It has been confirmed that Konami has placed region locking on the PC version of Metal Gear Rising Revengeance, creating another adverse precedent for Steam.
See, Konami has done two things to Platinum Games’ actioner for the Metal Gear series. First off, they have designed it to be a Steamworks Game, meaning you will need to use Steam to play it even if you buy it at retail or purchase it from other sources.
The second thing Konami has done is make use of Steam’s built in region locking functionality. For the moment, it seems the game is only available on PC for Steam users in North America and certain European countries.
The combination of the two has created terrible real life scenarios. Buyers who choose to get Steam keys over digital downloads will find that they will not be able to use the serial numbers at all. It’s bad for retailers and consumers alike.
Some retailers seem to be unaware of the situation. As of the moment, Amazon US, Gamefly and Greenman Gaming sell region locked Steam keys for the game. Of course, even if these are US-based retailers, consumers outside the US can buy from them as well. Of these retailers, only Nuveem is providing advance warning at the moment.
There is another effect from region locking, and this is one that Konami seems to have planned for. Having different regions means Konami can set different prices on different regions. As a final nail in the coffin, the game cannot be gifted across regions.
Konami has placed tight controls on Revengeance’s PC edition for sure. You may not be personally affected, but make no mistake, this is something you need to stay on guard for. Another bad precedent has been set for Steam.
