Steam prices! Grey key sites! and the I love/hate developers thread - Enter if you dare!

[Commala]

I look for bargains for all the products I buy, not just PC games. None of my household goods companies seem to be going bankrupt every week due to this frugality on my part, and I would suspect it is the same for all forms of entertainment.

Why on earth should I feel guilty about legal ways to buy my games, yet happily ignore every other hard worker in every other industry? The whole concept and this rise in 'justice' movements honestly leaves me feeling exasperated.

 

[FoxEye]

I look for bargains for all the products I buy, not just PC games. None of my household goods companies seem to be going bankrupt every week due to this frugality on my part, and I would suspect it is the same for all forms of entertainment.

Why on earth should I feel guilty about legal ways to buy my games, yet happily ignore every other hard worker in every other industry? The whole concept and this rise in 'justice' movements honestly leaves me feeling exasperated.

When you buy most physical goods, chances are you compare different UK retailers. Chances are you don't import your freezer from an Indian retailer, or your washing machine from a Chinese retailer - even if they were manufactured in those countries.

I made the mistake of trying to make an analogy with physical goods earlier, and they really don't compare very well.

If anyone here /did/ buy their washing machine from an Indian retailer, importing it into the UK themselves, I'd love to hear about it Chances are 99.9% don't, buying from Amazon (UK) or Curries or wherever.

 

[Boycey0211]

No one really lost anything from him buying the key on ebay. The person who picked it up with their graphics card has paid for it, because they bought the graphics card and the key was included with that. nVidia or whoever paid Konami to include the game, so Konami have been paid. The seller has sold something they didn't want. It's no different to them selling the box or something.

Now the EULA probably says you can't do that, but those things are garbage anyway, no one cares.

Nope, nobody really lost, hence why his white knighting in the name of developers is even more ridiculous.

End of the day, its OK to buy a key from somebody on ebay but not from a legit business for the same price because it hurts the devs.

 

[FoxEye]

Nope, nobody really lost, hence why his white knighting in the name of developers is even more ridiculous.

End of the day, its OK to buy a key from somebody on ebay but not from a legit business for the same price because it hurts the devs.

When two things are different, one might be OK and the other not.

Either you don't want to comprehend the difference because it doesn't suit your purpose, or you genuinely can't see the difference. But either way, it's pointless debating with you.

 

[Twirlywoos]

When you buy most physical goods, chances are you compare different UK retailers. Chances are you don't import your freezer from an Indian retailer, or your washing machine from a Chinese retailer - even if they were manufactured in those countries.

I made the mistake of trying to make an analogy with physical goods earlier, and they really don't compare very well.

If anyone here /did/ buy their washing machine from an Indian retailer, importing it into the UK themselves, I'd love to hear about it Chances are 99.9% don't, buying from Amazon (UK) or Curries or wherever.

Yes comparing to physical items is a bad analogy because there are other factors to consider.

Warranty is main priority for high value items, customer service, returns, SOGA, postage costs, fragility, insurnace etc is factored in. Therefore whilst I would buy a TV from John Lewis in the UK I have bought Grey market cameras, CCTV equipment and vaping related hardware from oversees because of the significant cost saving and these products are less prone to fail.

Digital items have little risk and as I said at the beginning of the thread regional restrictions is what can prevent people from buying games from oversees.

Just accept that people have different shopping habits and mentalities. Similar to compulsive ebay shopping, Steam sales offer a similar thrill, excitement which makes people buy games they will only play for 10 mins and never load up again, which has nothing to do with this thread topic but I thought I'd mention it

 

[Amnesia]

I will have to mention that many of the people buying grey market keys are people that would have bought the game at the UK price if there wasn't a grey market.

Think about it.

and many would not, so does that not even itself out ?

 

[Boycey0211]

When two things are different, one might be OK and the other not.

Either you don't want to comprehend the difference because it doesn't suit your purpose, or you genuinely can't see the difference. But either way, it's pointless debating with you.

I do comprehend the difference, but you seem to ignore salient points.

1. The keys on the 'grey' websites you disagree with are legitimate keys purchased in the EU.

2. You bought a key included as part of a promotional offer intended for someone else (whoever bought the graphics card), but apparently thats OK.

You're either in or out, buy games full price from steam and moan about key sites, or buy other peoples codes from ebay and stop being a massive hypocrite.

