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kannakamui.de 30 Aug @ 3:58am
Why does the UK get Age-Verfication and we germans beg for it 10+ years and get ignored?
Hello,

I am really mad and fuming at the moment. I am 42 years old and I it is humiliating that I have to beg to steam to sell me games that are blocked in germany often for no or even the wrong reason from steam side because the developer is unable to fill out forms correctly and if a customer goes to that dev and explains them they filled out some forms wrongly so your game that is not 18+ is now classified as such or when devs don't know that they need to fill out the USK Rating form so their game gets sold to germans too, else it will be blocked for them, they normally don't care.

So we germans beg for 10+ years that we WANT the age verification so we can finally just buy all games and all we got as answers was that Steam does not plan to introduce an age verification at all. That was always the answer (or some "I'm sorry I can't help you" -> Ticket close).

Now the UK has one part of their new law that's quite similar to ours: Adult Game -> Show ID

What happens? Steam INSTANTLY slams out an ID Verification System

I feel betrayed and ripped off.

Germany is the FIFTH largest gaming market globally, with nearly $11 billion in revenue in 2023, DOUBLE the UK’s pathetic $5.5 billion. It’s absolute nonsense that Steam treats us like an insignificant market, instantly blocking adult-rated games due to age verification laws, while the UK, with HALF our sales, faces no such bans despite having the SAME EU age verification rules. This is a total rip-off for German gamers!
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Kargor 30 Aug @ 4:25am 
Because Steam always takes the cheapest route.

For Germany, blocking some "adult" titles might even earn them praise from activist groups, so that's their solution.

Later, when every game had to have an age rating, blocking those that did not was the easy way (and, considering that they only need to fill out a questionaire provided by Steam, that's the part of their censoring infrastructure that I don't have much of an issue with).

UK seems to be much stricter, so Steam had to add something real. In line with their usual policy, they made it a credit card verification because they already had all the components for that, so while that p*s off some UK customers, it was very cheap to implement.
Last edited by Kargor; 30 Aug @ 4:26am
#1
dq_177 30 Aug @ 4:34am 
Originally posted by Kargor:
Because Steam always takes the cheapest route.

That really is the answer isn't it? Steam just half-asses when it comes to this.
#2
kannakamui.de 30 Aug @ 4:42am 
Originally posted by Kargor:
UK seems to be much stricter,
That's the funny part. It isn't.
It's the same regulation and it even applies now to the whole EU.
UK has technically (of course a few details are different) the same setup of laws now like germany if it is about adult games (outside of games very different please do not make that a topic).
So what the UK has now is something we germans want for over a decade and always just got "Nope, not gonna happen"... And seeing that it CAN happen on steam is infuriating as hell. I had to buy many games for more than they cost to get my hands on them because of those blocks.
#3
Pocahawtness 30 Aug @ 4:47am 
Originally posted by kannakamui.de:
Hello,

I am really mad and fuming at the moment. I am 42 years old and I it is humiliating that I have to beg to steam to sell me games that are blocked in germany often for no or even the wrong reason from steam side because the developer is unable to fill out forms correctly and if a customer goes to that dev and explains them they filled out some forms wrongly so your game that is not 18+ is now classified as such or when devs don't know that they need to fill out the USK Rating form so their game gets sold to germans too, else it will be blocked for them, they normally don't care.

So we germans beg for 10+ years that we WANT the age verification so we can finally just buy all games and all we got as answers was that Steam does not plan to introduce an age verification at all. That was always the answer (or some "I'm sorry I can't help you" -> Ticket close).

Now the UK has one part of their new law that's quite similar to ours: Adult Game -> Show ID

What happens? Steam INSTANTLY slams out an ID Verification System

I feel betrayed and ripped off.

Germany is the FIFTH largest gaming market globally, with nearly $11 billion in revenue in 2023, DOUBLE the UK’s pathetic $5.5 billion. It’s absolute nonsense that Steam treats us like an insignificant market, instantly blocking adult-rated games due to age verification laws, while the UK, with HALF our sales, faces no such bans despite having the SAME EU age verification rules. This is a total rip-off for German gamers!

As I understand it, there is a subtle difference.

In Germany games must have an age advisory. If games do not have an advisory, then they are banned.

In the UK games that have an age advisory of 18+ require age verification.

The difference is not down to Steam, it's down to the wording of the law.
#4
kannakamui.de 22 hours ago 
Originally posted by Pocahawtness:
As I understand it, there is a subtle difference.

In Germany games must have an age advisory. If games do not have an advisory, then they are banned.

In the UK games that have an age advisory of 18+ require age verification.

The difference is not down to Steam, it's down to the wording of the law.
No that is not quite true.

Here is how it works:

If a developer/publisher does not request an USK Rating (Expensive for physical copies, free for stuff like GooglePlay Store, Steam, Apple Store, GOG etc) the game must be treated as Adult Only game.

We have for that "List A" and "List B"
Games that are "indexed" or have no age rating are on List A or are treated as List A as non-age rated games are not on the list but get treated as such. List A means they may not be sold to people under 18. That means in the Shop where you buy it you have to show your ID, same if you want to buy them online. You must ID Verify.

Games on List B are Banned from buying.

At least that system was used until 2021 and all games slapped onto these lists still stay as that.

From 2021 onwards we had no new entries that forbid any selling so there is no game that was released after 2021 that steam could not sell to us. EVERY SINGLE GAME on steam from 2021 is 100% sellable to us, no exception.

All they need to do for adult only games is: Age Verification

It's the very same as the current UK Situation. No difference
#5
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Date Posted: 30 Aug @ 3:58am
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