Steam is a failure for Europeans

The prices are in euro. The catch is that if a game is 49.99 dollars in USA, it's 49.99 EURO here.

What the hell? Why should I buy it for 50 euro from Steam when it's 35 at retail?

The cost is ridiculous. Remember when people complaind that the first Spore pack was 10 dollars? Well, if I wanna buy it on Steam I pay 10 euro. That's a bit over 14 dollars.

Discuss.

Why the hell did they do this? Its incredibly stupid

Maybe it's just an error?ignivim

Oh, I'd wish it was:lol:

Here's something controversial:

As part of the switch to Euro currencies the prices now include VAT and any other fees. When you go to "checkout" the price post is the price you pay. Before when we you are in Europe, you saw the dollar price and after that you also had to pay the VATand extra fees.

BUT

*random game*

USD+ VAT Tax
$49.99 + 19% ($9.49) = $59,4

EUROS with TAX
€49.99 = $70.59

This is madness!

they changed the prices to euros and pounds a few days ago.Baranga

It's utterly ridiculous. They expect people to pay EXTRA to the already inflated USA prices? Part of the reason I ever bought anything off Steam was because it was the exact same price in the shop at best, as well as the occasional bargain (Prey for less than my bus ticket, or id Super Pack for £25).

I've joined this group here, if anyone's interested.

Steam is a good service, I agree. But pricing outside North America is ridiculous.

Even in India, Steam prices are always high. Crysis, Far Cry 2 - all of these game are priced as usual $49 = 2300 INR. While retail titles cost is 999 INR. Just see the difference. I think this is the same scenario across other asian market. Unless they price it accordingly, STEAM won't be popular outside NA very soon.

So, the exchange rate made them think that they weren't profiting enough. Fine.

I guess that when european sales drop to the depths of the abyss they will blame piracy too, right? Right!

make a US account.Hewkii

Impossible, it automatically adjusts for your location.

It's utterly ridiculous. They expect people to pay EXTRA to the already inflated USA prices? Part of the reason I ever bought anything off Steam was because it was the exact same price in the shop at best, as well as the occasional bargain (Prey for less than my bus ticket, or id Super Pack for £25).

I've joined this group here, if anyone's interested.

AirGuitarist87

Inflated? US customers have been paying $50 for PC games for about 15 years. Here's the bottom line. If Europeans refuse to pay 50 Euros for a game, Steam will lower the price. If they are willing to pay, its stays the same. Instead of complaining about it, vote with your money...and then get your friends to do the same. This is a company with a bottom line after all. Steam Europe is operating as a European company. I'm willing to bet that the prices online are comparable to prices in stores.

It's utterly ridiculous. They expect people to pay EXTRA to the already inflated USA prices? Part of the reason I ever bought anything off Steam was because it was the exact same price in the shop at best, as well as the occasional bargain (Prey for less than my bus ticket, or id Super Pack for £25).

I've joined this group here, if anyone's interested.

Inflated? US customers have been paying $50 for PC games for about 15 years. Here's the bottom line. If Europeans refuse to pay 50 Euros for a game, Steam will lower the price. If they are willing to pay, its stays the same. Instead of complaining about it, vote with your money...and then get your friends to do the same. This is a company with a bottom line after all. Steam Europe is operating as a European company. I'm willing to bet that the prices online are comparable to prices in stores.

Impossible, it automatically adjusts for your location.

Baranga

How odd, I saw something like this on /v/.

EDIT: herdederpdederp

This is the reason I don't use Steam, it's cheaper to buy a physical copy in the shops (yes the shops, not even online) than it is to get a virtual copy on Steam.

It's ridicules, it's like they want it to fail over here.

[QUOTE="AirGuitarist87"]

It's utterly ridiculous. They expect people to pay EXTRA to the already inflated USA prices? Part of the reason I ever bought anything off Steam was because it was the exact same price in the shop at best, as well as the occasional bargain (Prey for less than my bus ticket, or id Super Pack for £25).