 

[Vonhelmet]

Nvidia will be paying Konami peanuts compared to what the game actually retails at. So yes, they have lost out. Because he decided to buy a nvidia code off someone instead of "paying fullprice and supporting the developers"

That code had been sold to nvidia by konami and ultimately redeemed by an end user. Does it matter who ultimately redeemed it? Any gain seen by the buyer is mitigated by the loss of the seller who can't play it.

 

[Vonhelmet]

I will have to mention that many of the people buying grey market keys are people that would have bought the game at the UK price if there wasn't a grey market.

Think about it.

You're deluded if you think people who buy three games on the grey market for the price of one game on the white market would switch to buying three full price games if the grey market suddenly evaporated.

 

[Amnesia]

When you buy most physical goods, chances are you compare different UK retailers. Chances are you don't import your freezer from an Indian retailer, or your washing machine from a Chinese retailer - even if they were manufactured in those countries.

I made the mistake of trying to make an analogy with physical goods earlier, and they really don't compare very well.

If anyone here /did/ buy their washing machine from an Indian retailer, importing it into the UK themselves, I'd love to hear about it Chances are 99.9% don't, buying from Amazon (UK) or Curries or wherever.

dont think games compare well to washing machines, washing machines we need....games we dont, especially at launch price.
waiting for a game to fall in price is what a lot of us do anyway....washing our clothes by hand for 6 months waiting for the washing machine to come down in price wouldn't be normal

 

[FoxEye]

I do comprehend the difference, but you seem to ignore salient points.

1. The keys on the 'grey' websites you disagree with are legitimate keys purchased in the EU.

2. You bought a key included as part of a promotional offer intended for someone else (whoever bought the graphics card), but apparently thats OK.

You're either in or out, buy games full price from steam and moan about key sites, or buy other peoples codes from ebay and stop being a massive hypocrite.

Stop trolling, seriously. How many times have I said I don't buy games at Steam prices? It's beyond a joke now. You keep coming back to that point, that I'm demanding people pay full Steam price, and I keep telling you that's not at all correct. And in the very next post you say it again...

It's got to be trolling. Otherwise you are just the worst person to have an argument with, because you don't read!

And no, the keys on G2A aren't all "from the EU" at all. You know this as well as I do. Even if you /believe/ CJS Keys buy only from the EU (I'm not sure I'd believe them, tbh!) they are not the cheapest prices. G2A are the cheapest, and hence the most popular here. Many of their keys are not EU, but Russian, Indian, etc. Even if it's "EU" it's going to be Ukrainian, and they're pretty much a 3rd world country compared to the rest of the EU...

 

[Vonhelmet]

Ukraine is by definition second world

 

[d_brennen]

You're deluded if you think people who buy three games on the grey market for the price of one game on the white market would switch to buying three full price games if the grey market suddenly evaporated.

Let me see if I can do this ridiculous reductive reasoning thing that's going on here...

He bought a code from an eBay guy so Konami/Steam/whoever lost out on a full price sale. That game was a sweetener for the promotion of an Nvidia card. FoxEye is just a slither better than a pirate and this thread is a waste of everyone's time.

"Grey" key sites exist because publishers/distribution platforms let them. Go fourth with your conscience unblemished one and all. Except FoxEye

 

[Boycey0211]

Stop trolling, seriously. How many times have I said I don't buy games at Steam prices? It's beyond a joke now. You keep coming back to that point, that I'm demanding people pay full Steam price, and I keep telling you that's not at all correct. And in the very next post you say it again...

It's got to be trolling. Otherwise you are just the worst person to have an argument with, because you don't read!

Originally Posted by FoxEye View Post
I honestly think grey market key sellers should be banned from this thread and this entire forum.

Everybody that buys a key from these places is screwing over the guys who made the game.

And also potentially receiving goods acquired with stolen cards, etc.

I honestly don't know why OcUK allows it.

Troll says what?

I've put up legitimate reasons, answers and points to yours, but you can't 'win' so just call me a troll.

 

[FoxEye]

Let me see if I can do this ridiculous reductive reasoning thing that's going on here...

He bought a code from an eBay guy so Konami/Steam/whoever lost out on a full price sale. That game was a sweetener for the promotion of an Nvidia card. FoxEye is just a slither better than a pirate and this thread is a waste of everyone's time.

