So it seems Steam can get worse.

[master_shake_]

for canadians anyway...

take a look at this crap...

https://www.steamprices.com/ca/topripoffs

so it appears that canadians are shafted once again and again and again ad infinitum

my favourite is that law and order game 165 canadian... 20 bucks in the states.

wtf steam how you gonna rip off canadians.

might as well set up shop here and charge hst while you're at it.

f steam.

still got gmg.

 

[ImpulsE69]

Yep. This is why competition is good. Choices > monopolies (or locked down systems).

 

[ThinClient]

for canadians anyway...

take a look at this crap...

https://www.steamprices.com/ca/topripoffs

so it appears that canadians are shafted once again and again and again ad infinitum

my favourite is that law and order game 165 canadian... 20 bucks in the states.

wtf steam how you gonna rip off canadians.

might as well set up shop here and charge hst while you're at it.

f steam.

still got gmg.

Developers decide game prices, not Steam.

You fail.

 

[tidy]

.

 

[master_shake_]

Developers decide game prices, not Steam.

You fail.

steam has a template for regional prices if you as a dev do not fill it out then steam decides the prices.

thanks for playing.

 

[ThinClient]

steam has a template for regional prices if you as a dev do not fill it out then steam decides the prices.

thanks for playing.

The region-specific value system is only in place for currency exchange rates. There's absolutely no system whatsoever that dictates that Canadians will be charged hilariously overpriced prices simply because they're Canadians. The notion is hysterically absurd. That developer is selecting the price and you know it. You just want to hate Steam so you're making up all sorts of nonsense to throw at Steam instead.

The developer ultimately has the final say in what their game is charged. The developer can go back and change the price of the game at any time, too, so don't pretend that the developer is somehow oblivious to the pricing difference or will act shocked that their game is overpriced.

Plain and simply, Valve/Steam does not set game prices.

You fail yet again.

 

[master_shake_]

http://www.futureshop.ca/en-CA/prod...spx?path=2b4080e765ade50a9d8ab0fd69df6230en02


http://store.steampowered.com/app/241930/?cc=ca

tell me again that the publisher sets the prices

please one more time just do it

 

[Bateluer]

http://www.futureshop.ca/en-CA/prod...spx?path=2b4080e765ade50a9d8ab0fd69df6230en02


http://store.steampowered.com/app/241930/?cc=ca

tell me again that the publisher sets the prices

please one more time just do it

Ok. The publisher does set the prices on Steam, though Valve takes a cut and less than a B&M store. Additionally, the B&M store can also choose to discount a game, or any product, with the hopes that they'll draw you into the store to buy other items.

Pricing for digital products seems like a major point of contention though. If you refuse regional pricing, like GoG does, where all games are listed at the same price, then people in the 3rd world or lower income regions complain. If you do the opposite, and increase the price in developed, high income, and first world regions, then people complain.

Even if they moved to to BitCoin, people would get screwed over when the exchange of BT shifts 80% day by day.

 

[master_shake_]

since we are talking digital content i provide this link

http://www.amazon.ca/Middle-Earth-Sh...adow+of+mordor

still cheaper than steam

im sure amazon takes a cut too...

so its a 5 dollar steam tax then?

oh im sorry its a full retail copy with a box and everything.

 

[Annisman*]

Idk, move to the USA bro. When I visited Australia last month everything was way more expensive, just how it goes. Get someone to smart to come up with a Canadien version of Steam.

 

[master_shake_]

Idk, move to the USA bro. When I visited Australia last month everything was way more expensive, just how it goes. Get someone to smart to come up with a Canadien version of Steam.

no worries vpn's still work.

 

[DigDog]

blacklight:retribution charges you £1 for $1 worth of ZEN.
https://www.google.co.uk/?gws_rd=cr&ei=VkKDUsqQJs2KswblqIH4Aw#q=one+pound+in+dollars

 

[datalink7]

for canadians anyway...

take a look at this crap...

https://www.steamprices.com/ca/topripoffs

so it appears that canadians are shafted once again and again and again ad infinitum

my favourite is that law and order game 165 canadian... 20 bucks in the states.

wtf steam how you gonna rip off canadians.

might as well set up shop here and charge hst while you're at it.

f steam.

still got gmg.

The Law and Order game isn't 165 Canadian. When you click the link, it sends you to the "TellTale Game Collection" for 165 Canadian, of which Law and Order is only ONE of the MANY games you get.

The US link is just buying the L&O game alone by itself.

It is the same for every link I clicked on.

Africa Flag pack for Call of Duty. The US link is just the pack by itself. The Canadian link sends you to a complete DLC pack, one of which is the Africa Flag Pack.

Stupid website is comparing single items to complete DLC packs and then saying Steam is ripping you off.

Complete fail of a website.

 

[rivethead]

The Law and Order game isn't 165 Canadian. When you click the link, it sends you to the "TellTale Game Collection" for 165 Canadian, of which Law and Order is only ONE of the MANY games you get.

The US link is just buying the L&O game alone by itself.

It is the same for every link I clicked on.

Africa Flag pack for Call of Duty. The US link is just the pack by itself. The Canadian link sends you to a complete DLC pack, one of which is the Africa Flag Pack.

