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We've had colourful discussions about G2A in our Telegram group, IRC, reddit and other places. Some people don't care and just want cheap games, but for those of you who want to support not only Linux, but gaming in general—read on.
I've written before about how IndieGameStand has to deal with fraud, and it's not pretty.
The developer tinyBuild originally had their own shop on their website, which they had to shut down due to chargebacks. They noticed that later G2A would suddenly get a bunch of keys to their games.
Here's the developer tinyBuild on how G2A has sold approximately $450,000 worth of their games without them being compensated.
Note: Seems their website is now suffering problems, here's a screen-grab of the article.
The developer emailed the store, and got a reply along the lines of "you won't get a penny from us, start selling your games on our store or we won't do anything about it".
Stores like G2A make me very angry, ripping off developers and gamers and by the looks of it they don't give a hoot, disgusting.
If you didn't know about this, fair enough, but I urge you to stop now. If you buy from G2A and you understand this, you're not helping developers at all. I implore you: if you use G2A just stop.
I should note, that I don't personally see anything wrong in selling on keys you legally own and haven't used to someone else. The problem is that stores like G2A built a business around it, which has obviously attracted the attention of a fair amount of scammers using stolen credit cards to buy keys and sell on. Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
I've written before about how IndieGameStand has to deal with fraud, and it's not pretty.
The developer tinyBuild originally had their own shop on their website, which they had to shut down due to chargebacks. They noticed that later G2A would suddenly get a bunch of keys to their games.
Here's the developer tinyBuild on how G2A has sold approximately $450,000 worth of their games without them being compensated.
Note: Seems their website is now suffering problems, here's a screen-grab of the article.
The developer emailed the store, and got a reply along the lines of "you won't get a penny from us, start selling your games on our store or we won't do anything about it".
tinybuildIn short, G2A claims that our distribution partners are scamming us and simply selling keys on G2A. They won’t help us unless we are willing to work with them. We are not going to get compensated, and they expect us to undercut our own retail partners (and Steam!) to compete with the unauthorized resellers.
Stores like G2A make me very angry, ripping off developers and gamers and by the looks of it they don't give a hoot, disgusting.
If you didn't know about this, fair enough, but I urge you to stop now. If you buy from G2A and you understand this, you're not helping developers at all. I implore you: if you use G2A just stop.
I should note, that I don't personally see anything wrong in selling on keys you legally own and haven't used to someone else. The problem is that stores like G2A built a business around it, which has obviously attracted the attention of a fair amount of scammers using stolen credit cards to buy keys and sell on. Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
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I agree that the whole G2A thing is extremely questionable. What I don't get is why they don't limit the cheap versions of the games sold in other countries. For instance, let the cheap Russian version only have the Russian language. Then they'd be instantly useless for the rest of the world.
2 Likes, Who?
leillo1975 Jun 20, 2016
What kind of Store is instantgaming?
I bought a couple of games on it two months ago with a increíble price.
Normally I buy games on Steam, humble Store and Bundlestars
I bought a couple of games on it two months ago with a increíble price.
Normally I buy games on Steam, humble Store and Bundlestars
0 Likes
When I started to collect games for my Steam library I used to buy games on Kinguin (polish reseller, same as G2A). I din't buy much, about 5 titles I guess. Then I started to follow this page and I understood, that it is very bad idea, and developers and publishers loose money, because of those resellers.
Currently, PC games I buy from:
- Steam,
- Humble Store (Humble Bundles)
- GoG.
For PS4 I buy games from store and sometimes Box versions of the games if deal is really good.
I guess we all would be happy if everyone were just ignoring resellers.
Currently, PC games I buy from:
- Steam,
- Humble Store (Humble Bundles)
- GoG.
For PS4 I buy games from store and sometimes Box versions of the games if deal is really good.
I guess we all would be happy if everyone were just ignoring resellers.
4 Likes, Who?
DamonLinuxPL Jun 20, 2016
Im never buying on G2A... but Im buying on Steam, GOG or Huble only cheap games or in sale. Other game in full price more than 20 euro? I prefer buying in my local country stores, box or digital version (cdp.pl, gamesrepublic, techland store or muve.pl), because Steam price calculator is unreal for my country.
Simply in Poland for new game I pay 100 złoty (polish zloty) (~22 euro) for digital key or 120 złoty (28 euro) for BOX. If I buy it on Steam, I need to pay in euros, so this same game I should pay 49 euro, so this is about 215 polish zloty.
So until steam not provide support for my currency, many gamers in my country, not bying in Steam and buying only cheap games or only in Poland stores.
I hope you understand my opinion and why people in Poland skip steam?
So maybe anyone know, If steam plans to introduce a new currency?
Last edited by DamonLinuxPL on 20 June 2016 at 8:50 pm UTC
Simply in Poland for new game I pay 100 złoty (polish zloty) (~22 euro) for digital key or 120 złoty (28 euro) for BOX. If I buy it on Steam, I need to pay in euros, so this same game I should pay 49 euro, so this is about 215 polish zloty.
So until steam not provide support for my currency, many gamers in my country, not bying in Steam and buying only cheap games or only in Poland stores.
I hope you understand my opinion and why people in Poland skip steam?
So maybe anyone know, If steam plans to introduce a new currency?
Last edited by DamonLinuxPL on 20 June 2016 at 8:50 pm UTC
6 Likes, Who?
Um, get the FBI involved maybe?
