Buyer beware, GFWL+Codemasters+online+unsupported country=:(

Purple44

Purple44

Purple44

Associate
Joined
22 Dec 2009
Posts
138
Buyer beware, GFWL+Codemasters+online+unsupported country= :( Can not race online.

This what happening with DIRT 2 and will we see this happen with F1 and if there a GRID 2? Checkout this repost:

Will Codemasters give new CD-key to those players in unsupport countires that need...


Will Codemasters give new CD-key to those players in unsupported countries that need a new CD-key so they can make a new LIVE ID that will let them race DIRT 2 online?

A lot these players have bought other Codemasters racing games and race them online and now they can not race DIRT 2 online. Will Codemasters refund them their money since they were not warn that they can not use GFWL to race online?

Microsoft say they will not fix this problem, the ball is in Codemasters court.

Problem - Dirt2 - cd-key and windows live accaunt
hotchilli1327 replied on Thu, Dec 10 2009 12:32 PM
rated by 0 users

With Dirt 2 the Key is tied to the original Live ID that you first used the game with and you cannot change this. This is the decision of the game Publisher, not GFWL. Go to the game publisher, Codemasters, to see if they can help you with a new key.



Good luck.

********

Zavrazhnov replied on Wed, Dec 9 2009 5:12 PM
rated by 0 users

I want you again to answer. What can I do in my situation

I live in London
But I work in England-Russia company. Offices in both countrys.
When the game appears in Steam - I buy it. I was in Russia.
When I buy it - I immediately launch it, then register accaunt in windows live and it was registered with Russia region (because I was in Russia, and windows was with Russia region settings)
When I was buying the game, there were no warnings, that I can't play a game if my account is from no-supported country. I read about it only on windows live forum, when the problem happened.
Now I register new account with my real United Kingdom region setting - but I can't move the key to it.
Now I can't play a game not from Russia, not from United Kingdom.
So what can I do?

***********

Fuvio79 replied on Wed, Dec 9 2009 4:29 PM
rated by 0 users

If we could login first and after that we were asked for the key we wouldn't have this problem. But the sole fact that GFWL works everywhere if you just fill in you live in US (or other supported country) is ridiculous. I don't care about Dirt 2 anymore but I'll be definitely more careful in future. By that I mean I'll never buy another game that is connected with GFWL in any way.

And will we have this same problem with Codemasters games in 2010? It things like this that drive paying customers to be a pirate and this does not help boost the sales of computer games. :(
Click to expand...

.

.

Don't feel right buying DIRT 2 if others are getting screwed out of their hard earn dollars.
GFWL stole my game

Steam vs GFWL ( Games for Windows LIVE ) and unsupported countries.
 
I can't believe this sort of protection/restriction on some of the games, this is just madness and surely illegal. You should have like a massive font 30 warning before you buy a game like this explaining restrictions included with the game.

Unfortunately companies do whatever they want nowadays and getting your hard earned money back is almost impossible sometimes.
 
It states quite clearly on the back of GFLW's retail boxes that Live isn't available in all regions and gives you the link to check, so yes unless support for Russia has been rolled out by the time the F1 and GRID2 games come out it will be exactly the same situation.
http://www.xbox.com/en-US/live/countries.htm

I don't know if Steam states this clearly on the products description? They do have an article on their support site for it though.
https://support.steampowered.com/kb_article.php?ref=2401-HYMD-7324
 
As others have stated it does say on the back of the box "Live is not available in all countries, please visit www.gamesforwindows.com/live/countries for details."

First mistake was not reading the back of the box. I know it sucks but yeah thats actually microsoft preventing you from playing in russia.

Codemaster tieing keys to live ids is no different than steam or any other digital distributor. I mean even modern warfare 2 forced you to install steam.

I've downloaded the client for GFWL and ive trauled through xbox.com and nowhere can i find to modify your region settings... Phone microsoft support and ask them to change your region setting. That is all i can suggest.
 
This is Codemasters first racing game to use GFWL, I'm hoping we can change Codemasters mind so that they find something better than GFWL that can be a gatekeeper of who can race online, but still let paying customers around the world, race online.

With GFWL only supporting 26 countries, there over 166 countries restricted from racing online! This seem like a step backwards for the PC online racing community that use to racing the the Whole world online with GRID and Flatout 2. :(

I did some checking to see if Steam only supported a few countries like Microsoft's GFWL, I found over 200 countries can buy from Steam. If Steam can support so many countries, why not Games for Windows LIVE?

Steam-country-list.jpg



Steam vs GFWL ( Games for Windows LIVE ) and unsupported countries.
 
Frenzy said:
As others have stated it does say on the back of the box "Live is not available in all countries, please visit www.gamesforwindows.com/live/countries for details."

First mistake was not reading the back of the box. I know it sucks but yeah thats actually microsoft preventing you from playing in russia.

Codemaster tieing keys to live ids is no different than steam or any other digital distributor. I mean even modern warfare 2 forced you to install steam.

I've downloaded the client for GFWL and ive trauled through xbox.com and nowhere can i find to modify your region settings... Phone microsoft support and ask them to change your region setting. That is all i can suggest.
Click to expand...

But if buy DIRT 2 from Steam ( like a lot people that got free voucher with new ATI video card ) or bought DIRT 2 from an online store like Amazon, there no warning about GFWL and unsupported countries not able to race online. There no back of the box to read.

Also if you never had a game that uses LIVE, you would not know that it may stop you from going online with a game. Box version should say on back of box, unsupported countries can not race online, so there no misunderstanding!!
 
