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[Three]

Okay. I'm doing this on a PC with no VPN. No games are available in the Xbox app when I change the region to Iran. However, if I change the region to Jamaica you can buy PC games from the Xbox app but it says Game Pass is unavailable.

VPN here isn't needed at all unless PSN/MS region locks signups or logins which they don't in most regions AFAIK, there may be exceptions like China.

Where was your original MS account created and do you have a credit card or payment method tied to it from a supported region? Since changing location often doesn't really change your account region, it only changes your current location. It wouldn't stop purchases in non-prohibited countries but would prevent services.

Buying PC games I believe just uses the MS store anyway so purchases would work there regardless, as long as that is in your region. This isn't the same as the Xbox Services/account being available in the country (the actual xbox profile, gamepass, xcloud etc). It's a separate account agreement not tied to the original store purchase. Much like Steam requiring an xbox account registration or Steam requiring a PSN one. The MS store allows the purchase but that doesn't necessarily mean your country officially supports the services required by that software. It's the xbox account agreement thats unofficial in your country and can be terminated by MS as unsupported, of course there is no real reason for companies to do that though. Hope that makes sense.

 

[AmuroChan]

Can’t we just have a global account and a global store?

It’s 2024. I bet you’re not in the same country like me surfing on GAF right now, and we can still talk, right? And it’s not like I have to use some vpn service to reach this board or buy NeoGAF Gold.

Why are gaming companies always enforcing all these rules and boarders and walls that nobody else care about in 2024?

How are they going to deal with all this in the future if everything is running from servers to every screen and someone who’s traveling the world want to game on their phone and a TV in a hotel room in a far away country and on a internet café computer etc?
Do they have to have different accounts and go to different stores to buy games and log in to different servers or maybe use vpn services and pretend they’re still at home?

I guess the problem is on GAF there's no region-locked content. So no matter where in the world we sign in, we all see the same thing, but that's not the case with PSN store. Some games are region-locked, and some are released in certain languages first. So the store has to be more curated by region. As for the travel scenario, that's not been an issue for me. I used to travel with my Vita all the time and if I log into my US PSN account in Thailand while using the Vita, I'm still accessing the US PSN store. I think Sony has that one accounted for already since they've released two handhelds and know that people travel with them.

 

[crackajack]

My takeaways from this controversy are two things.
One is that the arrowhead CEO is not to be trusted as a business partner and will bend the rules to profit and throw you under the bus for his gains. Sony could have still just take the W and just cut bonuses or whatever for not following their agreements, but they stubbornly fell into the trap that basically the arrowhead pretend good guy layed for them. Their future negotiations will be funny. Arrowhead delivering more positive hype for Sony except the past week of course than f-ing Bungie but absolutely betrayed them and their not well thought out plans.
Because the other takeaway is that PS is not prepared at all to actually be on PC.
I thought they would ease people into their ecosystem with opt in features. Have trophy support as a first marginal step. Maybe have PS PC store exclusive content as another. Most importantly have cross buy with PS and their future PC store as a still optional huge perk. No need to ever abandon steam and egs, just move as many people towards your own system with some benefits and don't engage in some uphill battle bullshit egs does. But no, they tried to require something they can't even properly provide. Most people that were upset probably are not affected themselves but for once standing up for a principle was pushed und succeeded.

 

[Fafalada]

So you can use a Microsoft account on places that don't support Xbox right?

Yes of course.

 

[LarsQMorient]

VPN here isn't needed at all unless PSN/MS region locks signups or logins which they don't in most regions AFAIK, there may be exceptions like China.

Where was your original MS account created and do you have a credit card or payment method tied to it from a supported region? Since changing location often doesn't really change your account region, it only changes your current location. It wouldn't stop purchases in non-prohibited countries but would prevent services.

Buying PC games I believe just uses the MS store anyway so purchases would work there regardless, as long as that is in your region. This isn't the same as the Xbox Services/account being available in the country (the actual xbox profile, gamepass, xcloud etc). It's a separate account agreement not tied to the original store purchase. Much like Steam requiring an xbox account registration or Steam requiring a PSN one. The MS store allows the purchase but that doesn't necessarily mean your country officially supports the services required by that software. It's the xbox account agreement thats unofficial in your country and can be terminated by MS as unsupported, of course there is no real reason for companies to do that though. Hope that makes sense.

The account was created in Jamaica and it seems you can just use Jamaican credit/debit cards. Also, Xbox Achievements are available in Jamaica.

Also, businesses would stipulatively define a term like "officially support." So the term could mean something different or be more/less restrictive by different companies.

 

[Three]

The account was created in Jamaica and it seems you can just use Jamaican credit/debit cards.

Ms store then likely supports Jamaica officially but not the xbox service agreement. Can you buy from the console itself on xbox?

Also, Xbox Achievements are available in Jamaica.

Yes the entire profile works but the service isn't officially available in your country.

Also, businesses would stipulatively define a term like "officially support." So the term could mean something different or be more/less restrictive by different companies.

They do, when I say "officially support" I mean just support, and the only other option being no support. No support doesn't mean "doesn't work" though. I can sign up to a Japanese PSN account and everything works but the agreement clearly doesn't apply to me because (say I live in Belarus) it isn't abiding by laws written for my country. The agreement is written for Japanese law, that doesn't mean I now have official support in Belarus if the account I created works as normal because I've agreed to an agreement that doesn't apply to me officially.
So when you read the MS agreement you have to find out what countries it applies to. They expect you to read the agreement, seek to find out if your region is supported by the xbox Services agreement and if not don't agree. They don't stop you agreeing to a service agreement that isn't officially supported in your country but they can terminate that at any time because officially it would not be valid. No company does this though because they'll just be giving up a user. Unless of course providing that service is itself illegal, like say providing it for Iranian users.

 

[LarsQMorient]

Ms store then likely supports Jamaica officially but not the xbox service agreement. Can you buy from the console itself on xbox?

I don't use consoles. I'm unsure. But I think many people use physical games or Xbox gift cards.

 

[ArtHands]

I pay 1.5x more for everything where I am, taxes and inflation. I just think it makes no sense to lock devices and services behind real world boarders in an internet based gaming future supposedly without borders. Play wherever you want on whatever device and screen you want. That’s the future the industry is moving toward. I don’t see walls doing any good to get to that point. I wanted to play Ridge Racer 6 on Xbox Series X when they put it on a BC list. Couldn’t buy it where I’m at. Why? No idea. Who’s gaining something from that? No idea.

Different countries have different cultures, languages, economy climates and policies so such restrictions were made by various governments to regulate and moderate things.