It seems that you're using an outdated browser. Some things may not work as they should (or don't work at all).
We suggest you upgrade newer and better browser like: Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer or Opera

×
avatar
AliensCrew: To eliminate regional pricing the world needs one and only one currency.
No, to eliminate regional pricing you would need global laws to forbid such practice. The currency has nothing to do with it.
avatar
AliensCrew: Sorry, but this is bullshit.

If a car, which was build IN germany cost here more than in China (for example), when that has nothing to do with transport cost etc. Before the eastern European expasion of the EU it was common that a german car was more expensive in germany than it was in Poland or Hungary etc.

And regional pricing takes also effects for non physical goods like the visit in a theatre or hotel. And man power.

To eliminate regional pricing the world needs one and only one currency.
avatar
demonbox77: No I really think you are wrong on this.

China isn't the best example, but again I dare you to buy your Mercedes/VW/BWM from China and then have it delivered to you in DE...

About theatres and hotels, does it cost you more booking a room/show online from DE than let's say book the same room/show online in the country it actually is?

Regional pricing is not wrong per se, is wrong in the way it's been handled by most online gaming platforms.

But I'll quit here,since i really like GOG, the point is if I want to buy Gabriel Knight from an online digital shop (like GoG) in Italy (or Germany) I'll have to pay 26.29$, instead of the 19,99$ of the States, the 10,89$ of Russia or the 19.79$ of Poland.
Vats, Exchange rate for currencies, delivery costs, custom duties and minimum/standard wages are a nice smokescreen, 'cause they are different also between Germany and Italy and still we pay the same price.
Why is China a bad example? We are talking about the same good with different prices. And the same with hotels. A hotel in turkey (for example) with the same service than one in germany is much more cheaper. I do call this regional prices. And this exists for all goods...material ones and ohters.

And about Gabriel Knight...that's wrong. GOG gives you the difference back, so you pay only 15,89 € (without discount). And that are ca. 19.99 $.

avatar
AliensCrew: To eliminate regional pricing the world needs one and only one currency.
avatar
Geralt_of_Rivia: No, to eliminate regional pricing you would need global laws to forbid such practice. The currency has nothing to do with it.
Such laws would mean the end of the rich western States like the European ones or the USA...
Post edited September 10, 2014 by AliensCrew
avatar
AliensCrew: Such laws would mean the end of the rich western States like the European ones or the USA...
I don't get any of those riches, so I'm all for it.
avatar
Geralt_of_Rivia: No, to eliminate regional pricing you would need global laws to forbid such practice. The currency has nothing to do with it.
avatar
AliensCrew: Such laws would mean the end of the rich western States like the European ones or the USA...
Bull.
avatar
AliensCrew: And about Gabriel Knight...that's wrong. GOG gives you the difference back, so you pay only 15,89 € (without discount). And that are ca. 19.99 $.
This is just wrong. Even when you consider that store credit is a good solution (and I will admit it is better than getting nothing) you still have to pay 19.99€ (without discount). That money is GONE, no matter how you think about it. You have to be able to afford it for that price even if you get the difference back in store credit. That's not fair to anyone.
avatar
AliensCrew: Such laws would mean the end of the rich western States like the European ones or the USA...
avatar
Klumpen0815: I don't get any of those riches, so I'm all for it.
So do I...but those who make the laws does and that is the only thing that counts.
avatar
AliensCrew: Such laws would mean the end of the rich western States like the European ones or the USA...
Absolutely not - it would just mean that the companies from the west that made these regional pricing rules would not be able to exploit people anymore at the same level. They would still have more then enough profit just not as high as they have now. And we are talking about digital goods not physical since they can't be compared.
Post edited September 10, 2014 by Matruchus
avatar
AliensCrew: And about Gabriel Knight...that's wrong. GOG gives you the difference back, so you pay only 15,89 € (without discount). And that are ca. 19.99 $.
avatar
Wurzelkraft: This is just wrong. Even when you consider that store credit is a good solution (and I will admit it is better than getting nothing) you still have to pay 19.99€ (without discount). That money is GONE, no matter how you think about it. You have to be able to afford it for that price even if you get the difference back in store credit. That's not fair to anyone.
Then buy the game on Steam and what did you get back in this case? Right...nothing.

The store credit isn't a perfect solution but for me that is a deal a can live with.
high rated
Since some people seem to be having trouble distinguishing between cost and credit, here is an extreme example.

