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Valve has started banning Modern Warfare 2 access on Steam to customers who purchased keys through import resellers, per request from Activision.
The ban was brought to light after a user posted on the Valve forums that his key bought through G2Play.net no longer worked.
The response he received stated that such sales were “illegitimate” and the player should purchase the full game instead and seek a refund from the company that sold him the key.
VE3D, who broke the story, says that the keys being sold are legal in Asia and other territories, where they usually cost less than the full game, and publishers banning items like this is nothing more than protecting “their bottom line”.
More through the link, via Kotaku.
Viewing 13 responses
Hunam said:
The practice of banning people from playing a game they legally bought seems a little sketchy to me. EULA’s aside, is this something that they are just pulling because they can or do they have the law on their side with this?
cachucha said:
bollocks
Phoenixblight said:
Activision is telling them to do so. So I wouldn’t shoot the messenger.
Gekidami said:
Seriously, PC gaming is just a mess these days.
Bulk Slash said:
This is exactly the sort of reason why I hate DRM. You don’t own the game and your right to play it can be revoked at any point.
jeremycafe said:
Have you ever had your right to play a game with DRM before? Any of you? Just wondering, with all your hate and all there must be a cause for it. I mean how dare a company take away the rights for thieves, hackers, abusive players.
DarkElfa said:
Way to be Acti’s bitch, Valve.
DoRK said:
I swear to god: If my account get banned after buying a legitimate 60$ key, I WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER GAME. Period.
Phoenixblight said:
“I swear to god: If my account get banned after buying a legitimate 60$ key, I WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER ACTIVISION GAME. Period.”
Fixed.
Shouldn’t be bashing Steam. Should go to the source which is Activision they want you to pay for a “legitimate” copy.
SplatteredHouse said:
They’ve also demanded that, (and written to the shops known to be selling these keys, explaining that) they must display a clear notice that those codes are not valid outside of their local region, haven’t they?
Show them your receipt, which has always represented the fact that you purchased a “legitimate copy”; because, if a grey area like this starts to take root, it’ll be used as another excuse for piracy.
Through the likes of Steam (to a lesser extent), Activision and Valve, it seems as if for gaming, PCs are attempting to be modelled more like “the 3rd modern console” every day. They’re trying to reduce the value of gaming on a PC, only to then profit from the difference.
Michael O’Connor said:
“I mean how dare a company take away the rights for thieves, hackers, abusive players.”
Except for that fact that the people who bought the game in this particular example are none of the above.
Gekidami said:
They might be, on the side like.
DoRK said:
@Phoenixblight
You’re right. Thanks. No more money to those greedy bastards.