Rubles/Ukraine Money & AUD Currency - Not Fair

jakeportnoy · 04-11-2012, 05:22 PM

Yah, so I'm a little jarateed off.

I know that economy in Russia is f***ing terrible, but seriously, 50% cheaper than normal U.S price?

What's up with that? I would much rather pay $30 for Darksiders 2 or Max Payne 3..

And AUD currency, $100 for Modern Warfare 3? Are you kidding..

I'm a little mad over this, to the complete unfairness that some people have to work long hours to make $60 U.S or $100 AUD.. but in Russia, you make money a lot faster..

There is a guy on Steam, from Ukraine/Russia, and he buys games at their price, and sells for more.

**Note: These are not CD Keys.

Someone tell me, what up?

Ruptur3 · 04-11-2012, 05:24 PM

What's up? Hmm??

Publishers set the price.

Russia's economy is crap compared to the US and the UK.

Plus,why would anyone from Russia buy the games on steam for such a large chunk of their wages (if it was set to the prices of other countries like the US) when they could pirate it?

In Russia,they work longer hours for more money,since their pay is crap.You don't make "money faster". You invest more time in it and get what you invested.

Btw,you didn't have to tell us they weren't cd-keys,that part was obvious.

remoteman213 · 04-11-2012, 05:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jakeportnoy

There is a guy on Steam, from Ukraine/Russia, and he buys games at their price, and sells for more.

Who is this guy? I want cheap games!

Satoru · 04-11-2012, 05:28 PM

Please feel free to study economics, international trade laws, standard of living metrics, retail distribution pricing models, etc. Then you'll understand. Otherwise it's not really worth explaining since your world view is too simplistic.

jakeportnoy · 04-11-2012, 05:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Satoru

Please feel free to study economics, international trade laws, standard of living metrics, retail distribution pricing models, etc. Then you'll understand. Otherwise it's not really worth explaining since your world view is too simplistic.

Yah, well it ain't fair.

I know ecomony is bad there, but once a certain company sets a price, it must be universal to everyone.

Lansun · 04-11-2012, 05:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jakeportnoy

Yah, well it ain't fair.

I know ecomony is bad there, but once a certain company sets a price, it must be universal to everyone.

How old are you? Are you seriously whining that a business isn't pricing their products in a "fair" manner?

You need a reality check

Sly_Squash · 04-11-2012, 06:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jakeportnoy

Yah, well it ain't fair.

I know ecomony is bad there, but once a certain company sets a price, it must be universal to everyone.

Why? Because in this particular case it proves disadvantageous to you?

I'm quite sure that there are many products in your local marketplace that are much cheaper than they are in others. For example, the movie theatre in my local area has ticket prices as low as $5. When I travel to Japan, tickets for the same movie in a lower quality theater are $30. How much are they for you? Would you insist to your local theater that you be charged $30, just to be "fair" to the people in Japan?

Not so antsy about normalizing prices when it doesn't swing in your favor, are you? Seems hypocritical to me.

In any event, regional pricing is a very tired argument that is raised with almost every single steam sale and every single day. It always ends the same: publishers can and will charge what they want, where they want, because they can, because there is not any universal law saying they can't.

HornetOne85 · 04-11-2012, 06:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jakeportnoy

Yah, well it ain't fair.

I know ecomony is bad there, but once a certain company sets a price, it must be universal to everyone.

You're only seeing this because we now have online retails like Steam and we can see what the prices are at the other side of the globe.

But actually this has never been true. Be it computer hardware, books, music cd, etc etc anything that's distributed worldwide. Prices have always been different in different region.

Bilateralrope · 04-11-2012, 06:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ruptur3

Russia's economy is crap compared to the US and the UK.

That doesn't explain why countries like New Zealand, with a weaker economy than the US, get charged more than people in the US.

The only explanation I can see is publishers are setting the price at whatever they think will be most profitable. If that means charging Russia less because that's the only way to sell copies, they charge Russia less.
If that means charging a country more than anyone else, because they know the copies will still sell, that country gets charged more.

Fairness has nothing to do with it.

Bilateralrope · 04-11-2012, 06:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HornetOne85

But actually this has never been true. Be it computer hardware, books, music cd, etc etc anything that's distributed worldwide. Prices have always been different in different region.

At least physical goods have an obvious reason to be more expensive in some places, it costs more to ship them there.

Digital copies don't have shipping costs.

Worstluck · 04-11-2012, 06:30 PM

I have read that Russian games prices have less to do with economical reasons and more to do with piracy. They are set so low to combat piracy along with the economic reasons. I believe piracy is much larger problem in Russia than most of Europe. The publishers/developers would like to get at least some money, instead of none.

nunschaku · 04-11-2012, 06:38 PM

Wages in Russia are lower. Wages in Australia are higher.

bu11dog · 04-11-2012, 06:40 PM

LOL @ comapring world metrics, distribution models, local market metrics and trade laws when discussing digital distribution of a product - if I buy from the same store why should I pay more or less than anyone else? The Japanese cinema example is ridiculous, if I'm in the same cinema and in the same queue then I expect the same ticket price as everyone else there - simple really.

