Hey,
I've just recived my copy of fallout new vegas i live in australia and i've gone to install it, when i enter the access key in steam it come up this product code can't be activated in your region any idea's on how i can fix it? i have sent a message to steam and still waiting for a reply from them.

Thanks.

Have you had a reply from them yet? I have the same issue so have just sent them a message myself. I would just ask the place I got if from for a refund if it weren't for the fact that there's no indication anywhere that this game is supposed to be region locked. Argh.

Certain games have region locks. Meaning if you purchased it in another region, for europe, and try to install it with an Australian IP Address, then it wouldn't work.

Usually if this is the case, the box will tell you of potential region locks.

It could also be a Steam Authorization Server problem or that Steam is trying to connect to the incorrect one.

***

Unfortunately, I cannot help you if you are installing the game in a different region then where it was purchased. Bypassing this may be considered piracy. Hopefully you can get a refund or access to a copy that works in your region.

Yep, STEAM does employ region lock. The only thing you can do about it is contact steam or return it for a refund.

Just Another Freaken reason why we do not need steam. :thumbsdown:

Australia's got a hella tough censorship board. I wouldn't be surprised if it wasn't Steam's decision.

Considering he bought and paid for a product, I can't see how it's piracy. Piracy is unauthorized reproduction of something. In this case, steam is refusing to activate a purchased copy.

It most likely was their decision to avoid any lawsuits. After the "hot coffee" mod for GTA SA, developers have to be extra careful of what they sell and where as they are often still held reliable for the action of the individuals that buy/steal and use their products. So Steam stops you from installing a copy of the game that is illegal (for what ever reason) to sell in your region, it's not their fault for ensuring that they are not placed in a lawsuit just because a kid didn't like local laws.

@Digital Justice your complain is like getting mad at a gas station attendant for not selling beer to a minor. Steam is just following the law, it's not Valves fault you live in a region with strict laws against video game sells.

This is the reply I got:



Except it's not noted on the packaging of the game, or anywhere else for that matter. Geez, if they're gonna put regional restrictions on a game they could at least say so and save their customers a lot of grief.

I know Australia got a gimped copy of Fallout 3 but I didn't think it had with New Vegas. Anyway I'm in New Zealand so that shouldn't affect me either way.

Guess I'll just have to see if I can return it and buy a copy here for twice the price. Yay.

"Note: Purchases made directly through Steam are not restricted by territory."
So... wouldn't that be the solution?
Guys who bought the DVD are reporting they must make a huge download anyway, as soon as they hookup Steam.
That bites.
If you buy a game on DVD you shouldn't require Steam at all...
I mean, why then would you even buy the DVD?
It's a dopey system,
Regards

Bypassing security protection can be considered software piracy, or at the very least a violation of the EULA, thus making the copy invalid.


This is exact why there is a region lock, because certain regions have price differentials. Buying from another region may bypass local taxes and tariffs.

Australia didn't actually get a gimped copy of FO3 (that I know of). The change they had to make was to change morphine to med-x, so they just made the change worldwide.

I don't see anything about NV being different in Australia from the rest of the world, but there is a different publisher/distributor for most of Europe and Australia.

Steam is used for DRM, its as simply as that.. period.

The game had a patch released after the retail release. That is why people who bought the DVD still need to download something. Buying the DVD requires a smaller download. 2.6GB versus 6.8GB or so. Yes, this is a big patch for users with a slow Internet, but a majority of people have broadband fast enough to download that in less than a few hours.

Terrible, terrible, terrible!

Bethesda why in the world have you associated yourselves with an outfit that does business this way? It's the SALES POLICE in addition to everything else!

Now Steam is responsible for Australian laws?

Just because you could get away with bypassing that law before doesn't mean that Bethesda has to support you in doing so.

What are you talking about. Bethesda cannot simply bypass International Law and/or trade agreements simply because you don't like to pay more.

Software protection simply moved from DVD [hardware based] region locks to software (IP based) region locks. Quite whining.

Oh okay, I thought they removed the animations of taking the drug for the Australian copy or something.

I have a download cap of 8GB/month so downloading the whole game from Steam isn't really practical for me.

If it were because of trade agreements or w/e outside of Bethesda's control surely that would apply to all PC games? I bought Civ V from the same place (also requires Steam) and didn't have a problem activating that.

http://www.ebgames.co.nz/pc/product.cfm?id=16534&refer=productsearch
or another brick and mortar store in your country.



Did you buy a copy of it outside your local market?

Yeah thanks I'll probs get it from Mighty Ape which is an NZ online store, or see how much JB Hi-Fi have it for.


Yup, both F:NV and Civ V I got from the same store which is based in the UK (they're set up specifically for the Aus/NZ market so they can't have known it was region locked either).

Two possible reasons: Civ V is not a 17+ rated game in Australia and that is the cause of the restrictions; Civ V has only one publisher worldwide whereas NV has different ones for Americas/UK and most of the rest of the world and they have exclusivity in their contract.

That would make sense. Will check this for any other games I want to buy from overseas, thanks.

Oh man I hate IP address based geolocation being used to do region-locking. I mean I know that it's the most cost effective way to do it, but it's got so many problems with wireless broadband and with ISP lazyness (if an ISP services a couple nations and you don't live in the country they consider to be their primary market somtimes you can find your country being misidentified.)

It's not necessarily IP address based. If he had a pre-existing Steam account they may have known from that.

Apparently the store sent me the wrong version so I'm getting it exchanged. Will be waiting another couple of weeks to play the game but oh well.