Steam and the Australian Dollar.

[AbbieGator]

It would be nice to bring AUD to Steam. Means that $60 on the store is going to be $60 not $80 which is roughly what the conversion hits out at. I know a few people that have been hit by larger bills than what they were expected because they thought a price was $20 or so, but then had to factor in conversion.

I mean, why do we have to factor in conversion? It's not like we have to factor in anything else. GST is already included in the sticker price.

Also, New Zealand has NZD, so why is Australia (a bigger country by population and landmass) stuck with USD? Hardly seems fair to me.

On top of this, Australia is already considered it's own region as far as Steam is concerned when it comes to pricing and you can see this pricing documented at https://www.steamprices.com/ which includes various regions and the prices across them, which while I understand is not officially a Valve service, still sheds a light across game pricing in various regions.

So basically, can we please get AUD to the Steam store to make things easier to understand?

[ONe_mOMENT]

Your assuming that they wont adjust the price.

Historically adding local currencies have made things more expensive overall rather then cheaper.

So a $60US would probably be changed to $90 AU, which would be a $10 mark up from a straight conversion.

[AbbieGator]

At least it's clear what the price is at point of sale instead of having to get the price and go and convert it, if you even remember to do that. But it also helps those that buy the steam cards from EB and the likes where they don't even get close to what is written on the card. $14 or so from a $20 card because the card is $20 AUD but gives $14 USD or so which is unfair.

[oldwrld]

Clarkinator původně napsal:

At least it's clear what the price is at point of sale instead of having to get the price and go and convert it, if you even remember to do that. But it also helps those that buy the steam cards from EB and the likes where they don't even get close to what is written on the card. $14 or so from a $20 card because the card is $20 AUD but gives $14 USD or so which is unfair.

unfair yes but Valve is an American company based in the USA thus the currency of choice for their platform will be american dollars. We canadians have our money already converted on steam thus we get the price based upon the actual currency exchange rate.

example 799$ for the HTC vive in America last i checked 1169$ in Canada.

[AbbieGator]

That statement doesn't hold water Radeon. New Zealand has NZD, the UK has UK pounds, there are Euros, there are heaps of other currencies on the store, why not AUD?

Also, in regards to the comment from ONe_mOMENT, we already have an Australian region for pricing, so there's no reason for them to increase pricing to Australian consumers.

[oldwrld]

Clarkinator původně napsal:

That statement doesn't hold water Radeon. New Zealand has NZD, the UK has UK pounds, there are Euros, there are heaps of other currencies on the store, why not AUD?

Also, in regards to the comment from ONe_mOMENT, we already have an Australian region for pricing, so there's no reason for them to increase pricing to Australian consumers.

the AUD isnt exactly a massive currency for a whole varity of reasons hence why its not being used as a currency on steam, so my statement before indeed held water. As for them doing it for CAD its merely because the Americans are below us and were a massive goldpot for them to harvest thus giving our currency wasnt a major issue for them.

The UK gets pounds and the EU get's its Euro for an obvious reason both are major currency. The AUD dollar isnt worth much to other countries.

[AbbieGator]

Just going to add an argument that Steam is one of the only online stores that doesn't support AUD. Origin, Uplay, Xbox, PSN all support AUD.

And now for my reply, New Zealand is a smaller country, with a smaller currency than Australia, so explain to me again why New Zealand gets their currency but not Australia?

[oldwrld]

Clarkinator původně napsal:

Just going to add an argument that Steam is one of the only online stores that doesn't support AUD. Origin, Uplay, Xbox, PSN all support AUD.

PSN= out of japan hence why they support other currencies.
Uplay (last i checked Ubisoft is based in a European nation)= again the Euro, UK pound, AUD, and the Yen are all prime pickings based upon location location.

Canada gets swapped to the CAD because our currency is worth a little less than the USA thus well we get screwed by as much as 15-30$ depending on the game in question.

for the AUD to be cared about by valve well you guys as a nation have to basically become as powerful as japan for them to give a rats butt

NZ gets their currency well last i checked America maintains a crap ton of bases on the island thus giving incentive for valve to allow its (NZ) currency as the American will have to convert his American pay to NZ dollars before he can use it giving steam more money.

Its really a region thing happens to Japan occasionally CAD gets it full annoyance of having the conversion done when say i dont wanna use my own money (which costs me to buy American based games) vs if i had access to the USD.

of course its unfair im just telling you the obvious reason as to why its done. Dominican republic gets the same thing, they make use of pesos to which i assure you valve does not use pesos from their nation (theyre basically worthless once converted back to dollars) thus the Dominican folk are like you stuck using USD despite tourism abound in their nation.

[AbbieGator]

So before you changed it to Dominican Republic, you used Brazil as an example. Great example: https://www.steamprices.com/au/app/271590/grand-theft-auto-v Brazil uses Reals which Steam recognises.

[oldwrld]

Clarkinator původně napsal:

So before you changed it to Dominican Republic, you used Brazil as an example. Great example: https://www.steamprices.com/au/app/271590/grand-theft-auto-v Brazil uses Reals which Steam recognises.

