Sudden unannounced price increase

[Vip]

I never was a fan of the series but after the announcement I got curious to maybe try AC6 and then the game suddenly went from 900 hryvnas to 1.8k In Ukrainian store one day.
It is an anti consumer decision that is going to bury all chances of game selling any significant number of copies here as the average salary is around $300-400 a month.
Did you spend any time researching the market before increasing the price? Are you really looking at current Ukrainian economical situation and thinking to yourself - lets charge $50 instead of $25 for no reason, they can take it? You are actively pushing potential buyers away, because nobody is going to buy a luxury thing like a video game when it costs 30-50% of leftover money after paying utilities, rent and food.
Bandai, is this really how you want to conduct your business? By bleeding poorer regions where regional prices are often the only way for gamers to get games without resorting to piracy?

[This PC]

It's a calculated move from Bandai, they know it will increase piracy, but at least they aren't responsible for the copies acquired through piracy, and then there's DRM that will protect it on the first few days. They know they are pushing potential buyers away, and they've looked at the problem from all angles before enacting this. They have experts and lawyers looking into this.

Regional pricing is a courtesy, not a right, and gaming itself is a luxury, not a right.
I understand the frustration, but understand that they can choose to do business on their own terms, your side of your rights is choosing whether or not to engage.

[Vip]

Creating and selling games is a business first and regional pricing is a vital part of it, this has nothing to do with courtesy.
Publishers started selling any noticeable amount of AA and AAA games on PC only after platforms like Steam implemented regional prices beause affordable prices made a lot of people rethink pirating games all over the world. If Bandai wants people to buy their game it is only logical to charge the price people in that region can pay, no? Look at latest example, Baldur's Gate 3 by Larian. It is a niche AA game, it has very generous regional prices, it even costs here the same 900 hryvnas AC6 used to cost and it is very successful.

[BEEP!]

What do you expect it's a active war zone the economy is all over the place & steam takes a large chunk so of course when the currency of the said country being invaded by a super power is jumping all over the place prices are going to jump up & down there not going take a cut in there profit margin because your in a bad situation do you honestly think you know better than the market experts of a massive corporation life isn't fair it never was & here's something to think about why are you complaining about a video game costing to much while actively being invaded isn't there something more important going on at the moment.

[Dagtag]

Originally posted by Vip:

Creating and selling games is a business first and regional pricing is a vital part of it, this has nothing to do with courtesy.

It has everything to do with courtesy… its not a right, you aren’t entitled to it, therefor it is a courtesy.

Publishers started selling any noticeable amount of AA and AAA games on PC only after platforms like Steam implemented regional prices beause affordable prices made a lot of people rethink pirating games all over the world.

Firstly, the increase in amount of sales is vastly exaggerated and secondly, amount of sales =\= better income.

Especially for a game like this the pc market is secondary, these are games that heavily target consoles. Regional pricing won’t net them a huge portion of profits extra, if any at all

If Bandai wants people to buy their game it is only logical to charge the price people in that region can pay, no?

Again, copies sold =\= more profits.

Look at latest example, Baldur's Gate 3 by Larian. It is a niche AA game, it has very generous regional prices, it even costs here the same 900 hryvnas AC6 used to cost and it is very successful.

Aaaah and we have reached peak delusion… cheaper price doesn’t guarantee success, badlurs gate is a popular game, thats why its successful.

[Vip]

Originally posted by 1080puktra:

when the currency of the said country being invaded by a super power is jumping all over the place prices are going to jump up & down

Ukrainian currency has remained more or less stable since full scale war, so for the last year and a half. Fluctuations hryvna to euro is less than 4% in last half a year. To a dollar it is even less. Also the war doesn't explain why Bandai also jumped the price the same for AC6 in India for example.

Originally posted by Dagtag:

It has everything to do with courtesy… its not a right, you aren’t entitled to it, therefor it is a courtesy.

The courtesy is something you do out of politeness. Example of curtesy: Sony made all PS+ membership plans for users in Ukraine free since the beginning of full scale war. It costs them money, makes nothing back and has been done simply as a mean of moral support. While regional prices were implemented as a necessary measure to attract people away from piracy and make at least some money instead of no money. When a publisher charges $50-70 out of people who can barely pay $25, he'll get 0 and he knows it, so he charges $25. This is not a curtesy. Also, if you had read my original post you'd seen that I'm in no way demanding Bandai to lower the price as if I'm owed it. Instead I air my frustration at a sudden price hike and explain why this decision will be received poorly and will cost them money.

