For me it's pretty simple, if they put silly restrictions on my ability to buy and play te game, I won't get it... The last game I bought in a brick & mortar store, was the CE of Wrath of the Lich King because I couldn't find a webstore that still had it in stock. So unless they give me a really compelling reason (Like some really interessting extra in the box) they lose a sale by restricting my purchase.

I see no moral issues with spoofing your IP in this case.  If the account thing is set (I doubt it is done at account level) just make a new account.

I'd even go so far as to say that since you aren't wanted as a customer, it's ok to just download it, though paying for it is the better option.  Look at anime fansubs.

Whoa, was that one thought through?

What is the "supply" on a digital distribution?

The supply = Infinite because there is no limit to the number of times it can be copied. Which makes what happen on a standard supply vs demand equation mathematically?

Plus the demand side is totally off as well. When you're dealing with worldwide digital distribution there is only one market - the world. Demand in Poland and U.S. doesn't really matter because it is all just a purchase request at the exact same digital store. In this case it isn't like Poland is in any way a richer country than the U.S. and has a greater supply of money... the opposite is true.

What does matter is currency exchange rates and demand versus price. Does the higher price compensate for the reduced number of copies sold?

Otherwise these companies are just pricing themselves out of doing more (better) business.

In some countries if it isn't sold, available for sale, or copyrighted in your country then it is legal to "pirate" or make copies of it for private use. For instance last I knew the U.S. does not enforce foreign copyrights if the product is not sold in the U.S. and does not consider it illegal to make copies. However, your copy will become illegal once it is either copyrighted in the U.S. or sold in the U.S.

I know this is the basis under which Anime fansubs exist and become illegal once the copied work is available in the U.S.

*ahem* I thought of answering like this, then I thought for a second (giggle) - The supply = Only they have it, so they have ALL the supply, doesn't matter that it's an INFINITE supply. 

Physical shops have supply too, and that's the problem. Downloads can't be priced higher or noone gets them and they can't be priced significantly lower than a real box because then noone would get a box anymore.

I meant the developers, but yeah close enough.

If you look at it as an individual art piece and the buyers have to have just that one then yes you could say that. If you look at it as a product and that most people are fans not so much of "Demigod" so much as RTS games... then you realize you have competition.

For instance you could own the only "Master of Magic" and want to charge a crazy amount of money because the supply of licenses is 1 and therefore the price should be very high. But then someone might like at an alternative and see that fewer people are buying the name rather than people who just like 4X fantasy games and you can blow them out of the marketplace.

Seriously, how many people are only in the PC game market for one exclusive title?

Allow me to correct myself:

That's how the demand portion functions. As they know they are the only provider of (game X) and the rest of the developers sell at the same price, there is no reason for them to bring the price down. Perhaps comparing it to a monopoly would have been a better explanation.

Come on Impulse! You never let me down! Damn publishers... More staggering because so far EA had been very diligent with my country.

Come to think of it, maybe it isn't that Stardock is "lazy" for allowing such easy "work-arounds". Considering their vision in DMR, they might also see in similar lights regional restrictions. That's a loophole that's meant to be there. Or maybe not...

I didn't buy on Impulse very often, but it sure is my favorite digital distribution program. The only problem had been it's library. But now, it seems to be shaping up nice. That regional restriction is a bummer though... that was the main reason I never used Direct2Drive, 90% of its titles are no-go to my Brazilian self...

And I was so looking forward to use my 20% survey discount on it... I'll have to content with Majesty 2 now.

Oi Sandro, tudo bom?

I just realized that I'm starting to use Steam and GamersGate more and more for my online purchases. As much as I like Impulse, they can't offer me most of the good games they have available. That is a real shame...

Gamersgate is actually quite nice when it comes to availability. What I can't get from the main site, I can usually get in their UK site (though more expensive). I was finally able to pre-order the Digital Deluxe Edition of Dragon Age Origins from them.

YAY!  Dragon Age! Wohoooo!!!!! Got the pre-order!!!!    

Ahem... But they could sure use the download speed and convenience of Impulse. 

Hey Stardock! Join forces with Paradox for digital distribution! Seriously...