"Attack of the Clones" — the most famous clone games on Steam
Have you ever bought add-ons in the Steam store that refused to work with your version of the game? Did you fail to play online with a friend from America or Europe? Congratulations! You are certainly the owner of a not quite complete version of the game and are in what is known as a 'reservation', artificially created by the foreign publisher.
Have you heard the expression 'game with a different AppID'? Let's break down 'what it is?', 'where is it?', and 'why is it unpleasant?'.
A bit of theory so that you don't have unnecessary questions later.
AppID (Application ID) is a digital product identifier in the Steam catalog. It is unique for standard, extended, collector's editions, and pre-orders, as well as for add-ons, keys, promotional items, and language packs. Anything related to a single game is linked to one AppID.
How does the system determine what version you have and what rights to content you possess if the identifier is always the same and immutable? This is all within the purview of SubID (Subscription ID) — the subscription number.
The subscription defines your set of rights to the game: which DLCs are available, which languages you can choose from, and in which countries you can launch the game. You can have several subscriptions at once, or rather, combine them into one, for example, by buying the game on Steam and activating the same key from retail, thereby acquiring new opportunities if they are provided (removal of regional restrictions, additional languages, DLCs, etc.).
I want to emphasize again that SubID is precisely a set of rights composed of application numbers. Be it language, add-on, guide, or digital art book — each element has its own number. It turns out that what combines are not even the subscriptions themselves, but these content identifiers (the active SubID remains the one with more rights, for example, there are no launch restrictions).
Let's examine this system in practice, taking the game Skyrim, activated with a key from 1C-SoftClub, as an example.
The game's AppID is 72850. This number usually corresponds to the link to the game in the Steam store. Just like now: http://store.steampowered.com/app/72850/
The game's SubID, or rather, the version from 1C-SoftClub — is 12100. If you buy games from the Steam store, you can find out the subscription number by going through your browser and hovering over the 'add to cart' button — a tooltip will display the numbers.
The application numbers of the 12100 subscription are 72850, 72851, 72852, 72853, 72854, 75855, 72856, 72857, 72858, 72859, 72860, 202480, 202481. I won't detail what each means but just note that the first 11 correspond to the game, the executable file (exe), and language packs, while the last two correspond to access to the editor.
What will happen if you then buy the game on Steam? The subscription 12100 will change to 12248 (if purchased from Russia) and another application number 72861 will be added. This is the Japanese language. Interestingly, the subscription 12248 does not include numbers 72858, 72859, and 72860 (Polish, Czech and Russian languages), hence we will retain rights to this data thanks to the old license (i.e., the activation of the key).
You can view all this accounting yourself on the site http://cdr.thebronasium.com/. It's straightforward: enter part of the product name or numbers if you know them.
So here you can see all the application numbers for Skyrim from 1C-SoftClub, as well as what they signify: http://cdr.thebronasium.com/sub/apps/12100/.
Here it shows which subscriptions the Russian version of the game belongs to: http://cdr.thebronasium.com/app/subs/72860/.
And here all subscriptions for the game's AppID are listed: http://cdr.thebronasium.com/app/subs/72850/.
But let's forget about the good… and about Skyrim. Let's return to clone games. As you already understood, if a game has a different AppID from the rest of the world, by Steam's rules this is a completely different product, unreleated to the original, even if it has the same name. In the world of Steam, numbers decide.
Let's go through the list of these notoriously known games.
Original: http://cdr.thebronasium.com/app/subs/205100/
Clone: http://cdr.thebronasium.com/app/subs/217980/
As you can see, none of the subscriptions and application numbers intersect in different versions — in fact, these are two different products. If you buy two versions (one abroad, and the second here) — you will have two games in your library.
The counterfeit is sold in Eastern Europe, specifically, in Russia, the CIS countries, Poland, the Czech Republic, and Hungary. Both in the Steam store in these countries and in retail. This version differs in language sets — English, Russian, Czech, Polish, and Hungarian instead of EFIGS from the international version.
What is bad about that? Obviously, the delay of DLC. The Dunwall City Trials add-on was released only for the original game (205100) and is still unavailable to us. Even if you swap the add-on with foreigners, it won't activate on our version. You either wait for Bethesda to give the go-ahead for the release of the DLC for the version sold to us, or buy the game again, but already abroad.
There have been no problems with patches so far, except for the fact that the first and, so far, only update was released for us with a delay of several days. The clone has no launch restrictions if you buy the game from the Steam store. The game activated with the key from the retail version from 1C-SoftClub will not work outside of Russia and the CIS.
Other inconveniences are not as critical, but they exist: the international version lacks the Russian language, achievements are also not translated; our version does not have its own store page, so when you try to view the list of DLCs and several other links you'll be taken to the main page; the clone cannot be gifted or bought for the inventory, even in the CIS, where the game costs $60.
[Borderlands 2](/games?search=Borderlands 2)
Original: http://cdr.thebronasium.com/app/subs/49520/
Clone: http://cdr.thebronasium.com/app/subs/217490/
Those with a keen perception will immediately notice that several numbers from our version duplicate among the subscriptions of the original. This is explained by the fact that when purchasing a regional release (from anywhere), we receive the international one as a bonus.
