Why are RU/CIS versions still a thing now that cross-region trading is disabled?

[VengefulAncient]

Steam's new way of addressing the issue of regional pricing is to disable cross-region trading and gifting. While not perfect (for example, I can't gift my friends in Europe any games for Christmas and New Year even though I am prepared to pay more than what these games cost here), it is still miles better than region- and play-locks - suddenly, even SquareEnix games no longer have these dreadful "can only be played in X" flags. This is the approach I kept asking Steam (even wrote to GabeN about it after giving up on support) to take for years (now I just hope they add "buy ROW version" button for proper gifting) and I'm happy they took it. Now I can buy the games I want and not worry that when I move out of India, they'll become unplayable.

However, I see that there are still RU/CIS-only versions for nearly every game. Why is that? Now that there's no more cross-region trading, Steam can keep reduced prices in these regions *and* prevent these games from "leaking" to other regions. What's the point of these specific versions just for these countries? Does anyone know?

[Captain Murphy The Villian]

Because not everyone that games is in the US?
Players trade through Russia.

[VengefulAncient]

Opprinnelig skrevet av ωєαк νιѕυαℓѕ:

Because not everyone that games is in the US?
Players trade through Russia.

*Sigh* I'm not in the US and am perfectly aware of reasons for region-segregated pricing and limitations that come with it. Please re-read my post carefully. There is a cross-region trade lock now on nearly every game sold in the Steam Store. It supersedes regionlocks. My question is why RU/CIS games specifically still have both tradelock AND region- (and sometimes play-) lock.

[Spawn of Totoro]

Opprinnelig skrevet av VengefulAncient:

*Sigh* I'm not in the US and am perfectly aware of reasons for region-segregated pricing and limitations that come with it. Please re-read my post carefully. There is a cross-region trade lock now on nearly every game sold in the Steam Store. It supersedes regionlocks. My question is why RU/CIS games specifically still have both tradelock AND region- (and sometimes play-) lock.

So people don't use a VPN to bypass restrictions and buy from the RU store directly.

The trade one is due to people buying the RU version, then trading it to someone who didn't know it was a region restricted game to begin with.

Two things intended to solve two diffrent issues.

[VengefulAncient]

Opprinnelig skrevet av Spawn of Totoro:

So people don't use a VPN to bypass restrictions and buy from the RU store directly.

The trade one is due to people buying the RU version, then trading it to someone who didn't know it was a region restricted game to begin with.

Two things intended to solve two diffrent issues.

Thanks for the thoughtful reply (and actually reading the post :D), but I am still not quite convinced. Steam games in India are even cheaper than in Russia and in some other (non-CIS) countries cost the same, yet the region-specific versions (luckily) only exist for Russia.

Also, I don't think buying through VPN is as simple as people think. The activation lock (seemingly present for games sold in all regions outside of EU and US) should prevent the game from being redeemed because changing your region on Steam requires "confirmed payment method" from that region. That alone is enough, there's no need for actually separate packages specifically for RU/CIS.

[Captain Murphy The Villian]

Opprinnelig skrevet av Spawn of Totoro:

Opprinnelig skrevet av VengefulAncient:

*Sigh* I'm not in the US and am perfectly aware of reasons for region-segregated pricing and limitations that come with it. Please re-read my post carefully. There is a cross-region trade lock now on nearly every game sold in the Steam Store. It supersedes regionlocks. My question is why RU/CIS games specifically still have both tradelock AND region- (and sometimes play-) lock.

So people don't use a VPN to bypass restrictions and buy from the RU store directly.

The trade one is due to people buying the RU version, then trading it to someone who didn't know it was a region restricted game to begin with.

Two things intended to solve two diffrent issues.

I thought if a player uses VPN and manipulates difference currencies their entire steam account will be locked and can result in a ban from Steam?

[VengefulAncient]

Opprinnelig skrevet av ωєαк νιѕυαℓѕ:

I thought if a player uses VPN and manipulates difference currencies their entire steam account will be locked and can result in a ban from Steam?

Only if they find out. Some people are desperate (and reckless) enough to risk it... if I lived in Russia, I might have been too, though for entirely different reasons - so I could pay more for ROW (non-locked) versions of games instead of crippled RU-only ones :D

[J4MESOX4D]

Opprinnelig skrevet av ωєαк νιѕυαℓѕ:

Opprinnelig skrevet av Spawn of Totoro:

So people don't use a VPN to bypass restrictions and buy from the RU store directly.

The trade one is due to people buying the RU version, then trading it to someone who didn't know it was a region restricted game to begin with.

Two things intended to solve two diffrent issues.

I thought if a player uses VPN and manipulates difference currencies their entire steam account will be locked and can result in a ban from Steam?

Yep, the use of a VPN for region-rigging or location masking is a severe breach of the Steam Subscriber Agreement which results in account termination. I saw one level 96 user go this way after he used a VPN to activate a region locked game which he purchased through an unauthorised seller for the sake of saving £7.50. Three days after he did this; his account was permanently suspended and he was stripped of all community features and future purchases. Also his username was wiped along with the steam level.

[Captain Murphy The Villian]

Opprinnelig skrevet av J4MESOX4D:

Opprinnelig skrevet av ωєαк νιѕυαℓѕ:

I thought if a player uses VPN and manipulates difference currencies their entire steam account will be locked and can result in a ban from Steam?

Yep, the use of a VPN for region-rigging or location masking is a severe breach of the Steam Subscriber Agreement which results in account termination. I saw one level 96 user go this way after he used a VPN to activate a region locked game which he purchased through an unauthorised seller for the sake of saving £7.50. Three days after he did this; his account was permanently suspended and he was stripped of all community features and future purchases. Also his username was wiped along with the steam level.

Thats what I thought exactly, also @VengefulAncient steam can find out with a click of a button not if they find out. Doesn't take long to see someone as an example USD throughout their entire steam purchases ROW and then all of a sudden starts purchasing Russian games.

If a player is that desperate to save that money they deserve to be banned from Steam.

[VengefulAncient]

Opprinnelig skrevet av ωєαк νιѕυαℓѕ:

Thats what I thought exactly, also @VengefulAncient steam can find out with a click of a button not if they find out. Doesn't take long to see someone as an example USD throughout their entire steam purchases ROW and then all of a sudden starts purchasing Russian games.

If a player is that desperate to save that money they deserve to be banned from Steam.

Sure, but that means someone still needs to look at your purchase history. Most likely they have triggers that inform them about "suspicious" purchase activity. It's just a pity that people get banned for VPN alone and not exploiting the cheaper prices in lesser-priced regions - I personally think that it's understandable to use VPN to bypass censorship (e.g. Fallout 3 and NV not being sold in India because of "ethical issues" - even though they are not *legally* banned here) or playlocks such as those imposed on games sold in Russia (I have several rather well-off friends who don't mind paying $60 for a game, but plan to leave Russia at some point and don't want to invest into games that they will be locked out of). Which brings me back to my original question, which is still quite cleared up :D

[VengefulAncient]

Opprinnelig skrevet av Spawn of Totoro:

You don't get banned for using it alone, only when using it to bypass the restrictions.

Well, purchasing a game that's not available in one's current country of residence is also a restriction, isn't it? Otherwise Steam could just provide "Buy ROW version for full price, I like to travel" or "I'm not a Hindu, Brahmins don't offend me, buy game" buttons :)