Yes, and editing a post is quite normal as I was confirming if Valve or Brazil still made use of its peso forgetting of course Brazil changed currencies a while back to the current one used. So what was your point its quite off topic.

The point is get more regonized as a nation and Valve will support your currency the NZ are only supported thanks to the American naval bases and Air based on the island. Japan is supported again because Americans have bases there too allowing valve a greater pool of money.

CAD well we get screwed in our currency by default as well do a varity of other nations not on Valves little list (Which is about 70 or so countries) so yours is not the only one being screwed over. All the countries on that list are major contendors in the world Eco as such Valve will support em as it costs their countries more to convert back to the USD.

10$ USA = 13$ AUD so you're not exactly getting screwed and their not showing your currency because its worth more thus if they posted your currency you would be paying USD 7.56$ for game with 10$AUD of your currency and valve is not stupid enough as a business to give you guys such a genious discount.


10 CAD= 7.58 US while the Americans USD 10$ = 13 CAD same problem.

[AbbieGator]

New Zealand is not recognised due to any defence force issues because if that was the case, Australia would be recognised as Australia also has them. Australia and the US are on good terms for defence and train together on Australian land all the time.

Also, why should they support NZD simply because the US defence force is there? A handful of American's deployed to New Zealand and they get their own currency? That makes no sense.

[Riko~Nyaa]

I am a Radeon HD 7770 původně napsal:

Canada gets swapped to the CAD because our currency is worth a little less than the USA thus well we get screwed by as much as 15-30$ depending on the game in question.

Eh, we actually pay less on average now on CAD purcheses typically. Some publishers do almost 1 USD = 1 CAD, so we pay like 75% of the cost the americans do (aka what we used to pay). I dont mind, even though the storepage price numbers seem to be higher, in real terms the amount we pay is less than what it was

[oldwrld]

Clarkinator původně napsal:

New Zealand is not recognised due to any defence force issues because if that was the case, Australia would be recognised as Australia also has them. Australia and the US are on good terms for defence and train together on Australian land all the time.

Also, why should they support NZD simply because the US defence force is there? A handful of American's deployed to New Zealand and they get their own currency? That makes no sense.

the USA has maintained naval and air based on NZ since well the 40's and Okinawa (which is a Japanese island) as well has a crap ton of based owned by the Americans again since the 40s. So Valve caters whom they can make the most cash off, which the AUD is not worth it for them.

As your currency basically gives Valve little return on their investment there is your reason to why they dont invest in turning your currency on in the store. unfair yes but not really complicated.

[oldwrld]

Riko původně napsal:

I am a Radeon HD 7770 původně napsal:

Canada gets swapped to the CAD because our currency is worth a little less than the USA thus well we get screwed by as much as 15-30$ depending on the game in question.

Eh, we actually pay less on average now on CAD purcheses typically. Some publishers do almost 1 USD = 1 CAD, so we pay like 75% of the cost the americans do (aka what we used to pay). I dont mind, even though the storepage price numbers seem to be higher, in real terms the amount we pay is less than what it was

Rarely very rarely will you find it a 1:1 conversion a 69$ USD game here in canada is 75$ to 80$ and the HTC vive is not 799$ CAD on steam so we get shafted based upon our currency as expected.

[Riko~Nyaa]

I am a Radeon HD 7770 původně napsal:

Riko původně napsal:

Eh, we actually pay less on average now on CAD purcheses typically. Some publishers do almost 1 USD = 1 CAD, so we pay like 75% of the cost the americans do (aka what we used to pay). I dont mind, even though the storepage price numbers seem to be higher, in real terms the amount we pay is less than what it was

Rarely very rarely will you find it a 1:1 conversion a 69$ USD game here in canada is 75$ to 80$ and the HTC vive is not 799$ CAD on steam so we get shafted based upon our currency as expected.

Well valve is one publisher that happened to give an outragiously high price for the vive. And even so with your example I can point out one right now on the store page that is cheaper here:

Canadian Dollar C$66.49 $50.39 -16.01% C$66.49

us U.S. Dollar $59.99 Base Price $59.99

Via steamdb https://steamdb.info/app/374320/

We pay only 50 USD compared to the americans 60. If it was the old system you would be paying 10 more USD for the same product

[Tindoome Asfaloth]

Radeon, proper grammar, spelling and punctuation are all things missing from your posts.


Your first point is "Get more regonized as a nation" I'm going to be nice and assume you mean "Get more recognised as a nation". Firstly, that's incredibly nonspecific. Are you suggesting you don't recognise the shape of australia? Everything you can say about New Zealand or Canada, you can say about Australia.

Your second point is that the New Zealand and Japan are only supported because of America's army bases. This, A) sounds like incredibly bad economic advice (are you suggesting that only people who live on american army bases buy games? and that they only get paid in USD and only use USD to buy games? because if so, there wouldn't be any need for NZD option.)

and B) are you aware that America has army bases on australian soil?