Microsoft Increases Prices of Digital Xbox One Exclusives in UK

[Kahani]

PC gaming isn't any better off. Right now if I wanted to buy Civilization V on Steam, it would cost me $70USD. This is a game that's been out for over 3 years now, with 2 expansions each priced at an additional $50USD and a whole bunch of DLC.

That would work better as an example if it wasn't total bollocks. Civ 5 is currently $30 on Steam [http://store.steampowered.com/app/8930/?snr=1_7_15__13]. You can get it with all DLC and the first expansion for $50.

 

[DeaDRabbiT]

It's just that they use the offer/demand rule of making business without keeping in mind the costs required to make each product.

Except there is no shortage of supply. Digital products aren't the same as physical products, you make product once and can distribute it ad infinum. I can't think of a single justifiable reason to raise established prices for digital games.

Because they think they can, is a reason that comes to mind.

 

[Nergui]

PC gaming isn't any better off. Right now if I wanted to buy Civilization V on Steam, it would cost me $70USD. This is a game that's been out for over 3 years now, with 2 expansions each priced at an additional $50USD and a whole bunch of DLC.

That would work better as an example if it wasn't total bollocks. Civ 5 is currently $30 on Steam [http://store.steampowered.com/app/8930/?snr=1_7_15__13]. You can get it with all DLC and the first expansion for $50.

Not if you live in Australia or New Zealand.

Screenshot taken 10 minutes ago - http://www.flickr.com/photos/111412726@N05/11354901406/

EDIT - This isn't the only example, You can see the differences with http://www.steamprices.com/au where you can compare prices between regions.

 

[Edl01]

"Pricing for select digital content in some markets has changed since launch."

Nice use of the passive voice here.

"The prices have changed."
"Who changed them and why?"
"Well, someone did. Surely the reasons for it are understandable."
"...?"

Don't ask questions, Microsoft are right here. I mean haven't you seen how much the price of games on Steam has increased? What's that? They haven't? Then what kind of excuse is that then!

 

[Adeptus Aspartem]

PC gaming isn't any better off. Right now if I wanted to buy Civilization V on Steam, it would cost me $70USD. This is a game that's been out for over 3 years now, with 2 expansions each priced at an additional $50USD and a whole bunch of DLC.

Wait what? I just checked Steam and i would've to pay 30 Euros and 30 for each Addon. 10 for all the dlcs.

 

[Dr. Thrax]

PC gaming isn't any better off. Right now if I wanted to buy Civilization V on Steam, it would cost me $70USD. This is a game that's been out for over 3 years now, with 2 expansions each priced at an additional $50USD and a whole bunch of DLC.

Actually, it wouldn't, it'd only cost you a minimum of $30USD, base game is $30, and the two expansions, Brave New World and Gods and Kings are both another $30 each on top of that, so a total of $90USD maximum. Alternatively, you could purchase the Gold Edition of Civ V for $50USD, which includes just about everything except the Scrambled Continents Map pack (Not crucial to the game) and Brave New World. If you were to purchase BNW along with Gold Edition, you'd spend a total of $80USD. I don't know where you're getting your pricing, but, considering each expansion adds a bunch of content, balance changes and new gameplay mechanics, I would consider it to be just about worth the extra price. Not only that, but even if you just buy the Base Game, you have the option of - at any time in the future, near or distant - upgrading your Base Game to the Gold Edition for an additional $20, which nets you Gods and Kings plus a bunch of the aforementioned DLC.
However, as people have said, Civ V is not available on consoles, and if you just wait a bit, you can get the base game and DLC on sale during one of Steam's many many sales, or it may even go on Midweek Madness or what have you.


OT: Blegh, I could barely even afford last gen, I sure as hell can't afford this gen...

 

[Nergui]

@Adeptus Aspartem and Dr. Thrax, the price smithy_2045 quoted (and shown in my screenshot) is the current price of Civilization V on Steam in Australia and it isn't an isolated case. Almost every new release whether digital or physical costs around 50% more than the US.

This is our reality.

 

[kasperbbs]

I just checked and the physical copy of dead rising 3 costs 63.71 Euros in Lithuania. Thats just ridiculous and the game is shit anyway. Seems like building a new pc for the price of 2 xbones is still the cheaper option to me, lol.

 

[shrekfan246]

As I said just above your reply, my point is it's not just Microsoft screwing people over digitally. It's everyone. Harping on MS for doing what Valve already does while simultaneously praising Steam is, at the very least, blatantly hypocritical.

It's only hypocritical if they're living in a region where the prices actually affect them. To use your own example, Civ V and both of its expansions are $30 USD each for me.

And as is constantly forgotten in these topics, the Australian minimum wage is double that of the highest minimum wage in the US.

Also, your argument is a red herring in the first place. Conversion rates have been screwing countries over for a while, on all platforms. That's true. But this article is about a company screwing over a certain region even more than they already were. It has nothing to do with Steam or the price of games in Australia.

 

[Evonisia]

Weirdly enough the physical copies of none exclusives are £50, yet exclusives are £45.

That's a dick move Microsoft and you know it. You and Sony are fast becoming a mad hybrid of EA and Activision in the digital market.

 

[idarkphoenixi]

I honestly wonder who the modern consoles are aimed at now. I mean, who has £50 that they can just drop down on a game with far less play-value than most the indy games I got off Steam for less than a quarter of the price.

I thought consoles were supposed to be the cheaper, easier option.