Valve starts locking out Orange Box users...

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Apparently if you bought your copy of the Orange Box from a retailer outside your "region" Valve has started deactivating these. This should be a real public relations coup for Valve... :rolleyes:

http://consumerist.com/consumer/drm...-bought-orange-box-internationally-314690.php

I'm not sure in what cases this will apply (initial complaint seems to indicate it only applies to buyers of the physical box) Just trying to log into steam to see if it affects me...
 
Valve said:
Games purchased in Thailand or Russia can only be played from those countries. If you purchased a game from Thailand or Russia and you do not live in one of those countries, you need to contact the seller for a refund.

Whats the moral of the story? Don't buy dodgy copies off the bay from sellers in those countries. ;)
 
This has already been discussed and Valve released a statement saying they've only locked certain batches from cetain countries, not from every region that you dont live in. If you've been locked, then you're unlucky.

full stories please.
 
This has already been discussed and Valve released a statement saying they've only locked certain batches from cetain countries, not from every region that you dont live in. If you've been locked, then you're unlucky.

full stories please.

Which countries?
 
Dont know. I havent looked into it because i havent been locked. See below.

Valve said:
We are not locking down all keys to the area in which they were sold. There was however a situation recently with a distributor violating our agreement with them and selling keys outside of their area. Some of the keys alloted to them have been locked down to their specific region as a result of this.

If you are experiencing this error message then you should do two things:

1) Open a support ticket so you're specific key restriction can be investigated and we can respond

2) PM me your accountname (just the accountname) and I'll take a quick look at the first 10-20 I receive to ensure that it doesn't look like we have a bug causing this to affect accounts that it should not. Please realize that I may not be able to respond to everyone personally, so you should make sure you do #1 above and open an actual support ticket.

Sorry for the confusion. We are most definitely not locking down accounts in general and if you have purchased through a legitimate retailer or through Steam directly you should have no reason to fear any sort of new region locking.

http://forums.steampowered.com/forum...3&postcount=83

http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showthread.php?t=17793370

OP should probably adjust his first post with the facts for the people that cant be bothered to read whole threads (or multiple pages :rolleyes:_), in case people start to panic needlessly.
 
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I'd imagine its the 'full gore' copies being used in Germany where they have the laws against violent games and they usually get red blood replaced with green and bodies vanish when killed etc.

At a guess.
 
I'd imagine its the 'full gore' copies being used in Germany where they have the laws against violent games and they usually get red blood replaced with green and bodies vanish when killed etc.

At a guess.

lol, i love censors, they are so ridiculous, their jobs are utterly pointless as they just make random arbitrations made on personal values. green blood makes it less realistic? you still simulate killing people.

aussies have it bad as they don't have any 18+ ratings i don't think, the top rating they give is r16 or something, so if a game/film is deemed ultra violent they can't give it a r18 rating, just ban it :p
 
It's because in countries where piracy is rampant e.g. Russia and Thailand, they release games at a much lower price in the hope of making piracy unprofitable. Therefore they don't want everyone else buying from these countries.
 
The German laws on games are stupidly funny in some respects. Its like they think another hitlers gonna arise after playing gears of war or tf2. :confused:
 
In Germany it is perfectly legal to have uncensored (unless banned) games if you're over 18 IIRC.

Valve said:
1) Open a support ticket so you're specific key restriction can be investigated and we can respond
VALVe fails at grammar.
 
Indeed. Man, they'll have to replace all of their android community representatives with new and improved English 2.0

:rolleyes:
 
Unlike the British who never took over the world, created a fascist empire, or invented slavery? Who clearly didnt then become the most ridiculously over-priced, stupidly politically correct country with foolishly open borders to any foreigners?

heh.
 
Unlike the British who never took over the world, created a fascist empire, or invented slavery? Who clearly didnt then become the most ridiculously over-priced, stupidly politically correct country with foolishly open borders to any foreigners?

heh.

what goes around comes around

on a more on topic note

i bought my orange box from an asian website for £15, i reckon this is why valve are clamping down on this, but it isnt fair is it, why shoould i have to pay £35 when some guy in thailand can buy it for £10, everything should have the same price in the world regardless
 
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what goes around comes around

on a more on topic note

i bought my orange box from an asian website for £15, i reckon this is why valve are clamping down on this, but it isnt fair is it, why shoould i have to pay £35 when some guy in thailand can buy it for £10, everything should have the same price in the world regardless

tbh no, people in Thailand don't have that sort of money, they buy a years shopping with a tenner!
 
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