Stupid website is comparing single items to complete DLC packs and then saying Steam is ripping you off.

Complete fail of a website.

But...but....Steam is BAD!!!! Dammit, can't you hear me?

 

[Topweasel]

I don't know why anyone would really get worked up about it. It's not like they are a really country anyways.

 

[PowerYoga]

its just the northern USA really. Except quebec.

 

[davie jambo]

Just buy the games of a cd key reseller

Nobody should buy games off steam direct unless it is on sale. Any game on steam you can get cheaper elsewhere (and get a steam key)

 

[Dankk]

no worries vpn's still work.

Using a VPN to bypass Steam's regional pricing is a very, very good way to get your account shut down.

Just buy the games of a cd key reseller

Nobody should buy games off steam direct unless it is on sale. Any game on steam you can get cheaper elsewhere (and get a steam key)

Sites like GMG, GamersGate, and GetGames are perfectly legitimate, and yes, are a good alternative to buying games directly from Steam. However, gray-market CD key shops are not. I can't quite tell which of these you're referring to.

 

[davie jambo]

Using a VPN to bypass Steam's regional pricing is a very, very good way to get your account shut down.



Sites like GMG, GamersGate, and GetGames are perfectly legitimate, and yes, are a good alternative to buying games directly from Steam. However, gray-market CD key shops are not. I can't quite tell which of these you're referring to.

nobody uses vpn's or has to

cjs keys , cdkeys.com all great sites. They buy keys from distributor legally in eastern Europe and sell to the west for cheap.

Not sure why everyone get's their knickers in a twist over these places. Perfectly legal and you won't get into trouble with steam

It's a global market now

 

[Dankk]

cjs keys , cdkeys.com all great sites. They buy keys from distributor legally in eastern Europe and sell to the west illegally for cheap.

Fixed that for you.

Yes, the games may come from a legitimate source, but then the reseller exploits regional pricing by selling them outside of their intended market for a lower cost, which specifically goes against most (all?) publishers' demands.

While it's not usually enforced, a game developer/publisher can definitely revoke these Steam keys if they want to, because they were sold against their policies.

It happened just a couple months ago when Sniper Elite 3 came out. Tons of people's Steam keys were revoked and removed from their accounts, and it turns out it was because all of those people had purchased the game from gray-market websites. If they had purchased these keys from a legitimate source like GMG and not "CHEAPKEYS4U.RU" or whatever, this wouldn't have happened.

 

[davie jambo]

Fixed that for you.

Yes, the games may come from a legitimate source, but then the reseller exploits regional pricing by selling them outside of their intended market for a lower cost, which specifically goes against most (all?) publishers' demands.

While it's not usually enforced, a game developer/publisher can definitely revoke these Steam keys if they want to, because they were sold against their policies.

It happened just a couple months ago when Sniper Elite 3 came out. Tons of people's Steam keys were revoked and removed from their accounts, and it turns out it was because all of those people had purchased the game from gray-market websites. If they had purchased these keys from a legitimate source like GMG and not "CHEAPKEYS4U.RU" or whatever, this wouldn't have happened.

It's not illegal , I have honestly bought about 150 games from these places. Never had a key taken off me and I do own sniper elite 3

It's like buying a pair of jeans when you are on holiday

It's 2014 if you want to pay higher prices you go for it , but the rest of us will buy them legal and cheap on the global market - deal with it

 

[PowerYoga]

Just because you haven't been caught doing something illegally doesn't mean its not illegal. Steam doesn't care whether you bought the game through legal means or not, they just know a batch of keys is being resold (against their policies) and can ban them wholesale at a moment's notice. Good luck getting your money back from a eastern european vendor.

 

[PlanetJosh]

I thought by the title it was going to be about a functional problem like downloading or navigating in menus or something. The pricing discussion is fascinating but over my head atm because I'm lazy or maybe not smart. I immediately buy Steam games I like (ie Shadow of Mordor, Skyrim, Tomb Raider 2013, the AC series and so on) without question here in California.

 

[sandorski]

So far the only negative experience with Steams' Canadianization for me just happened. I'm in the US at my Bros, saw a game on sale and went to purchase it. Selected my Payment method, then I had to verify that I'm a US citizen. :|

It's annoying because Steam Knows I am not and it would be nice if it didn't assume I was based upon IP, but rather on my Account settings or something. Push Canadian info to my Client regardless where I am, only give me Sale info applicable to me, etc.

In past years, I was able to make purchases down here no problem, now I am pretty much locked out of the Store when I leave home. Steam should fix their shit before XMas rolls around or they just might miss some sales.

 

[gorcorps]

The Law and Order game isn't 165 Canadian. When you click the link, it sends you to the "TellTale Game Collection" for 165 Canadian, of which Law and Order is only ONE of the MANY games you get.

The US link is just buying the L&O game alone by itself.

It is the same for every link I clicked on.

Africa Flag pack for Call of Duty. The US link is just the pack by itself. The Canadian link sends you to a complete DLC pack, one of which is the Africa Flag Pack.

Stupid website is comparing single items to complete DLC packs and then saying Steam is ripping you off.

Complete fail of a website.

bwahahahaha