Eastern Europe this time is fortunate, the limited version is available only for Russia and the CIS. And if ROW (Rest of the World) includes the standard EFIGS package as well as Japanese and Korean languages, our version includes only Russian.
The consequence of the reservation was a delay in the release of updates and downloadable content. Thus, we still cannot play in Russian in two of the three major expansions included in the Season Pass, even though one of them was released back in October last year. There were also problems with the subscription because initially, a version incompatible with our AppID was sold on Steam.
The Russian version has its own build and patch numbers, so there is no avoiding confusion about which patches have already been released and which have not. The main problems are two: our game does not allow online play with the original owners and does not allow to activate the so-called Shift Code — special promotional codes from the publisher's giveaways that allow you to receive free 'golden keys' to unlock special chests in the game.
The second issue is solvable by installing the original, but here you should also look for pitfalls: both games share a common settings folder, so when using both versions simultaneously possible glitches occur, including the 'loss' of fonts in either edition.
If you buy the game on Steam, you still won't be able to launch the Russian version outside of Russia and/or the CIS; there are no such restrictions in retail and digital from 1C-SoftClub. The clone cannot be bought as a gift or in the inventory, but when purchasing any DLC in Russia or the CIS, you will receive similar content for the original.
[Fallout: New Vegas](/games?search=Fallout: New Vegas)
Original: http://cdr.thebronasium.com/app/subs/22380/
Clone: http://cdr.thebronasium.com/app/subs/22490/
Why make a clone of a purely single-player game — is a mystery. The reservation includes the same countries as in the case of Dishonored, plus Romania and Slovakia. Our version supports English, Russian, Czech, and Polish languages, while the original has EFIGS.
A delay in updates has become standard, but the DLCs have been the worst off: not only did the new content appear for the limited version with a delay of several months, but also after switching to rubles, the entire catalog of Bethesda games disappeared from the Russian segment of Steam, returning only on the brink of the release of [Fallout: New Vegas](/games?search=Fallout: New Vegas) Ultimate Edition.
The release of the 'gold' edition did not go without incidents. Only on the last day did representatives of 1C-SoftClub manage to resolve the subscription issue with Bethesda, preventing the appearance of a second 'clone': the activation of the regional key UE is now tied to the existing subscription rather than writing a second (or even third, if you have the original) game into the library as originally intended.
The Russian language will only be guaranteed with retail purchases from 1C-SoftClub. Those who bought the game on Steam may find that the add-ons remain in English — there is no established pattern, but there is a theory that just before the release of the Ultimate Edition, those who had already purchased the add-ons were offered to add the Russian language to them.
The other issues are not as critical: this includes the absence of achievements translation in the original and the inability to navigate to DLC pages directly from the game or library. The Eastern European version has its own gaming center and statistics, while it is impossible to track correct patch release dates in the news. There are no restrictions on launching either in the 2010 edition or the Ultimate Edition.
[Duke Nukem Forever](/games?search=Duke Nukem Forever)
Original: http://cdr.thebronasium.com/app/subs/57900/
Clone: http://cdr.thebronasium.com/app/subs/57970/
The peculiarity of this counterfeit is that it is not sold on Steam and can only be obtained by activating a retail key from 1C-SoftClub. Someone from the management of 2K Games or Gearbox clearly has a bone to pick with Russians, as this is not the only case in their practice — remember the Borderlands duology.
The clone is sold on discs in Russia and CIS countries, and upon key activation we receive an unpatched Russian version without the ability to purchase and install add-ons (except the promotional DLC Duke’s Big Package from the extended edition) and play online with owners of the international edition.
Interestingly, the original with two add-ons is now sold in all Steam regions. In Russia, the game is also available (at a regional price), but without add-ons (they can be swapped with foreigners as the DLCs are incompatible only with the retail Russian version). In the CIS region of Steam, there are neither the game nor the add-ons. The ROW version, of course, lacks the Russian language — only EFIGS.
Against the backdrop of absent updates and DLC, other problems of our cloned version pale in comparison. As usual, we have a separate gaming center, achievement statistics, and even background pictures for the game in the Steam library and newsfeed are missing. Thank you, 2K Games, for at least allowing playing the 'Russian Duke' abroad — our version will run anywhere.
[Football Manager 2012](/games?search=Football Manager 2012)
Original: http://cdr.thebronasium.com/app/subs/71270/
Clone: http://cdr.thebronasium.com/app/subs/71320/
[Football Manager 2013](/games?search=Football Manager 2013)
Original: http://cdr.thebronasium.com/app/subs/207890/
Clone: http://cdr.thebronasium.com/app/subs/216610/
Russian fans are so tough that they even decided to shield them from the rest of the world in a simulator. Reservations in Football Manager are gradually becoming a tradition, although it seems unnecessary since the games do not have add-ons, and the versions differ only by languages?
