A large number of European consumers have become outraged over a recent decision by Valve to start listing Steam prices in Euros for everyone in the EU (previously, everything was in US dollars). While this seems reasonable, the outrage is because the currency exchange rate Valve is using is $1 = €1, while the actual exchange rate is something close to $1 = €0.72. To make matters worse, Valve is forcing a flat VAT into the price, even in countries that don't have a VAT or use a lower rate.
With this change, almost everyone in the EU has found that Steam games are drastically more expensive than they used to be, and are understandably pretty upset about it. A Steam community group protesting the change already has around 3,000 members, and that number is getting bigger rather quickly.
So far, Valve's only response has been to claim that the change was mainly made to make things "easier to understand" for Europeans so that they "wouldn't be surprised" by taxes. Oh, and they also realized that since European game stores charge so much anyway, they could raise their prices and still be competitive.
As much as I love Valve, this is pretty crappy. Hopefully they realize that this is unfair and decide to use a proper exchange rate.
[Thanks, Martin!]
Jonathan Ross is an Associate Editor in Los Angeles who is obsessed with capybaras. Like, seriously, obsessed. If he's not playing Team Fortress 2 or getting into arguments about why PC gaming is superior, he's either off having a fancy dinner with lots of expensive wine, or sitting on the Destructoid IRC complaining that's he's not off having a fancy dinner.
Likes: Chrono Trigger, Street Fighter, Steam, everything Blizzard and Valve have ever made, playing Angry Birds on the toilet.
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Contest:
11:00 PM on 12.19.2008
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:p
But of course this is probably a "higher-ups" decision and not the people who make the games...here's hoping things get fixed!
Thats because nintendo have been giving us the shaft (6 months after a us wii release title we get it) while ps3 and xbox 360 titles like cod 4 or fallout 3 get a same day release and barely a few days after a US one.
Microsoft doubled prices on everything from subscriptions to msp's so what you pay $10 for we pay £20 for usually. Sony at least try not to give us the shaft it seems this gen but is slow as sin in every department really. In the end its all about gamer service and overall value. we have enough to deal with, with a rogue scotman pretending hes prime minsiter when no one voted for the c***. let alone being shafted in the game industry.
also english are cocks(well that guy anyway)
....
Those are euros, over 9,00 tons of sliver and copper.
I second that. Expensive games, late release dates. Some companies don't even release all their games here (Rock Band 2, I am looking at you.)
For the last couple of years, I have bought the majority of my games from Play Asia. Now, with the Aus dollar doing so poorly (due to America's failing economy- how the hell does that work?), I actually have to go into a store and buy games. Dammit. Sucks to be an Aussie gamer sometimes.
Dammit Valve, are you trying to makes us hate you?
Steam sucks.
Oh and bear in mind that Valve don't set the price for third party games, I'm pretty sure it's the publisher. Although since there are no examples in the post it's possible that they are overcharging for their own games too.
Gordon Brown isnt English.
Prices here in stores are unreal, Steam was the only thing that kept me from pirating EVERYTHING.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9aEY87sDDU
Look at it this way, Credit cards charge extra for exchanging currency so the price is still not going to be fair in the end.
Then there is the flat VAT. That sucks for you.