconsistent and, I feel, dated.

Most games that are censored (not many, by the way) are cut because of the too realistic violence and how they may affect younger players. Same as in Australia. Very, very few games are outright "banned", something that rarely happens now but was more frequent in the 1980s and 1990s. Wolfenstein was such a case. That made it only more attractive. :) I played all the stuff when I was a teen back then. Barbarian was another such game that would not get "banned" today. In general, when you are over 18, you can play whatever. (Well, unless you buy from Steam, then you get the censored versions unless you ask someone to gift it to you.)

[Gringovich]

Come to Canada where the government gives no ♥♥♥♥♥ about violent games! We don't even have any annoying politicians wanting to ban them.

[Cherry]

Yes I wish I could move to a proper land.

[Rabcor]

Only games that are blocked in my country are windows live games, and they don't even allow me to buy games in their own ****ing store!

I blame microsoft. i'm mad.

dunno why tomb raider would be blocked tho, could have something to do with square enix? or just your own government might have banned the game and steam is legally obliged to respect your governments decision and should have a list for each country over banned games.

about a proper land... lets all just go to russia!

[Cherry]

Well Tomb Raider did have a semi-rape scene.

[ KARR™]

Tomb Raider doesn't appear on this list: https://support.steampowered.com/kb_article.php?ref=7480-WUSF-3601

So it's doubtful that it would be activated via Steam.

[Cherry]

But Tomb Raider isn't even a released game...