I haven't seen anyone justify the difference, and most tellingly I've never seen a publisher comment on the price difference because they know themselves that it can't be justified by anything but greed - they think they can so they will try. Don't blame them at all for trying, but I'd love one of them to even try to explain the reasons.

Sly_Squash · 04-11-2012, 07:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bu11dog

LOL @ comapring world metrics, distribution models, local market metrics and trade laws when discussing digital distribution of a product - if I buy from the same store why should I pay more or less than anyone else? The Japanese cinema example is ridiculous, if I'm in the same cinema and in the same queue then I expect the same ticket price as everyone else there - simple really.

With regional pricing like steam, you don't even have to be in the same cinema. If you're in the same COUNTRY, you still pay the same price.

Your counterargument is ridiculous.

Anyway, I used the example because the movie that gets distributed to different theaters (which in turn charge different prices) could easily stem from digital distribution models (one could envision each theater "legally downloading" the movie they are permitted to screen).

bu11dog · 04-11-2012, 07:20 PM

One could envision a lot of things, doesn't change the facts - we're buying the same product from the same store, it doesn't cost any more to send me the data than it does to send it to you or any other steam user, it's the same product purchased from the same store but priced differently - not a difficult concept to grasp. Comparing a digitally distributed product to any real world products or service is nonsensical and irrelevant.

You can try to factor in whatever you like, the facts above won't change.

04-11-2012, 05:22 PM	#1
jakeportnoy Sitting in timeout Join Date: Feb 2012 Reputation: 16 Posts: 62	Rubles/Ukraine Money & AUD Currency - Not Fair Yah, so I'm a little jarateed off. I know that economy in Russia is f*ing terrible, but seriously, 50% cheaper than normal U.S price? What's up with that? I would much rather pay $30 for Darksiders 2 or Max Payne 3.. And AUD currency, $100 for Modern Warfare 3? Are you kidding.. I'm a little mad over this, to the complete unfairness that some people have to work long hours to make $60 U.S or $100 AUD.. but in Russia, you make money a lot faster.. There is a guy on Steam, from Ukraine/Russia, and he buys games at their price, and sells for more. Note: These are not CD Keys. Someone tell me, what up?

04-11-2012, 05:24 PM	#2
Ruptur3 Join Date: Oct 2011 Reputation: 125 Posts: 564	What's up? Hmm?? Publishers set the price. Russia's economy is crap compared to the US and the UK. Plus,why would anyone from Russia buy the games on steam for such a large chunk of their wages (if it was set to the prices of other countries like the US) when they could pirate it? In Russia,they work longer hours for more money,since their pay is crap.You don't make "money faster". You invest more time in it and get what you invested. Btw,you didn't have to tell us they weren't cd-keys,that part was obvious. Last edited by Ruptur3: 04-11-2012 at 05:27 PM.

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04-11-2012, 05:28 PM	#4
Satoru Join Date: Jul 2008 Reputation: 3146 Posts: 9,062	Please feel free to study economics, international trade laws, standard of living metrics, retail distribution pricing models, etc. Then you'll understand. Otherwise it's not really worth explaining since your world view is too simplistic.

04-11-2012, 06:30 PM	#11
Worstluck Join Date: Sep 2011 Reputation: 114 Posts: 549	I have read that Russian games prices have less to do with economical reasons and more to do with piracy. They are set so low to combat piracy along with the economic reasons. I believe piracy is much larger problem in Russia than most of Europe. The publishers/developers would like to get at least some money, instead of none.

04-11-2012, 06:38 PM	#12
nunschaku Join Date: Dec 2011 Reputation: 87 Posts: 241	Wages in Russia are lower. Wages in Australia are higher.

04-11-2012, 06:40 PM	#13
bu11dog Join Date: Feb 2011 Reputation: 4 Posts: 45	LOL @ comapring world metrics, distribution models, local market metrics and trade laws when discussing digital distribution of a product - if I buy from the same store why should I pay more or less than anyone else? The Japanese cinema example is ridiculous, if I'm in the same cinema and in the same queue then I expect the same ticket price as everyone else there - simple really. I haven't seen anyone justify the difference, and most tellingly I've never seen a publisher comment on the price difference because they know themselves that it can't be justified by anything but greed - they think they can so they will try. Don't blame them at all for trying, but I'd love one of them to even try to explain the reasons.

04-11-2012, 07:20 PM	#15
bu11dog Join Date: Feb 2011 Reputation: 4 Posts: 45	One could envision a lot of things, doesn't change the facts - we're buying the same product from the same store, it doesn't cost any more to send me the data than it does to send it to you or any other steam user, it's the same product purchased from the same store but priced differently - not a difficult concept to grasp. Comparing a digitally distributed product to any real world products or service is nonsensical and irrelevant. You can try to factor in whatever you like, the facts above won't change.