Tips for buying from Steam?

[amithgeorge]

I have an SBI cc. I am currently using it to buy games from Steam.

 

The issue that I am facing is, for some games after entering the cc info I get the message that the game is not allowed to be sold in my region. Sometimes, the price gets revised and increased. For ex, BF BC2 was being sold at a discounted price of $4.something, I ended up having to buy it at $7.something.

 

How does the IVG community at large buy games from Steam or any US based site. Is there a legitimate way to make Steam think we are buying using a US cc?

[Heaven Angel]

Where are you living at the moment?

 

Are you trying to purchase game via site or Steam app?

 

Yes, different region = different price. Indian users pay US price.

How does the IVG community at large buy games from Steam or any US based site.

I buy all my games from Steam using my brother's ICICI VISA debit card and it works just fine.

Is there a legitimate way to make Steam think we are buying using a US cc?

Why? You don't have to fool Steam and buy the game.

 

 

Also check out GMG:

 

http://www.greenmangaming.com/

 

Crazy price and discounts.

[amithgeorge]

Living in India, buying using the Steam site. I understand Indian users paying US price. And that is what I want to do. But this is not what always happens. Consider the following two incidents:

 

1. The US discounted price for BF BC2 was a lil less than $5. The price was revised when they realized I was buying using an Indian cc. The revised price was set to a lil less than $7.

2. Spec Ops had a discounted price of around $14 on GameStop or GMG, cant remember. When they realized I was buying using an Indian cc, they disallowed me from buying the game, saying its not meant for sale in my region.

 

Both these incidents happened within a week of each other. I just recently started buying games from Steam (and other sites like it) and am wondering how does the community deal with it?

[Heaven Angel]

1. It must be SBI card issue. It throws error when you try to pay in USD.

Can you try any other game or stuff online and check?

 

2. Gamestop doesn't work sometimes due to region check.

Sorry, your cart contains an item which you cannot purchase at your location. Please remove the item to checkout.

You can try making Paypal account, then link your SBI CC.

 

This way you can buy using Paypal directly.

[amithgeorge]

 

1. It must be SBI card issue. It throws error when you try to pay in USD.

 

Can you try any other game or stuff online and check?

 

 

- I use the cc for many other services as well, all of which require payment in USD.

- Wrt Steam, I still end up paying in USD. The price I paid for BF BC2 was not in INR, it was in USD. Also, if payment in USD was a concern, I wouldn't be able to buy any game from Steam. As I said earlier, I have bought games from Steam and other sites like GameStop, GOG etc.

 

I do have a Paypal account registered in India. Its linked with my SBI cc. It makes no difference. Whichever way I use, the merchant is informed the purchase is being made with an Indian cc.

 

I appreciate your comments, but it seems you haven't experienced the issues I am talking about. "Spec Ops The Line" is available for purchase from Indian retailers. It seems arbitrary that GameStop decides to not sell to me in India. I am not debating whether its right or not on their part to not sell to me in India. Surely there are ways to work around this. I just wanna know what the community feels about it.

[AK77]

Gamestop? You must be talking about Impulse here. As far as I know about Impulse, Pricing is in INR for Indian customers, you pay in INR only (Price is atrocious though), and many games are region restricted, North America (US and Canada).

 

Similarly, many games are region restricted on Amazon downloads as well.

 

Regarding Price revision on steam, I haven't faced a single problem with my AXIS DC till now. Can be some SBI card problem, I guess.

[amithgeorge]

I don't remember using Impulse. Gamestop has "Spec Ops" on discount. It however wouldn't let me buy the game.

 

I know some games are restricted to sale in certain regions, I just don't understand the rationale behind it, especially when the same games are actually available for sale in the rest of the world via other channels. In the face of this, my first reaction is one of "I want to pay you my hard earned money, why you no take it?!"

 

Reg the price revision, I suppose the next time I have an issue, I could ask if someone with a non SBI cc is able to add to card without the price revision.

 

@AK77, does your AXIS DC have a cvv number and expiry date like credit cards. Cuz, SBI Maestro debit cards are kinda useless online. Even Indian sites that seem to accept debit cards fail to process or accept SBI dc

[AK77]

Impulse is owned by Gamestop, and this is the only medium through which you can buy games at GS. You probably don't remember much.

 

Regarding region restrictions, it's possible that keys are region locked, as some steam keys are region locked. It can also possible that Publisher doesn't want to sell their games at that price. Also it can be law which may hinder in this, like in Germany games like killing floor, dead rising, sniper elite are banned due to some sort of Anti-Zombie Legislation.

 

I would suggest you to stick with STEAM/GMG/GAMERSGATE and AMAZON DOWNLOADS(if region restriction don't apply).

 

And yes, AXIS DC has a CVV number and expiry date. Infact, HDFC world too works ace.

[amithgeorge]

 

Regarding region restrictions, it's possible that keys are region locked, as some steam keys are region locked.

 

Interesting. I wasn't aware that game keys can also be region locked. Does this mean if a friend in the US buys the game and emails me the key, I wouldn't be able to activate/play the game in India?