Originally posted by Dagtag:

Firstly, the increase in amount of sales is vastly exaggerated and secondly, amount of sales =\= better income.

The increase in amount of sales can not be exaggerated since it can't be surely counted in any way. Publishers keep most of this data to themselves. All we can surely tell is that we receive much more quantity and better quality PC ports and PC versions of console games opposed to what we had before Steam started and popularized regional pricing among digital storefronts. Now at least EA, Ubisoft and Activision stores do the same. Would any of them keep doing that if regional prices didn't bring in enough sales? Ofc not.

Originally posted by Dagtag:

Especially for a game like this the pc market is secondary, these are games that heavily target consoles. Regional pricing won’t net them a huge portion of profits extra, if any at all

Regional pricing will add some extra profits while no regional pricing will just add more traffic to torrent trackers. Bandai already paid money to produce PC version of AC6 which will be release the same time as console ones, they are definitely invested in its sales.

Originally posted by Dagtag:

Again, copies sold =\= more profits.

How more copies sold doesn't equal more profit? What are they gonna profit from if not sales? Do you understand how selling things makes profit? Are you older than 5 y.o.?

Originally posted by Dagtag:

cheaper price doesn’t guarantee success, badlurs gate is a popular game, thats why its successful.

Cheap price guaranties access to more people. More people buy the product, more profit for the publisher. Of so you are 12 y.o. Baldur's Gate was a dead 25 y.o. series with last main entry in 2002. There was nothing popular about it before release of 3.

[This PC]

Cope thread #20394, you're not entitled to regional pricing, bandai extended you a courtesy, they don't have to sell you their games at 25% of their value because you're in a poorer country. No matter how you spin it, it's their right not to and it's your right not to engage.

Just deal with it. ;_;
Or I mean, sue them, I guess. :D

[BEEP!]

Originally posted by Vip:

Originally posted by 1080puktra:

when the currency of the said country being invaded by a super power is jumping all over the place prices are going to jump up & down

Ukrainian currency has remained more or less stable since full scale war, so for the last year and a half. Fluctuations hryvna to euro is less than 4% in last half a year. To a dollar it is even less. Also the war doesn't explain why Bandai also jumped the price the same for AC6 in India for example.

Originally posted by Dagtag:

It has everything to do with courtesy… its not a right, you aren’t entitled to it, therefor it is a courtesy.

The courtesy is something you do out of politeness. Example of curtesy: Sony made all PS+ membership plans for users in Ukraine free since the beginning of full scale war. It costs them money, makes nothing back and has been done simply as a mean of moral support. While regional prices were implemented as a necessary measure to attract people away from piracy and make at least some money instead of no money. When a publisher charges $50-70 out of people who can barely pay $25, he'll get 0 and he knows it, so he charges $25. This is not a curtesy. Also, if you had read my original post you'd seen that I'm in no way demanding Bandai to lower the price as if I'm owed it. Instead I air my frustration at a sudden price hike and explain why this decision will be received poorly and will cost them money.

Originally posted by Dagtag:

Firstly, the increase in amount of sales is vastly exaggerated and secondly, amount of sales =\= better income.

The increase in amount of sales can not be exaggerated since it can't be surely counted in any way. Publishers keep most of this data to themselves. All we can surely tell is that we receive much more quantity and better quality PC ports and PC versions of console games opposed to what we had before Steam started and popularized regional pricing among digital storefronts. Now at least EA, Ubisoft and Activision stores do the same. Would any of them keep doing that if regional prices didn't bring in enough sales? Ofc not.

Originally posted by Dagtag:

Especially for a game like this the pc market is secondary, these are games that heavily target consoles. Regional pricing won’t net them a huge portion of profits extra, if any at all

Regional pricing will add some extra profits while no regional pricing will just add more traffic to torrent trackers. Bandai already paid money to produce PC version of AC6 which will be release the same time as console ones, they are definitely invested in its sales.

Originally posted by Dagtag:

Again, copies sold =\= more profits.

How more copies sold doesn't equal more profit? What are they gonna profit from if not sales? Do you understand how selling things makes profit? Are you older than 5 y.o.?

Originally posted by Dagtag:

cheaper price doesn’t guarantee success, badlurs gate is a popular game, thats why its successful.

