It happens everywhere, eg. Why is Windows OS more expensive in Australia?
-4wd
Because
EVERYTHING is more expensive in Australia...
(I could rant and rant and rant about prices here. Meh, think I will...
)
NSFW rant
Research shows that the average Australian consumer ass hole is 30% to 500% larger than their American counterparts. Further analassis of Australian retailers detected unusually high concentrations of fecal matter on their cocks. While the correlation seems to be strong, further analassis needs to be done, starting with some good old fashioned fisting...
Market segmentation like that is really annoying, especially inside of the same language.
The worst part is that it's only got to do with getting as much money as possible no matter what.
The core problem, as I see it, is that we have an idea of fairness, and this just doesn't seem fair.
Across different languages it seems reasonable to have different prices. They're different products at that point. Who would pay $5 for a game in Chinese that you can't read, and hence can't play? But $15 for the English version? Makes sense. Kind of...
That's where I think it's good to offer products cheaper in different economies. e.g. Instead of $50, sell for $5 or less in third world countries. When large parts of the population make about $400 a year, I can't see maintaining a price that's way out of reach.
But that's a very different case from the US vs. the UK vs. Canada vs. Australia. I can't see a valid justification there.
On a serious note about prices here in Australia, I've heard people try to justify it by saying that it's an island and far away... However, take for example a cheap toy doll that sells for $10, and then take an iPod Touch 64GB that sells for $399 in the US and $499 in Australia. ($1 AUD is about $0.98 USD, so close enough to 1:1) $100 more expensive? If the "island far away" BS were true, the toy doll would be $110. After all, it's transportation costs, right? BS. It's greed, pure and simple. (And hence my rant about prices above.)
Transportation and logistics costs are fixed. Here are the iPod Touch prices:
Australia:
8GB A$289
32GB A$378
64GB A$499
US
8GB $229
32GB $299
64GB $399
Differences:
8GB $60
32GB $79
64GB $100
They are all the exact same size with NO difference in logistics costs. But the price difference doesn't reflect that.
I was recently in Cambodia at Angkor, and the vendors there pester the Hell out of you to buy, even when you show them that you have what they are selling already. As 1 example, my wife bought a scarf for $1, but the price for it started at $8. It's capitalism on steroids. I can't really blame people there for it though as they are extremely poor. Poor as in no electricity or running water poor. Like really really poor. They're trying to survive.
But I have a hard time with a company in the first world blatantly ripping off customers. They have no excuse.
Well, I'm rambling now...
But the Steam Prices site looks very cool~!
Anyone know of any good proxies (paid ones) that let you get different IP addresses?
