I said it was a joke.
I also specified PC games, which is the only market Valve cares about, and in which Australia spends more money than Japan. Add in localisation and other impediments to getting into the Japanese market and no, it’s not obvious at all.
Valve were fined $3M a few years back for lying to consumers about their rights to refunds per Australian law so it is an ongoing joke that Gabe now hates Australia and refuses to sell the Deck here as punishment.
That said it isn’t an entirely business-led decision to not sell here. Australians spend more on PC gaming than Japan.
Pro consumer behaviour like refusing to sell the Deck in Australia because of our Consumer protection laws?
As an Australian, I’m not expecting a Steam Deck at all.
And yet exactly 0 Steam Decks are available for purchase in Australia.
Anyone spending money on a game to play on a deck is spending money in the “PC” games market.