Say you are looking to buy a small house. You find one that retails for $100,000, but comes with $40,000 in furniture credit (that expires in one year), which you can exchange for furnishing for the house. So technically you are paying $60,000 for the house itself. Is this the same as buying a $60,000 house? No, because:

1) You must have the initial $100,000 to spend.
2) You may not need $40,000 in furniture, or have higher priority expenses this money could go to.
3) You may not use all the credit before it expires.

In addition, you are supporting the artificial inflation of prices by accepting credit as the equivalence of cash. This in turn causes people of limited means to be shut out of market.

Now, to be clear, I think it is highly laudable of GOG to offer this credit out of pocket, even taking into account that it is with an asset that has no significant manufacturing or stocking cost beyond the initial outlay. One presumes they still have to pay the publisher's cut, even on games bought with credit, so it is real money for them.

But credit that brings a game to the equivalent cost of the one-world price is not the same as charging the one-world price. I hope this is now clear.
avatar
AliensCrew: Such laws would mean the end of the rich western States like the European ones or the USA...
avatar
Matruchus: Absolutely not - it would just mean that the companies from the west that made these regional pricing rules would not be able to exploit people anymore at the same level. They would still have more then enough profit just not as high as they have now. And we are talking about digital goods not physical since they can't compared.
Without the politics of exploitation of so called developing countries the western civilizations will go down. Think about one thing for example. What will European and the USA do if they don't get their oil for a discount price (cause the citizen of these lands where it comes from would get a fair wage). But this is a subject that would blow this thread to the moon if we continue.

And the lion's share of the production costs of a physical good is man power. So it is by digital goods. So why should they not compared with each other?
avatar
IAmSinistar: *snip*
Thank you! This is exactly my point of view. :)
avatar
IAmSinistar:
I agree with you in everything you wrote.
Post edited September 10, 2014 by Matruchus
avatar
IAmSinistar: Since some people seem to be having trouble distinguishing between cost and credit, here is an extreme example.

Say you are looking to buy a small house. You find one that retails for $100,000, but comes with $40,000 in furniture credit (that expires in one year), which you can exchange for furnishing for the house. So technically you are paying $60,000 for the house itself. Is this the same as buying a $60,000 house? No, because:

1) You must have the initial $100,000 to spend.
2) You may not need $40,000 in furniture, or have higher priority expenses this money could go to.
3) You may not use all the credit before it expires.

In addition, you are supporting the artificial inflation of prices by accepting credit as the equivalence of cash. This in turn causes people of limited means to be shut out of market.

Now, to be clear, I think it is highly laudable of GOG to offer this credit out of pocket, even taking into account that it is with an asset that has no significant manufacturing or stocking cost beyond the initial outlay. One presumes they still have to pay the publisher's cut, even on games bought with credit, so it is real money for them.

But credit that brings a game to the equivalent cost of the one-world price is not the same as charging the one-world price. I hope this is now clear.
As I mentioned it before. It isn't perfect but better than nothing and the first step in the right direction.
avatar
AliensCrew: ... Without the politics of exploitation of so called developing countries the western civilizations will go down. Think about one thing for example. What will European and the USA do if they don't get their oil for a discount price (cause the citizen of these lands where it comes from would get a fair wage). But this is a subject that would blow this thread to the moon if we continue. ...
It really is a bit outside of the scope of this thread. Therefore only a single comment: Market theory tells us that any two countries can always come to an economic balance, the salaries just have to equal relative productivities. So Europe and the USA simply have to stay more productive compared to developed countries (putting more emphasis on education, more efficient organisation, ...) or they have to lower their standard of living or both. But one way or the other you will get a new balance. The world will not end and nobody will really go down.

As for regional pricing. My best angle against it is discrimination. It's just not allowed to make people different offers based on their geographical location (except shipping, ..) within a country because this would be discrimination. So it should also not be allowed to do it within countries, especially not for digital goods.
avatar
AliensCrew: ...We are talking about the same good with different prices. And the same with hotels. A hotel in turkey (for example) with the same service than one in germany is much more cheaper. I do call this regional prices. ...
But there is a huge difference. Everyone can by the cheap hotel in turkey independent where you come from for the same price. Regional pricing in the internet is rather like, you pay 4 times more for the cheap hotel in Turkey because you come from Senegal and not from Korea. This is rather the opposite of your example.

For physical goods the price (excluding shipping) never depends on where you come from, or does it?
Post edited September 10, 2014 by Trilarion
avatar
PaterAlf: Yes it's coming in 2015, but there are so many exceptions that it's completely ridiculous. When you look closer they created a minimum-wage for everyone that doesn't need one, because they already were on well-paid jobs before.
Oh. :(
It's for certain industries?