I've joined this group here, if anyone's interested.

stele29

Inflated? US customers have been paying $50 for PC games for about 15 years. Here's the bottom line. If Europeans refuse to pay 50 Euros for a game, Steam will lower the price. If they are willing to pay, its stays the same. Instead of complaining about it, vote with your money...and then get your friends to do the same. This is a company with a bottom line after all. Steam Europe is operating as a European company. I'm willing to bet that the prices online are comparable to prices in stores.

I'm willing to bet that the prices online are comparable to prices in stores.

stele29

Read the first post again: Why should I buy it for 50 euro from Steam when it's 35 at retail?

[QUOTE="Baranga"]

Impossible, it automatically adjusts for your location.

Hewkii

Sure you can browse the Steam Store using proxy servers in USA and see everything in $ again. But if you want to buy anything you need to:

1) pay with American VISA or other US credit card
2) American PayPal or any other payment method that proves you're in US

What happens if VALV€ finds out?

You will be banned somehow probably or your account will be disabled permanently. Yes, there is nothing about proxy in the Steam Subscriber Agreement, but still VALV€ will act against it.

Steam really shot themselves in the foot. Most games are going for 30~40 euro at retail yet they have the nerve to sell them for 45~50 euro for a download. It was fine when it was still in dollars, but this really isn't working as it is now.

I hope Impulse is going to get more games soon as it still sells in dollars (as do most indie games luckily).

Only two days later, EA comes to Steam. Hardly a coincidence. We've seen big publishers such as Ubisoft, Atari and Rockstar refusing to release games on European Steam. I'm positive this is the result of mounting publisher pressure and it sucks. Publishers are used to sucking European gamers dry and they surely won't let Steam get in the way of that. The only upside to this is we'll see more games offered to Europe.

What will this mean for me personally? It will definitely change the way I deal with Steam. Buying full-priced games is straight-up out of the question. 20 Euros is the max I'll pay up.

Which brings us to another question, why do online versions of the game cost as much as a boxed game, which has to be produced, packaged, shipped and displayed at a staffed retail store?F1_2004

[QUOTE="F1_2004"]Which brings us to another question, why do online versions of the game cost as much as a boxed game, which has to be produced, packaged, shipped and displayed at a staffed retail store?WOP_4_LIFE

Which brings us to another question, why do online versions of the game cost as much as a boxed game, which has to be produced, packaged, shipped and displayed at a staffed retail store?F1_2004

[QUOTE="F1_2004"]Which brings us to another question, why do online versions of the game cost as much as a boxed game, which has to be produced, packaged, shipped and displayed at a staffed retail store?WOP_4_LIFE

Europa Universalis Rome showed up on there last week, the moment some other games from Paradox Interactive show up such as Europa Universalis 3 and it's expansions then it wont be a failure, no matter what.lucky326

[QUOTE="stele29"][QUOTE="AirGuitarist87"]

It's utterly ridiculous. They expect people to pay EXTRA to the already inflated USA prices? Part of the reason I ever bought anything off Steam was because it was the exact same price in the shop at best, as well as the occasional bargain (Prey for less than my bus ticket, or id Super Pack for £25).

I've joined this group here, if anyone's interested.

dannyw7982

Inflated? US customers have been paying $50 for PC games for about 15 years. Here's the bottom line. If Europeans refuse to pay 50 Euros for a game, Steam will lower the price. If they are willing to pay, its stays the same. Instead of complaining about it, vote with your money...and then get your friends to do the same. This is a company with a bottom line after all. Steam Europe is operating as a European company. I'm willing to bet that the prices online are comparable to prices in stores.

No. I absolutely agree with you about your post. There is an exchange rate. My point was Steam is merely one of many companies that arbitrarily switch the sign. Everyone gets screwed in the process. I apologize for sounding critical. You mentioned already inflated USA prices...as if we pay too much for our products. $50 dollars has been the defacto standard for game software release until recently. I think Steam is charging you 50 Euro for the same reason I have to pay 50 Euro, its part of the import community . Supply and Demand. I wish we had your software prices, but at this point I'm glad they haven't jacked the price to 60 like the consoles. I don't think Steam is a failure for Europeans....for the same reason its not in the US...the battle for DRM will ultimately be won by dynamic game license companies such as Steam, Impulse, etc. The price will ultimately be adjusted to fit demand.