Cheap price guaranties access to more people. More people buy the product, more profit for the publisher. Of so you are 12 y.o. Baldur's Gate was a dead 25 y.o. series with last main entry in 2002. There was nothing popular about it before release of 3.

You do know the Ukrainian currency have dropped by almost 27% like 2years ago & shows no signs of recovering your trying to buy a game with currency that has been devalued by almost 27% & that's comparing it to the US Dollar when comparing it to the EUR it's like 21% down.
And the game is still cheaper by 18.37% compared to the US infact it's the 3rd cheapest price on the platform.
Ukrainian Hryvnia
1799₴
$48.97
-18.37%
$27.19
999₴
Uruguayan Peso
$U1899
$49.88
-16.85%
$49.88
$U1899
Vietnamese Dong
998000₫
$42.04
-29.92

And I'm pretty shere Steam takes 30% so they would effectively be only making $8.16 per copy sold.

[BEEP!]

Originally posted by This PC:

Cope thread #20394, you're not entitled to regional pricing, bandai extended you a courtesy, they don't have to sell you their games at 25% of their value because you're in a poorer country. No matter how you spin it, it's their right not to and it's your right not to engage.

Just deal with it. ;_;
Or I mean, sue them, I guess. :D

They have the 3rd cheapest price on the platform and there still complaining on a currency that's almost 27% devalued for 2years now because of a invasions & there complaining about video games of all things.

[Steve]

So, in case you're wondering at home, this is yet another strawman effort to make Ukrainians look bad. Russian troll farms have taken to making postings like this on game forums to make Ukrainians sound whiny and self-entitled, when in reality they're fighting for their lives and existences. They don't give AF about games.

That is all. Carry on.

[Outsider]

Price was increased in both Russia and ukriane as well as other countries, don't make this political

[MooicK]

Originally posted by 1080puktra:

You do know the Ukrainian currency have dropped by almost 27% like 2years ago & shows no signs of recovering your trying to buy a game with currency that has been devalued by almost 27% & that's comparing it to the US Dollar when comparing it to the EUR it's like 21% down.
And the game is still cheaper by 18.37% compared to the US infact it's the 3rd cheapest price on the platform.
Ukrainian Hryvnia
1799₴
$48.97
-18.37%
$27.19
999₴
Uruguayan Peso
$U1899
$49.88
-16.85%
$49.88
$U1899
Vietnamese Dong
998000₫
$42.04
-29.92

And I'm pretty shere Steam takes 30% so they would effectively be only making $8.16 per copy sold.

You are good at math, nothing else to say, lol.

[DUCKER]

Originally posted by MooicK:

Originally posted by 1080puktra:

You do know the Ukrainian currency have dropped by almost 27% like 2years ago & shows no signs of recovering your trying to buy a game with currency that has been devalued by almost 27% & that's comparing it to the US Dollar when comparing it to the EUR it's like 21% down.
And the game is still cheaper by 18.37% compared to the US infact it's the 3rd cheapest price on the platform.
Ukrainian Hryvnia
1799₴
$48.97
-18.37%
$27.19
999₴
Uruguayan Peso
$U1899
$49.88
-16.85%
$49.88
$U1899
Vietnamese Dong
998000₫
$42.04
-29.92

And I'm pretty shere Steam takes 30% so they would effectively be only making $8.16 per copy sold.

You are good at math, nothing else to say, lol.

Real problem is that true Ukrainian Hryvnia rate is around 65-70UAH per 1$. Corrupt ukrainian government artificially keeping it at around 37UAH/1$ mark to milk the remaining population of Ukraine dry. This is what Ukrainians should be worried about and not steam regional prices/ UA localization. But it's like talking to sheep...

[MooicK]

Originally posted by My little homie:

Originally posted by MooicK:

You are good at math, nothing else to say, lol.

Real problem is that true Ukrainian Hryvnia rate is around 65-70UAH per 1$. Corrupt ukrainian government artificially keeping it at around 37UAH/1$ mark to milk the remaining population of Ukraine dry. This is what Ukrainians should be worried about and not steam regional prices/ UA localization. But it's like talking to sheep...

Lol, why not 200-250 uah per 1 dollar but only 60-75 uah per dollar, where did u got that information?

[grog]

you do not have to buy the video game

[This PC]

Originally posted by grog:

you do not have to buy the video game

I don't feel like anything else needs to be said.