Monday 30 May 2011

Steam and geographic restrictions

What is the business case for Steam geo-locking games that are only ever sold via download? I really want to know, because it seems like nothing but a way to keep away potential customers. How much does it cost to enable those games for those regions? Zero. If nobody buys, what's the harm? Zero. And what will it get you in return? Anywhere from zero upwards. If somebody does buy, what's the gain? Pure profit. From this chain of reasoning, it's clear to see that geo-locking is an anti-profit technology.

Mokalus of Borg

PS - Okay, there may be some other factors like local classification laws.
PPS - But not always.

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