"Grey" key sites exist because publishers/distribution platforms let them. Go fourth with your conscience unblemished one and all. Except FoxEye

Oh ffs, just close the damn thread. I'm the bad guy here for buying an nVidia game code. Gotcha.

So be it.

Maybe in future I'll just buy from the grey market key sellers like everyone else. Then either the system gets fixed for all, or the PC becomes an afterthought (or should probably say "remains" an afterthought).

Just remember at the end of the day, you always get what you pay for. There are no exceptions.

Troll says what?

I've put up legitimate reasons, answers and points to yours, but you can't 'win' so just call me a troll.

You 'win'. I give up. I can't argue with someone with your evident levels of reading comprehension.

It's a pyrrhic victory for you.

 

[Boycey0211]

You 'win'. I give up.

Its not about winning.

You presented a point, I gave a counter point i.e these are legal keys paid for then resold at a profit, but cheaper than UK market price.

You then say the devs are losing out, which they aren't, as they sold the keys in the first place, the keys are priced to get the devs money.

Someone then finds out that you were after a key from the MM, which was part of a promotional deal for buyers of a graphics card, which by the way you've been bitching about people buying but not paying full price for games.

Why close the thread? You instigated it by baiting people in the deals thread, and now there isn't hordes of people in your favour it should be closed?

I'm all for people paying full price if they want, I've done it, and I won't go round telling people theyre daft for doing so, but you specifically said that grey key sites should be banned from ocuk for hurting devs.

And then did the opposite.

 

[Amnesia]

You 'win'. I give up. I can't argue with someone with your evident levels of reading comprehension.

It's a pyrrhic victory for you.

oh come on he made a fair point. would you not have bought the game from a legit source had the offer not been available ?
if you would then did the developer not lose out by your purchase of the code ?
and if you would not have then you cannot claim others would buy games for higher prices had sites like G2A not existed.

 

[d_brennen]

Relax Fox, I don't give a monkey's where you buy your developer fleecing games.

Developers know full well about key sites. Steam/Origin/Uplay knows, they've all done the numbers and as far as they are concerned it works for them. The very existence of them is all the proof needed. Digital distributors even host the damn game files on their servers at their own expense. Are they not in the business of making as much money as possible?

By all means pay £50 for the latest AAA game, and please feel smug about it too.

BTW PC gaming has been in it's death throws since I was a nipper. 20+ years later and it's never been in ruder health.

 

[FoxEye]

oh come on he made a fair point. would you not have bought the game from a legit source had the offer not been available ?
if you would then did the developer not lose out by your purchase of the code ?
and if you would not have then you cannot claim others would buy games for higher prices had sites like G2A not existed.

nV codes are a legit source. That's the point. They aren't grey market. They are discounted... we assume. We don't know how much nV paid for them, but we assume they are discounted. But they are legit.

Its not about winning.

You presented a point, I gave a counter point i.e these are legal keys paid for then resold at a profit, but cheaper than UK market price.

You then say the devs are losing out, which they aren't, as they sold the keys in the first place, the keys are priced to get the devs money.

Someone then finds out that you were after a key from the MM, which was part of a promotional deal for buyers of a graphics card, which by the way you've been bitching about people buying but not paying full price for games.

Why close the thread? You instigated it by baiting people in the deals thread, and now there isn't hordes of people in your favour it should be closed?

I'm all for people paying full price if they want, I've done it, and I won't go round telling people theyre daft for doing so, but you specifically said that grey key sites should be banned from ocuk for hurting devs.

And then did the opposite.

For the last time. I did not say people should pay full Steam price. I even said I didn't pay full Steam price. Soooooo many times, now.

That you KEEP SAYING THIS OVER AND OVER IS ****** ME OFF.

 

[Columbo]

Just remember at the end of the day, you always get what you pay for. There are no exceptions.

Er, you sure about that?
How about spinning it reverse where people have paid full price for AAA and got utter dross. To name few:

Batman AK - Broken
Battleforce - No content
Hardline - Total crap
MGSV - Not finished
BF4 - Utter cack on launch
AC Unity - Bug ridden hell
Watchdogs - Just didn't work
Sim City - Couldn't play it

Its little wonder people don't want to gamble (and it literally is like taking you cash to the bookies) their hard earned when half the time they don't know whether they are getting a finished or even usable product.