Valve is a German Company?

[kilésengati]

I just found out that quite a while ago, Valve has shut down their Luxembourg office and instead opened one in Germany. Just as with the Luxembourg office, mainly for payment processing and legal representation in the EU and UK.

https://store.steampowered.com/subscriber_agreement

Does that mean if you are purchasing something on here from Europe, you are purchasing it not directly from Valve Inc., but through Valve GmbH?

But how come Valve can still sell games either indexed or prohibited within Germany outside of Germany, if this business is conducted through Germany. 🤔

[Mauserich]

"Valve Corporation, also known as Valve Software, is an American video game developer, publisher, and digital distribution company headquartered in Bellevue, Washington."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valve_Corporation

[kilésengati]

Publicado originalmente por Mauserich:

"Valve Corporation, also known as Valve Software, is an American video game developer, publisher, and digital distribution company headquartered in Bellevue, Washington."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valve_Corporation

Yes, that's obvious, but not what this is about.

[Dracoco OwO]

About the prohibited games in Germany just know that Resident Evil Games are heavily censored in Japan and not other countries and they are made by Japanese peoples.

[Haruspex]

Publicado originalmente por Munithe EXT:

Probably because they are not selling them to germans.

That's my thought exactly.

I'm having second thoughts about this example, but... Japanese eroge is required to have all the fleshy bits censored in Japan, yet these Japanese companies can still sell an uncensored version of the same eroge to Americans. Same diff... I think.

[kilésengati]

Publicado originalmente por Dracoco OwO:

About the prohibited games in Germany just know that Resident Evil Games are heavily censored in Japan and not other countries and they are made by Japanese peoples.

Yeah, alongside Germany, Japan and Australia are the other two "free" countries that are infamous for censoring and prohibiting games like crazy. All for different reasons.

I think it's kinda crazy, being allowed to produce a certain type of media for abroad but only sell them censored or not at all domestically.

Publicado originalmente por Munithe EXT:

Probably because they are not selling them to germans.

Could be that it's about the residence of the customer. But it still sucks we have to put up with censorship and prohibition, whilst the products we can't reach are sold to others basically right in front of us.

[cSg|mc-Hotsauce]

It's just a satellite office. Something global companies do.

[N3tRunn3r]

It is a marketing office.. headquarters is in the US.

[cSg|mc-Hotsauce]

Didn't Valve open that office in 2016? https://www.northdata.com/Valve+GmbH,+Hamburg/HRB+140072

[gza]

It's really not that crazy that they can sell games outside of the country that they're banned in.

[Your_White_Knight]

Publicado originalmente por kilésengati:

Valve is a German Company?

I just found out that quite a while ago, Valve has shut down their Luxembourg office and instead opened one in Germany. Just as with the Luxembourg office, mainly for payment processing and legal representation in the EU and UK.

https://store.steampowered.com/subscriber_agreement

Does that mean if you are purchasing something on here from Europe, you are purchasing it not directly from Valve Inc., but through Valve GmbH?

But how come Valve can still sell games either indexed or prohibited within Germany outside of Germany, if this business is conducted through Germany. 🤔

Valve is a American company.... it may have a German office for their servers to be...

[Crazy Tiger]

Publicado originalmente por kilésengati:

Publicado originalmente por Mauserich:

"Valve Corporation, also known as Valve Software, is an American video game developer, publisher, and digital distribution company headquartered in Bellevue, Washington."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valve_Corporation

Yes, that's obvious, but not what this is about.

Actually, it is. The main HQ for Valve is in America. The one in Germany is simply a regional office.

Publicado originalmente por kilésengati:

But how come Valve can still sell games either indexed or prohibited within Germany outside of Germany, if this business is conducted through Germany. 🤔

Because it doesn't matter where they're located. Certain content is prohibited because Valve does not have an actual age verification system, which is required for said content.

[kilésengati]

Publicado originalmente por Crazy Tiger:

Publicado originalmente por kilésengati:

Yes, that's obvious, but not what this is about.

Actually, it is. The main HQ for Valve is in America. The one in Germany is simply a regional office.

Publicado originalmente por kilésengati:

But how come Valve can still sell games either indexed or prohibited within Germany outside of Germany, if this business is conducted through Germany. 🤔

Because it doesn't matter where they're located. Certain content is prohibited because Valve does not have an actual age verification system, which is required for said content.

Wdym? They ask for ones age on certain content. People wouldn't lie, right? ;P

And obviously, Valve is an American company, however, it seems like sales in the EU are done through the German subsidiary.

[Mauserich]

Publicado originalmente por kilésengati:

Publicado originalmente por Mauserich:

"Valve Corporation, also known as Valve Software, is an American video game developer, publisher, and digital distribution company headquartered in Bellevue, Washington."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valve_Corporation

Yes, that's obvious, but not what this is about.

I think it is mainly for judicial reasons in disputes with German customers or authorities, because the court is then located in Germany. For German customers and authorities, I think it's an advantage. So I would rate it positively, because Germany is certainly a large customer group and this makes bureaucratic processes easier.

[Crazy Tiger]

Publicado originalmente por kilésengati:

Publicado originalmente por Crazy Tiger:

Actually, it is. The main HQ for Valve is in America. The one in Germany is simply a regional office.


Because it doesn't matter where they're located. Certain content is prohibited because Valve does not have an actual age verification system, which is required for said content.

Wdym? They ask for ones age on certain content. People wouldn't lie, right? ;P

And obviously, Valve is an American company, however, it seems like sales in the EU are done through the German subsidiary.

An age gate is not an actual age verification, it's purely an indemnification page. And therefore not enough for Germany.

It doesn't matter through which office the sales are done, it's all still Valve. Though my purchase receipts list Valve in Bellevue, USA and not the German office. And yes, I'm in a neighboring country in the EU.

[Crazy Tiger]

Publicado originalmente por Munithe EXT:

Age verification has nothing to do with it though. That content is illegal in germany no matter the age.

That's not true. Adult content is perfectly legal to sell to people who are 18+, it just requires an actual age verification system.