The 'special' editions are distributed only in Russia and the CIS, both in Steam and retail. The language is one — Russian, while the international version supports twelve major European languages and, as you understand, ours is not among them.
The existence of clones is bad in itself, but in this case, the publisher's policy is quite lenient. No obvious delays with patches have been noted; only original owners cannot play online together. The Steam store even has a separate page for the Russian versions (currently only for 2013, since 2012 has been removed from sale), the news feed, banners, and background pictures display just like in the original.
In our versions, achievements are translated into Russian, while in the international versions, they are not. The gaming centers and statistics on achievements are separate, but this is already a given for any clone game: it's established in Steam that each AppID has its own. Neither version has regional launch restrictions.
Original: http://cdr.thebronasium.com/app/subs/50620/
Clone: http://cdr.thebronasium.com/app/subs/50640/
The publisher THQ, known for its loyalty to both languages and regional restrictions (multilingual editions are almost always released), was one of the first to experience the scheme with multiple AppIDs.
Again, the question arises: why divide a single-player game that is by no means first-rate into several pieces?
The unwilling subjects of the experiment were the much-suffering Eastern Europe, as well as Japan. The regional edition was released only in retail and supports Russian, Czech, Polish, and Japanese languages. The international one contains the standard European five, and the original is sold worldwide, even in the aforementioned 'selected' countries.
Our version differs little from the Western one, but only because no add-ons for the game were released. Only the achievements were unlucky: they are translated into Russian, but are sometimes not counted correctly. No launch restrictions were imposed — at least in this regard, the publisher maintains its reputation.
Original: http://cdr.thebronasium.com/app/subs/4500/
Clone: http://cdr.thebronasium.com/app/subs/4830/
This game became the pioneer of an unpleasant trend for all of us. However, calling any of the versions a clone is somewhat incorrect since this is the only case where the division of versions arose not from the publisher's whim.
The fact is that THQ acquired the rights to the international version, while the Russian one remained with GSC World Publishing. Since then, the familiar Russian language version has been sold in Russia and the CIS, while the rest of the world gets the Western edition, which includes English, French, Spanish, and Italian. There are no launch restrictions anywhere, and you can safely exchange games with foreigners.
There are no significant differences between the editions: both have been updated to the latest version, both have their own page in the store and their own gaming center, news feed, banners and background images in the library. There is no extraneous DRM. And this is the only case of such division of games — the other parts of the same S.T.A.L.K.E.R. are already unified for the whole world.
[Max Payne](/games?search=Max Payne)
Original: http://cdr.thebronasium.com/app/subs/12140/
Clone: http://cdr.thebronasium.com/app/subs/210350/
[Max Payne 2](/games?search=Max Payne 2)
Original: http://cdr.thebronasium.com/app/subs/12150/
Clone: http://cdr.thebronasium.com/app/subs/12260/
The clones of the first two parts of Max Payne's adventures emerged due to the release of the third, as they were given to everyone who pre-ordered [Max Payne 3](/games?search=Max Payne 3). Rockstar acted nobly, allowing us to play in Russian, with full translation included, but why couldn't they just add the language to existing subscriptions? Don't expect an answer.
The Russian versions of the duology are available only in the Russian segment of Steam and only when purchased on Steam — even in the CIS, original English versions are issued and are still sold. To those who pre-ordered [Max Payne 3](/games?search=Max Payne 3) in Russia, in some measure luck was not on their side — even if these users already had English versions in their libraries, Russian ones were added forcibly, to the account, not to the inventory.
The clones themselves are identical to the retail versions from 1C-SoftClub. There were rumors of only sound issues, but that problem was solved with an unofficial patch. The other symptoms of different AppIDs are familiar to you: a separate gaming center from the world, the absence of their own pages in the store. Fortunately, Russian versions are not regionally restricted — they can be launched in any country in the world.
So far, there aren't many 'impostors' in Steam, but alas, they are becoming more frequent every year. The driving force behind this progress is diligently dragged by 2K and Bethesda, and the only hope is that our domestic digital market is developing, and perhaps soon even these gentlemen will begin to take us into account.
In conclusion, I would like to address game publishers with an open message: gentlemen, stop wasting time and money on these silly limitations, rather invest them in the quality of your products so that players continue to buy two games at once, but not for the languages, but to be impressed and gift the second copy to a friend or loved one.
Let's not forget about domestic publishers, who often have to literally fight for each byte of localization: iron patience, good luck, and perseverance in communicating with your very 'heavy' foreign business colleagues.
And of course, a brief open message for Valve: Gabe, so where is Half-Life 3?
P.S.: The upcoming new releases, DmC: [Devil May Cry](/games?search=Devil May Cry), [Tomb Raider](/games?search=Tomb Raider), [Company of Heroes 2](/games?search=Company of Heroes 2), [Ace Combat](/games?search=Ace Combat) Assault Horizon, [Aliens: Colonial Marines](/games?search=Aliens: Colonial Marines), will not have either separate AppIDs or regional launch restrictions. At least, there are currently none. Perhaps this Steam is not yet lost to humanity?