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Thread: buying game online keys

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    Grizzled old-timer! Deadlight's Avatar
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    Arrow buying game online keys

    Just wondered what other people thought of thiis?

    Just has recently been made clear that downloading a game's client (from a P2P site or newsgroup) and buying a key from an online store is legit, and cheaper, than buying the game from a retail store or sometimes from Steam. Two of the sites I know of are in Russia - obviously in Western prices they're 50% or cheaper than US/UK RRPs.

    Upon buying a key (often within minutes) the user is emailed with a photo of the game's retail box and included key. After installing the game's client, the key is entered to the appropiate place - and job done, it's legally your copy.

    I tried this with a copy of Deadspace 2 - I bought a key for £16.79, and no problems with it at all.

    Ok, so morally it's dubious to the least, but I'm not breaking any laws here?
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    Banhammer in peace PeterB kalniel's Avatar
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    Re: buying game online keys

    Just has recently been made clear that downloading a game's client (from a P2P site or newsgroup) and buying a key from an online store is legit
    Who made this clear? The client files are normally protected by copyright, and thus I'd have thought it is illegal to distribute or download them in the UK, regardless of key.

    And are these keys legitimate? 'It works' it not a valid argument, as they may have been stolen or illegally acquired/generated.

    Finally not a point of law, but is it a sustainable business model? Is enough money going back to the developers/funders of the game so that they can continue to have careers making the kinds of games you like? Or will they have to abandon it and move to systems which are more likely to give them a revenue stream?

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    Re: buying game online keys

    Quote Originally Posted by kalniel View Post
    Who made this clear? The client files are normally protected by copyright, and thus I'd have thought it is illegal to distribute or download them in the UK, regardless of key.

    And are these keys legitimate? 'It works' it not a valid argument, as they may have been stolen or illegally acquired/generated.

    Finally not a point of law, but is it a sustainable business model? Is enough money going back to the developers/funders of the game so that they can continue to have careers making the kinds of games you like? Or will they have to abandon it and move to systems which are more likely to give them a revenue stream?
    Good points;

    What I mean is that I realised that it's clear (to me) that this is a way of owning games for cheaper. As for the keys, I can't say whether they're legitimate or not - as I say, good point. The last points, yes - if they're were purchased for the RRP in their own country, I don't see where, geographically, you use them. No?
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    Banhammer in peace PeterB kalniel's Avatar
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    Re: buying game online keys

    Quote Originally Posted by Deadlight View Post
    The last points, yes - if they're were purchased for the RRP in their own country, I don't see where, geographically, you use them. No?
    Depends on the business model. If the average RRP in one market helps open up another market that would otherwise not be worth selling the game in, then selling all games at the lowest world-wide price would force prices up and make games unaffordable in certain markets.

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    Re: buying game online keys

    I think i see whar you're saying!

    OK, let me back up a little - I'm not telling people to download their games. There are copyrights laws covering this.

    Theres quite a few online stores (a quick internet search will show this), with thousands of customers over the world getting their games this, way. If they're flaunting copyright laws I'm surprised that they've been away to get quite a large customer base without being shut down,don't, you agree?
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    Re: buying game online keys

    Who's going to shut them down?

    If we're talking about a Russian website, then the only people who can shut it down are the Russian police/government. If they elect not to chase after pirates, then as much as it might flout UK/US/wherever copyright laws, nothing is going to happen.

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    Re: buying game online keys

    Well yes. But then, noone's calling them Pirates. They could be buying the games from a RU store, trashing the media and just selling they key's online, providing a service...
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    Re: buying game online keys

    Quote Originally Posted by Deadlight View Post
    Well yes. But then, noone's calling them Pirates. They could be buying the games from a RU store, trashing the media and just selling they key's online, providing a service...
    In the same way that drinking water from the Thames may cure cancer?

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    Re: buying game online keys

    It's possible (not the cancer thing!) - do we know the retail price of these games in Russia?...

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    Re: buying game online keys

    Quote Originally Posted by Rob_B View Post
    It's possible (not the cancer thing!) - do we know the retail price of these games in Russia?...
    And the license conditions which accompanies these products regarding where they may be sold? Russia isn't in the EEA, and for the market price reason I mentioned earlier, publishers won't generally allow products destined for low-profit market areas to be sold to other markets.

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    Re: buying game online keys

    Quote Originally Posted by kalniel View Post
    In the same way that drinking water from the Thames may cure cancer?
    Not really m8, you're talking about a whole market, rather than infecting the single user...
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    Re: buying game online keys

    Quote Originally Posted by Deadlight View Post
    Not really m8, you're talking about a whole market, rather than infecting the single user...
    Are you seriously suggesting that publishers will allow products destined for the Russian and other low-profit margin markets to be sold around the world when they don't have to allow it? If they were happy with that they'd introduce the same price world-wide. But then that price would also have to be higher than some markets could afford, or they'd have to be much cheaper made games.

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    Re: buying game online keys

    Quote Originally Posted by kalniel View Post
    And the license conditions which accompanies these products regarding where they may be sold? Russia isn't in the EEA, and for the market price reason I mentioned earlier, publishers won't generally allow products destined for low-profit market areas to be sold to other markets.
    True enough, but then we're talking ab0ut games, and apart from some localized mods (which can changed/worked around) they're sold worldwide.
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    Re: buying game online keys

    Quote Originally Posted by kalniel View Post
    And the license conditions which accompanies these products regarding where they may be sold? Russia isn't in the EEA, and for the market price reason I mentioned earlier, publishers won't generally allow products destined for low-profit market areas to be sold to other markets.
    I was going for the simpler point but yes of course that needs to be known too. Although what a publisher 'allows' and what is legal are totally different things. It's a good idea (if legit) and I'm not sure what publishers could do to stop it.
    Assuming it's legal (which is souding dubious) then I'd consider doing it but seeing as that's nigh on impossible to do I'll avoid for the time being.

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    Re: buying game online keys

    Quote Originally Posted by Rob_B View Post
    It's possible (not the cancer thing!) - do we know the retail price of these games in Russia?...
    Now that I don't know.
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    Re: buying game online keys

    Quote Originally Posted by kalniel View Post
    Are you seriously suggesting that publishers will allow products destined for the Russian and other low-profit margin markets to be sold around the world when they don't have to allow it? If they were happy with that they'd introduce the same price world-wide. But then that price would also have to be higher than some markets could afford, or they'd have to be much cheaper made games.
    Well, that's how it is though, isn't it? Cod: BO, NFS:HP, Assassin's Creed 2 - all available in Russia and apparently a lot cheaper thanin UK/US.
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