Steam/Activision Ripping Off Australian Customers

For those of you that missed it...

Call of Duty 4 underwent awhopping 75% price increase last night in the Australian localization when it went from US$49.95 to a massive US$88.50 which puts it ABOVE the cost of retail.

This is a massive blow for digital distribution which has always maintained lower than retail prices due to the absence of physical manufacturing costs. Activision is reported claiming that the originally listed price which was adverised on steam for 11 days was an oversight on the part of the Steam distribution system and should never have been sold at the price listed.

This is a massive blow for digital distribution in Australia and may see other distributers increase their prices accordingly.

One also has to think that the massive price is to somehow recoup losses incurred through Steam as the US$88.50 does not even fit with Steams pricing model.

Well it's the same in Europe

just boycott it, it's not steams fault they don't set the prices

Weak dollar should make US exports/products cheaper for other countries though.

I would have to say though, I seem to find better deals buying games retail rather than digital distribution anyway.

This is a massive blow for digital distribution which has always maintained lower than retail prices due to the absence of physical manufacturing costs.

DGeraghty1

I've yet to see a new Steam title that was cheaper than its retail counterpart tbh.....

Just use a Proxy Server to purchase the game, it'll think your from America....Grantelicious

Last I heard Steam has gotten smart about that.

[QUOTE="Grantelicious"]Just use a Proxy Server to purchase the game, it'll think your from America....Genexi2

Last I heard Steam has gotten smart about that.

I dunno i don't bother purchasing it off that POS anyways lol, better to have boxed retail so u can do what you want with the client.

Activision can take a running jump off a high cliff as far as I'm concerned. They killed the SOF franchise, now they're trying to rip off any customers outside the US with gross over-pricing. The whole idea of digital distribution was to lower the price to the end consumer, not jack it even higher than getting it in the high street store.

Vote with your wallet and just don't buy grossly over-priced goods from a publisher that has evidently lost its marbles.

[QUOTE="Grantelicious"]Just use a Proxy Server to purchase the game, it'll think your from America....Genexi2

Last I heard Steam has gotten smart about that.

Yep, IIRR there's something in the EULA that states that STEAM can disable your account if you try to bypass their localization filter or something along those lines.

I spotted that last night $88.00 from $49

good thing i allrdy got the game from ebgames

I saw that last night, just terrible.

With todays exchange rate that makes COD4 the equivilant of $76 USD

Us aussies already pay $104 USD for New X360 games, maybe i could understand the shipping cost and PAL conversion...maybe

BUT WITH A PC GAME ON A DIGITAL DISTROBUTION SYSTEM!!!!!! THEY RAISED THE PRICE SIMPLY BECAUSE WE ARE USED TO PAYING MORE!!!!! ABSOLUTE ROBBERY!

I was gonna get COD4 but now i cant afford it, im an independent highschool student and COD4 now cost the equivalant of what i pay in rent.