Last edited:
Non issue really.

MS can only support certain countries and the box gives a warning as well as onscreen prompt's before you tie your serial number to your gamertag.

If someone cannot read or their DD partners screws them over its their fault surely?? In this case Steam should have told buyers beforehand.

The whole reason they want to tie the gamertag to your serial number is to reduce piracy anyway. In this case it worked too well but you can get around it by giving your gamertag details to the person you sell it to. Mainly pirates are in uproar about this because they can no longer profiteer and must buy a copy to play MP no way around that for new GFWL titles which support this new feature (although you can just sign up and change the country to a supported one to bypass it anyway MS do not perform an IP location check).
 
It's not a non issue. You buy the game over steam, then learn you have to sign up with Windows Live, and only then, too late, do you learn that you can't play the game.
 
MeMeMeMe said:
It's not a non issue. You buy the game over steam, then learn you have to sign up with Windows Live, and only then, too late, do you learn that you can't play the game.
Click to expand...

Then surely Steam are the ones at fault in this instance :confused:
It's too late after you have bought it from steam and then find out you can't play it after signing up with Windows Live
 
AWPC said:
Non issue really.
...........

Mainly pirates are in uproar about this because they can no longer profiteer and must buy a copy to play MP no way around that for new GFWL titles which support this new feature (although you can just sign up and change the country to a supported one to bypass it anyway MS do not perform an IP location check).
Click to expand...

You can only do this if know the trick before installing DIRT 2, ( make a LIVE ID that uses US or UK as country ). If you don't know this trick and follow install instructions, you end up having cd-key tie to a LIVE ID that can not race online! And there no second chance to change LIVE ID.

Now if you can lie about what country you live in and GFWL will still let you race online, why can't Microsoft just warn players when they install DIRT 2, that they will be on their own, there will be no support from Games for Windows LIVE since they live in unsupported countries, but allow players that paid for DIRT 2 with their hard earn money, to still race online?

Microsoft restricting paying customers from online racing just encourages more piracy, online racing the hook for PC players to buy games like DIRT 2. You take that away, why would somebody pay $70-$100 in some these countries to just race offline, when they can just download the torrent?
 
Last edited:
Smit said:
Then surely Steam are the ones at fault in this instance :confused:
It's too late after you have bought it from steam and then find out you can't play it after signing up with Windows Live
Click to expand...

I agree steam could put a warning as a service to their customers, but it's not their fault. This problem will occur when buying the game from any online service. The problem occurs when you are associating the CD Key with a Window Live ID, so Microsoft should have an alert telling you that the country is unsupported, before you assign the CD Key.
 
Still no word from Codemasters if their new racing game F1 will use GFWL ( games for windows LIVE ).

Will F1 use GFWL? I .......

If thinking about pre-ordering F1 when a release date is posted, might want to wait until Codemasters has answer this question if live in one of the unsupported countries. Why spend $40-$70 on a game if can't race it online!!
 
Don't hold your breath while waiting for Microsoft ....

Don't hold your breath while waiting for Microsoft to add more supported countries to GFWL ( Games for Windows LIVE ) that will be allow to race online. I hope Codemasters will change their mind and make DIRT 2 the last racing game to use GFWL!

I found this post over at Games for Windows LIVE forum:

NON-LIVE SUPPORTED COUNTRIES POST


Wii60 DarkPGR said:
hotchilli1327 said:
When it comes to Steam, they had just as many problems, if not more then what the Live service with GFWL is experiencing now. As to the number of Live countries supported I am not going to specualate on that because I have no idea why there is so few compaired to others and screaming and acting like a little child is not going to change that. I am sure as time goes on more and more countries will become live enabled. Time will tell.
Click to expand...


Some fact checking:

Steam launched on September 2003 and to this day supports hundreds of countries

Xbox LIVE launched on November 2002 and to this day supports 26 countries

Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection launched on November 2005 and to this day supports all countries where Nintendo officially sells their consoles.

PlayStation Network launched on November 2006 and to this day supports 56 countries, with Latin America lacking the Store and PlayStation Home.

In 6 years, Steam has achieved full support for over 200 Countries

In 7 years, Microsoft has barely achieved support for 26 Countries

In 4 years, Nintendo has achieved support for over 60 Countries, all of them available since launch.

In 3 years, Sony has achieved support for 56 Countries

So let me doubt that time will tell, and that more will be added as time goes on, because LIVE has existed for longer than Steam and other similar services, and is the one with the worst support.
Click to expand...


Don't feel right buying DIRT 2 if others are getting screwed out of their hard earn dollars.
GFWL stole my game

Please Codemasters and Microsoft fix this injustice to online racing! Let the WHOLE world race online like we do with GRID and Flatout 2!!

And hopefully new racing game Blur.
 
GFWL never stole my game

Not a problem for me.....but im not a johnny foreigner and less country's on dirt 2...the more podium places for me hopefully!:D
 
What annoys me is they spend so much money/time on protecting these games, and they are always cracked within like a day or two.

us genuine buyers get screwed over with the protection they put in games.
 
I just found this petition at the "Game for Windows LIVE" forum. If you want Microsoft to change their ways with GFWL, you might want to sign this petition:

Add the support of other countries into LIVE

To: Microsoft and Games for Windows - LIVE team

We want Microsoft to include support of many other countries into LIVE like Russia, Hungary, Slovakia, Poland, China and many others! Stop discriminating the players!

Sincerely,

The Undersigned
 
Why are you petitioning MS it's codemasters issue with how they've licensed the game to MS for gfwl.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom