Can I use a VPN to unlock Fallout early?

[soldier5637]

Hey everyone, can I use my paid VPN service to "put myself" in Australia lets say (I'm in Canada) to unlock Fallout 4 at the earliest time possible on steam? this is the first release of any video game ever that I'm this ridiculously anxious and over-excited for so I've never tried it before. Theoretically it should work right? Anyone have any experience trying it?

 

[thor220]

Games are region locked. Unless you purchased the game on a fake Australian account with a fake IP, it's not going to be possible. Steam tracks any IP changes, so if you did suddenly start logging in from another region you would not only have to go through steam lock but you can bet that valve would be watching you with the ban hammer held up.

Is it really worth playing the game a bit early?

 

[soldier5637]

I use a VPN every single day on steam and always have...
My VPN service puts me in either the US, Canada or sometimes the UK every time I turn my computer on automatically. Never had any difficulties with steam/valve because of it. I also purchased the game through greenman gaming and was sent the keys through them.

 

[thor220]

I'm guessing that steam is tracking you PCs mac address as well. Anytime I login from an unknown IP address, steam won't let me access my account without a code. They do this for any account. I don't know what region you purchased the game in but you obviously cannot unlock a game for a different region. You can go ahead and try but I doubt that valve won't notice. It's your account to loose. By using a VPN in the first place, you've been violating the ToS anyways.

 

[soldier5637]

I really doubt theyre going to hack thousands of customers and their generous wallets over using a VPN. Looking on other forums theres tons of people that do the same and they say the only time youre going to get the ax from using a VPN is if you use it to obtain a product cheaper and it is then fraud which is understandable.

 

[thor220]

Technically, using a VPN to pretend to be in a region your not in is fraud as well.

 

[soldier5637]

Technically, using a VPN to pretend to be in a region your not in is fraud as well.

That makes no sense. I dont mean to come off dickish, but I see no way that that is any form of fraud. Its a very publicly offered service with the sole intention of putting your computers address in another place. I realize that fraud stretches beyond money and exists in several forms, but I fail to see how that'd be one of them and I think anyone would have a hard time finding it in ink saying that that was blatantly the case.

 

[thor220]

You're sending false location information to valve in order to receive something before everyone else. If it ain't fraud, it's definitely a violation of both Stream's and Fallout 4's ToS.. Using the product before the indicted date for your region is illegal.

Fancy words aside, just coming here and asking about this proves you know this isn't strictly legal. Rationalizing something like this is somewhat of like a gateway drug for the self-entitled, you'll soon find yourself more apt to lean toward a side you shouldn't be kissing.

 

[soldier5637]

Just to let you know, I unlocked it almost a full day ahead if release via VPN. Tons and tons of people use VPNs for everyday steam use, look it up.

 

[thor220]

Only a criminal seeks to justify his own actions. I won't discuss this any further.

 

[soldier5637]

Wow, I'm really sorry that you're such a generally unpleasant level of stuck up. I'm not a criminal. Never stolen anything and I oppose it staunchly. Never done any kind of drug ever. I don't litter. You don't know me, so don't come in here in your high horse thinking you're better than me and therefore free to judge what and who I am. Whatever I am I am certainly not a criminal.

 

[thor220]

And yet you're here, right now willing to defend you actions tooth and nail. Tell me, if what you're doing is so legal, why do you have to go through such a process to do it? Why does Bethesda and Steam set a date and time for their game to release?

At the very least, your treading gray water, and right now defending your actions is no better than those who defend pirating. "Oh I could have paid but I want what I want when I want it", sound awfully similar to what you're going? Entitled.

 

[soldier5637]

No, it really doesn't seem similar to pirating at all, because I paid for it. I paid for it without hesitation. I also pay yearly for this VPN service. I pirate and/or steal nothing. There were people playing fallout 4 in Australia at the same time I was using a VPN, that's not illegal. The game was out, it was the tenth there. You're comparing me to the worst of the worst when I'm a far cry from it. Please, don't respond to this as I'm no longer up for this beyond ridiculous debate.

 

[thor220]

Oh please. You take what you want when you want it. Just because you paid for it doesn't change the fact that you violated a region lock.

 

[soldier5637]

Please, know what you're talking about before you open your mouth. I bought it from green man gaming which gives out codes from third party vendors which have no region locks. Just stop.

 

[thor220]

Lol, not even talking about where you bought it from. Region locked refers to the time, date, and area a game is set to. Green Man Gaming sells games that are supposed to be played in only specific region after the launch date. I know this because when I buy a game from them, it state the region next to the name and in steam.

I find it incredibly amusing that you're getting all snippy with me, especially when you're the one in fault.

 

[soldier5637]

Firstly, no one's "at fault" here. Not me, not you, nor the next guy in line. You're pointing fingers in a scenario that doesn't need it. I came here just to let anyone know who wanted to know that a VPN does indeed work with steam. Not to start a fight, but to provide information and feedback. PS, I just checked everywhere and no, my fallout 4 from GMG is not region locked anywhere. Look it up, they sell a combination of region locked and non region locked codes a large part of the time.

 

[jaguarskx]

I am locking this thread so that this heated argument does not escalate to the point where I will need to dish out temporary bans.... especially since the Fallout 4 has been released by now.

There are guides out there that were started to help people play Fallout 4 early; it is a simple Google search. Using VPNs to play games is certainly legal to do. Using them to unlock a game one day early is probably a way to bend the rules a bit so it would be a grey market area.