GoG and Regional Pricing

[wraith808]

In case you missed the complete firestorm, GoG has announced Regional Pricing for their titles.  (No, that's not what the title says, but the other is just smoke and mirrors).  Then the MD posted an open letter to try to stem the tide.

Let me sum up.  GoG had a few tenets in addition to no-DRM- one was a fair price for everyone, which meant no regional pricing.  I never really paid attention before, being in the US.  But I do know about region locking and such in an abstract sort of way, especially with GamersGate- going to a title and not being able to get it.  As they've grown, and gotten to the limits of what they have to release and get further growth, they've found that one of two things have to happen.

1) they have to be satisfied with their growth in terms of catalog, and realize that their sales will eventually start to die off as people get the majority of what they want from their never growing catalog. (I've personally bought less and less because there's just very little there that interests me, even on sale anymore)
2) they have to change their stance on one of their lesser tenets to get leverage for the big one- no-DRM.

On new releases, the publisher has more rights in terms of what the game sells for.  Its a reality they've come up against.  But their agreements give them more leverage to get older titles, and to get no-DRM in day one releases.  And hopefully spread no-DRM through the industry.

Their prices on their new releases- well, they suck for people that are not USD.  But they are the same as anywhere else (I hesitate to use the word that they used- competitive- because competition has nothing in common with price fixing).  They do add goodies in if your local currency is higher than USD, but that's a faint salve.

For their other games, they are setting a set price in local currency, which might be a few pennies less or more depending on the daily conversion rates.

I see the points of all involved, but I don't see anything inherently evil in what they're doing.  They basically have a rock and a hard place, and are trying to make the situation as best as they can for all.

Just wondering if there are any opinions here.  (Their marketing guy has been fielding some pretty vitriolic things with grace under pressure, I might add- and the thread is surprisingly civil for that).

[Deozaan]

I don't understand why they're suddenly changing the flat pricing of the older games to regional pricing. Even if the rates are approximately equal now doesn't mean they will be in the future.

IMO they should do regional pricing on the newer releases if necessary, with the goal of eventually getting all titles (as they age) to the flat pricing that is the same for everyone regardless of location.

Seems backwards to give in to the "evil" of regional pricing on older games just because it was a "necessary evil" for the newer games.

[wraith808]

I don't understand why they're suddenly changing the flat pricing of the older games to regional pricing. Even if the rates are approximately equal now doesn't mean they will be in the future.

-Deozaan (March 01, 2014, 01:43 PM)

I think it's for consistency in the catalog and with the pricing.  It's also b/c when not in local currency, some places couldn't buy from the catalog, and/or couldn't use certain methods of payment.  At least, for good or ill, that's what I understand from following the thread.

[40hz]

I see the points of all involved, but I don't see anything inherently evil in what they're doing.  They basically have a rock and a hard place, and are trying to make the situation as best as they can for all.

-wraith808 (March 01, 2014, 12:08 PM)

I think the dilemma GoG is in is a combination of (1) the game copyright holders waking up to the fact GoG is becoming a bigger player than originally expected - and (2) GoG's own avowed business ethic - which now appears to be coming into conflict with that of the larger game industry.

I'm actually surprised it took this long before some bright young mind in a game company's finance department decided his/her company was "leaving money on the table" when it came to GoG. Especially now that GoG has demonstrated there's a ready market for products the game companies previously thought were nothing more than obsolete catalog items.

That is the problem with finding success in a niche by selling somebody else's products. It's only a matter of time before some supplier decides to squeeze - or squeeze out - the middleman.

Just wondering if there are any opinions here.  (Their marketing guy has been fielding some pretty vitriolic things with grace under pressure, I might add- and the thread is surprisingly civil for that).

Some of that sort of flack is to be expected when dealing with bargain hunters and certain elements in the gaming community. It's little more than the outraged and petulant whine of the slacker when his parents insist he start contributing to the family home at a more... adult level(?)... than he currently is. ("Awww man! Can you believe my old man wants me to start paying board to live in my own house! That's just bullshit man!")

I'm glad to see GoG's marketing spokesperson is handling the situation with grace and maintaining an adult tone throughout.

I think GoG is definitely trying to effect the best possible outcome for their customers in the wake of what has now become a changing playing field. I may not like some of what they may be forced to do to stay in business going forward. But I don't for one minute doubt their integrity or intentions towards their customers.

[wraith808]

I thought it was really telling of the maturity level of some of those affected, that one of them actually wrote a perl script to analyze his spending and how that translates to the new model- and found that at least for his case (using Paypal and Euros) that he would have spent less under the pricing model.  Of course, that doesn't always translate- but it does point out that they aren't trying to screw the customers.

Oh... and to see just staff replies (a cool feature of their forum)

http://www.gog.com/f...ses_coming?staff=yes

http://www.gog.com/f...al_pricing?staff=yes

[wraith808]

And two awesome videos:

and GoG's response

[Deozaan]

Both videos were excellent. I loved the self-referential humor in GoG's response.

"Do I look like Hitler to you?"
"Now is not the time to be a grammar Nazi!"

Beautiful!

[tomos]

Nice to see regional pricing get a hard time :Thumbsup:
living in the EU I naturally hate it, and just think there's no excuse for it any more -
but it must be hell, as per first video above, to live in Australia...

[Deozaan]

Actually, it should be nice for Australians, since $100 AUD is something like $90 USD. So I'm not sure why they're complaining.

If publishers charge $60 USD and $60 AUD then the Australians are getting the better deal.

[nancylove]

I like it.

[mwb1100]

GOG has modified their plans regarding regional pricing in response to the large backlash:

  - http://www.gog.com/n...ng_back_to_our_roots

[Deozaan]

GOG has modified their plans regarding regional pricing in response to the large backlash:

  - http://www.gog.com/n...ng_back_to_our_roots

-mwb1100 (March 11, 2014, 11:26 AM)

Sounds like good news all around.

At first I thought the comment below was humorous sarcasm. But they lost me on the second paragraph. Now I'm not sure what that person's point was. . .

What happened to the GOG I once knew. For one magical week this was a great place to shop. I am never buying another item from GOG again until the unfair pricing model comes back.

To go back on one of your ideals what is stopping you from removing DLC, tomorrow. Then after you nix DLC, next up on the chopping block will be all the new games, and then chaos when you return back to the failed Good Old Games model.

-http://www.gog.com/forum/general/getting_back_to_our_roots/post266

[wraith808]

Not all around.  But it does satisfy the squeaky wheel.