 

Regarding the Germany Zombie example, those games woudn't be allowed to be sold in Germany via any other channel as well. That is not the case here, as Spec Ops is being sold in India via other channels. The published putting an arbit restriction seems plausible. Either way, your suggestion is to wait for steam or someone else to offer it at that price and as region free.

 

And regarding the GS/Impulse thing, in my defense its pretty easy to not realize that there is something called Impulse! I revisited the link (http://www.gamestop.com/pc/games/spec-ops-the-line/102373). Adding the item to cart takes me to "https://impulsestore.gamestop.com/cart" where I see the price in INR and a message saying its not available in my region. Unless I look at the url (which I didnt have a reason to), the logos and text on the site convey to me that I am still at GameStop. Anyway, thanks for letting me know "Impulse" is the more appropriate name to use when discussing GameStop.

[Blueelvis_RoXXX]

Interesting. I wasn't aware that game keys can also be region locked. Does this mean if a friend in the US buys the game and emails me the key, I wouldn't be able to activate/play the game in India?

 

Regarding the Germany Zombie example, those games woudn't be allowed to be sold in Germany via any other channel as well. That is not the case here, as Spec Ops is being sold in India via other channels. The published putting an arbit restriction seems plausible. Either way, your suggestion is to wait for steam or someone else to offer it at that price and as region free.

 

And regarding the GS/Impulse thing, in my defense its pretty easy to not realize that there is something called Impulse! I revisited the link (http://www.gamestop.com/pc/games/spec-ops-the-line/102373). Adding the item to cart takes me to "https://impulsestore.gamestop.com/cart" where I see the price in INR and a message saying its not available in my region. Unless I look at the url (which I didnt have a reason to), the logos and text on the site convey to me that I am still at GameStop. Anyway, thanks for letting me know "Impulse" is the more appropriate name to use when discussing GameStop.

Nope, you won't be able to redeem those keys untill and unless your friend activates them in your account at his location or you use a VPN service which is strictly prohibited by Steam TOS.

 

And yeah if you are not able to buy then wait for a few days, i am guessing Steam Summer Sale should be near.

[Heaven Angel]

 

Does this mean if a friend in the US buys the game and emails me the key, I wouldn't be able to activate/play the game in India?

 

You can activate it and play!

 

Only few countries are region restricted.

 

Regarding Spec ops the line: If you ask your US friend to buy, he'll get "ROW" version!

 

It means "Rest of the world", you can activate and play anywhere.

 

Only RU and CIS version is locked.

 

onlyallowrunincountries AM AZ BY GE KZ KG MD RU TJ TM UZ UA LV LT EE RU

 

 

ROW - http://cdr.thebronasium.com/sub/14481

RU - http://cdr.thebronasium.com/sub/15187

CIS - http://cdr.thebronasium.com/sub/14482

[amithgeorge]

@Blueelvis, that seems like a lot of work

 

@Joe, I see. But wouldn't that be applicable only if the friend buys from Steam in the US. If he were to buy from Impulse, wouldn't he still get a restricted key? Or is your point that "Spec Ops The Line" has no key which is restricted to only US & Canada? Is it not possible for the game to have keys that are not acceptable by Steam and could potentially be restricted to North America?

 

I noticed that the game uses Steamworks as its drm, so maybe the answer to my prev question is no...

[AK77]

First of all, I don't understand why are you even bothered for Gamestop. That site is for Console only in NA region, and their so called Impulse service (PC digital download) is of no use. Their pricing is horrible in INR, and almost all of their offers are region restricted.

 

Second, you should restrict your domain to the sites I mentioned above, barring few exceptions none of them have any restrictions whatsoever There is another site called GameFly which offers good discount, but again offers are applicable to North American territory only.

 

 

Also if you are active at IVG, then check Downloads section, we post links of offers regularly there.

[Heaven Angel]

 

I see. But wouldn't that be applicable only if the friend buys from Steam in the US. If he were to buy from Impulse, wouldn't he still get a restricted key? Or is your point that "Spec Ops The Line" has no key which is restricted to only US & Canada? Is it not possible for the game to have keys that are not acceptable by Steam and could potentially be restricted to North America?

 

Anybody can buy and send it to you as GIFT! Steam has gifting option.

 

If he buys retail, he'll get ROW version key, so you can activate it anywhere.

[amithgeorge]

@AK77, not really concerned with Impulse. Am using Impulse as an example to talk about a region restricted game. I wanted to discuss the issue before accepting it as a fact of life and moving on

 

@Joe, nice. That is a valid option. Thanks!

 

Steam/GMG/GG seems like a good set of sites to buy from. Will keep an eye open for discounts on these sites

[Madhan]

Yes, Some of the Retail Keys are Region Locked in Steam. No everything.

 

Even EU version can be Region Free. Its not restricted to ROW. But US and RU are mostly Locked.

 

Capcom Games are usually Regin Locked. But 70% of the Indian keys are region free and u can activate on the steam.

 

GetGamesGo.com

GetLoadedGo.com

Greenmangaming.com

 

DLgamer.com

Gamerocket.com

 

All are good and have steam keys delivered instantly.

 

You can also try any CD key website which are even cheaper and Legit.