The point is: You will only be able to buy most games on Steam if you are in the USA or Canada. Otherwise, you will either not be able to buy it or you have to pay up to 20 dollar more.
Yes & No, I got the Orange Box for $40.65 at Circuit City compared to $49.95 at the Steam store at launch. Yes for some of the games they sell that are no longer in retail like GTA 3, Unreal, & Farcry.
One thing to remember: its not as easy as making it available in the country. This thread shows ignorance towards what goes into making the games available. For one, they must pass the rating organization in the country they wish to sell in. They must also meet many laws. Theres a lot more to it than you seem to think, so shut it and do some research before bringing this illy supported argument here. The publishers could get sued to bankruptcy if they just made the games available everywhere, regardless of the laws and regulations of the country. As for pricing, no comment, I fully agree.
meh i live in europe and i have no uber extra price tag. Also it implies if you don't live in North America, you miss out on steam games. Hence my question, im in europe and i don't think im missing out on any games.
Well i have to pay tax when i order something from steam, but that's just how the law is in belgium. Now that the dollar is doing so shitty, the taxes i have to pay are already less than the amount of euro's i gain by buying something from america. Thanks to the dollar (love you bush!) pretty much everything i could buy on steam (which i'm rather sure about is everything people from america can buy) is cheaper then what i find in stores here in belgium. As long as euro >> dollar i'm not complaining
Ive seen Universe at war for cheaper in the store, but Steam is mostly cheaper here because the euro prices are ridiculous. (49/59 euros for a new game, fuck that)
All the games you can buy on Steam are also allowed in Germany, except for Manhunt, and they are mostly cut versions (Half-Life 1 with robots, no blood, killed scientiests just sit down, for example). You can buy them as retail here if you want to. I see no reason why not to make them available in Germany and any other countries.
I believe that's independent from each other. Swastikas are not allowed anywhere in Germany because, for obvious reasons, all Nazi symbols are completely banned. This is one of the few things where there is a zero-tolerance policy in Germany (and I support that). However, like every zero-tolerance policy this has lead to "facepalm" decisions. For example there was an anti-Nazi organisation with this symbol: The symbol was originally forbidden because even a crossed-out swastika is still a swastika. They were eventually allowed to use it. As for the video games, no idea why it's just Germany. Maybe it's an anomaly like the "OMG no boobs" hysteria in the US. The stupid thing about that is that it's so inconsistent. In Rainbow Six the bodies disappear, in Half-Life 2 the ragdolls fly around happily if you shoot a rocket into them. Blood is banned in some games, it's allowed in others and in some games it's allowed because the color is changed to green. Personally I'd rather live without blood in the media than without boobs.
Technically, the internet isn't physically in any country, it exists in electrical, light and magnetic signals, so nobody can call dibs on who owns a part of it. The fact that countries have taxes on it, and that there are issues regarding buying games over the internet is only the consequence of morons put in charge of countries. Real men wouldn't charge people for buying things virtually.
They're afraid, as it was their country who made World I and World II war. So it comes to the old political blamehorse: ''Games generate violence''. Btw, anywhere to download the Robotic Half-Life?
Ive been doing GCSE history on germany and hitlers rise to power for 2 years and i can see why they dont allow swastika's or any refferance to hitler. But they feel very responseble for the holocaust, 30million Jews and a few more Million other people (Mentaly handycaped, Gay people, Jypsies...etc). I belive in forgive and forget, but the reason they wont is because it happend within the last 100 years. But I do agree with the fact of sensoring has gone a bit too far. But as LordDz says the 'old political blamehorse of' "games generate violence". The reason they do it is because of fear, and fear is one of the most powerful emoutions on earth. On a brighter note as al murry says "you have got to give germany a hand, 2 cracks at the world title" :p
Hehe, true one there hillbilly. And one thing about this ''Games = Viloence term'' I've been wondering, why is it ALWAYS politicans who haven't played the games, that want to forbid them? Reason: Votes. If you tell mom#1 that if she buys her son a video game containing violence, the son will become a murder, but if she votes for him.....
I'm not sure about that, I mean God of War showed boobs here in the states. It's more like anything below the waist & sexual crap that causes politicians & Fox News to go "morality, Pac-man, show ID, blah blah blah".
What exactly don't I have access to ? (I can get Manhunt here) Are there really north American only titles ? Also the weak dollar also beats store prices here by far, the taxes are high but still better in the end.