1 Likes, Who?
hardpenguin Jun 20, 2016
Im buying on Steam, GOG or Huble only cheap games or in sale. Other game in full price more than 20 euro? I prefer buying in my local country stores, box or digital version (cdp.pl, gamesrepublic, techland store or muve.pl), because Steam price calculator is unreal for my country.And Allegro, don't forget Allegro :)
Simply in Poland for new game I pay 100 złoty (polish zloty) (~22 euro) for digital key or 120 złoty (28 euro) for BOX. If I buy it on Steam, I need to pay in euros, so this same game I should pay 49 euro, so this is about 215 polish zloty.
So until steam not provide support for my currency, many gamers in my country, not bying in Steam and buying only cheap games or only in Poland stores.
I hope you understand my opinion and why people in Poland skip steam?
So maybe anyone know, If steam plans to introduce a new currency?
(For people not familiar with the brand, Allegro is our local Polish ebay)
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Bought a game from G2A once - got scammed myself. Now I only buy games either from instant-gaming.com or steam itself
1 Likes, Who?
Btw guys I've bought my PS4 on Agito, they also count ;)Im buying on Steam, GOG or Huble only cheap games or in sale. Other game in full price more than 20 euro? I prefer buying in my local country stores, box or digital version (cdp.pl, gamesrepublic, techland store or muve.pl), because Steam price calculator is unreal for my country.And Allegro, don't forget Allegro :)
Simply in Poland for new game I pay 100 złoty (polish zloty) (~22 euro) for digital key or 120 złoty (28 euro) for BOX. If I buy it on Steam, I need to pay in euros, so this same game I should pay 49 euro, so this is about 215 polish zloty.
So until steam not provide support for my currency, many gamers in my country, not bying in Steam and buying only cheap games or only in Poland stores.
I hope you understand my opinion and why people in Poland skip steam?
So maybe anyone know, If steam plans to introduce a new currency?
(For people not familiar with the brand, Allegro is our local Polish ebay)
0 Likes
And now tinybuild.com is down.. within hours of posting damning information about G2A.. coincidence? I think not... disgusting :><:
http://www.downforeveryoneorjustme.com/tinybuild.com
http://www.downforeveryoneorjustme.com/tinybuild.com
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And now tinybuild.com is down.. within hours of posting damning information about G2A.. coincidence? I think not... disgusting :><:Incoming G2A ddos on GOL in 5...4....3...
http://www.downforeveryoneorjustme.com/tinybuild.com
5 Likes, Who?
For instance, let the cheap Russian version only have the Russian languageLimiting language selection is pretty crummy for expats living in places where they don't speak the local language well enough.
Or for people who prefer the original over a potentially bad localization. Hell knows I'm pretty annoyed with the TV situation here in Germany (though it is getting a bit better, partially), where I have to wait a year to see a show in a badly done German dub, with no option to even get the original (apart from waiting another year for a physical copy).
And seeing how abysmal German, which is in theory relatively close to English still, translations of English games can be, I'm sure Russian translations are very often very very bad.
Last edited by DrMcCoy on 20 June 2016 at 9:05 pm UTC
4 Likes, Who?
And now tinybuild.com is down.. within hours of posting damning information about G2A.. coincidence? I think not... disgusting :><:Incoming G2A ddos on GOL in 5...4....3...
http://www.downforeveryoneorjustme.com/tinybuild.com
Wouldn't be surprised at all if those crooks had something to do with it.. tinybuild.com responding now but with a blank page stating "Error establishing a database connection"..
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ProfessorKaos64 Jun 20, 2016
I diligently check the "Key Resellers and What They Mean For You" page on /r/linux_gaming whenever I even consider doing such a thing.
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qptain Nemo Jun 20, 2016
Yeah, I'm with DrMcCoy here, forcing a particular non-original language on a copy of a game is really really uncool.For instance, let the cheap Russian version only have the Russian languageLimiting language selection is pretty crummy for expats living in places where they don't speak the local language well enough.
Or for people who prefer the original over a potentially bad localization. Hell knows I'm pretty annoyed with the TV situation here in Germany (though it is getting a bit better, partially), where I have to wait a year to see a show in a badly done German dub, with no option to even get the original (apart from waiting another year for a physical copy).
And seeing how abysmal German, which is in theory relatively close to English still, translations of English games can be, I'm sure Russian translations are very often very very bad.
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Can somebody explain to me how would G2A "suddenly get a bunch of keys"? Where do they come from?
2 Likes, Who?
qptain Nemo Jun 20, 2016
Can somebody explain to me how would G2A "suddenly get a bunch of keys"? Where do they come from?As far as I understand the process is roughly as follows:
· The scammer purchases a bunch of keys with their fake credit card.
· They get the keys.
· Only then their rigged credit card returns some kind of "oops, not really" response to the bank of the developer/store/whatever, effectively aborting/reversing the transaction.
As the result the scammer now has working keys for free.
edit: right, DrMcCoy's explanation is more on point, I was remembering things wrong
Last edited by qptain Nemo on 20 June 2016 at 9:37 pm UTC
2 Likes, Who?
It's more like that they use stolen credit card information. The "oops, not really" is the original owner later discovering that a charge was made with the card that was stolen, and directing the bank to charge it back.
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As far as I understand the process is roughly as follows:There are also scammers that pretend to be game reviewers, livestreamers and youtubers and sell the promo keys they get. This likely only accounts for a small fraction of the fraudulent keys entering the market but it hurts people like us in addition to the developers.
· The scammer purchases a bunch of keys with their fake credit card.
· They get the keys.
· Only then their rigged credit card returns some kind of "oops, not really" response to the bank of the developer/store/whatever, effectively aborting/reversing the transaction.
As the result the scammer now has working keys for free.
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