Is Steam Supporting Regional Pricing Exploitation?!

[「التكاثر」✧★✧✧★✧★☆✧]

I just found out people in certain countries are getting games for like HALF the price I pay here. Meanwhile, I’m stuck shelling out full price for the same product. Explain to me how this is fair? Why is Valve letting people exploit regional pricing while I, a hardworking gamer, get punished for living in a “richer” country?

Don’t even get me started on those VPN users hopping borders digitally to abuse this system. It’s an insult to people who play by the rules! Either make prices equal worldwide or stop pretending this is fair for everyone. Steam is about bringing gamers together, but this feels like they’re dividing us based on where we’re born.

Am I the only one who feels this way?

[Phénomènes Mystiques]

引用自 𐾱𐾱 /☆「E92M3東京ブレイド3D✧石田 雨竜：

Yeah, I get that other countries have different economies, but that doesn’t change the fact that Steam’s pricing is all over the place. It's frustrating when games cost so much more in certain regions, especially when you’re trying to support developers. We shouldn't have to jump through hoops just to get fair pricing based on where we live. It’s not about being entitled—it’s about fairness. Why should one country pay 3x as much for the same game? Steam should fix this.

I pay 300% more in groceries than my entire country due to regional pricing and lack of competition - there is nothing I can do about it either - not to mention food is a life necessity that I am being kept away from which could equate to "genocide".

[76561199540158642]

getting things for cheaper is the only way i ever buy anything, I never buy things at full price. while this exploit has been popular in the past with many steam users, last i heard they put a stop to regional swapping, while we all love games for cheaper, steam isn't about giving any of us a deal they just want as much money as they can get before we wise up and realize we already all have all the games we need.

The back log is real, why buy another game you will never get around to playing.

[Heraclius Caesar]

I see some users conveniently forgetting that while wages are indeed generally higher in more developed countries, so is the cost of living. Making a few thousand US a month certainly doesn't mean what it used to, especially if you want to live somewhere nice and have nice things and have at least a moderately comfortable life.

With that in mind it's not hard to understand why a lot of folks have an intensely negative perception of regional pricing, since it seems like people in more developed countries have to pay so much more to live and for video games while people in less developed, economically poor countries practically get a 5 finger discount.

It doesn't surprise me that some developers & publishers are no longer following regional pricing suggestions.

[Brian9824]

Also VPN's to change regions hasn't been a thing in YEARS. Valve fixed that quite a while ago.

[ꉔꏂ꒐꒒ꇙ]

引用自 𐾱𐾱 /☆「E92M3東京ブレイド3D✧石田 雨竜：

I just found out people in certain countries are getting games for like HALF the price I pay here

Just wait for the games to go on sale for dirt cheap. No one is forcing you to buy games at overpriced full prices. You don't even own anything you buy on here so, why pay full price for it?

I know other people can get a game (that is like $50+) for like, $10 or so bucks where they live. I know other people have it more worse than us and have to pay even more than we do (Australia needing to pay $100+ for a $60 dollar game or so)

Most these games aren't worth their price but yet, people continue to buy them at full price and we end up with more of the same. Sales happen on the daily, your game will end up in one.

[ValentB]

引用自 𐾱𐾱 /☆「E92M3東京ブレイド3D✧石田 雨竜：

Yeah, I get that other countries have different economies, but that doesn’t change the fact that Steam’s pricing is all over the place. It's frustrating when games cost so much more in certain regions, especially when you’re trying to support developers. We shouldn't have to jump through hoops just to get fair pricing based on where we live. It’s not about being entitled—it’s about fairness. Why should one country pay 3x as much for the same game? Steam should fix this.

I'm glad you're banned.

No, you don't get economy at all.

Why should one country get 5-10x less for doing exactly same job? Governments should fix this.

But yes, Steam pricing is outta place. (Non)"regional" price is only 10-20% less these days instead of at least 50% like before. And even that was still too much.

[MemeMachine]

It's pretty unfair that I have to pay the same price for games as someone else from a much richer nation, I wish steam would just implement regional pricing for my area, but they never will.

[Komarimaru]

引用自 MemeMachine：

It's pretty unfair that I have to pay the same price for games as someone else from a much richer nation, I wish steam would just implement regional pricing for my area, but they never will.

Sadly, they try for most regions. Alas, they got sued by the EU for doing this for countries not as high on the economy ladder like Poland.

The EU in their great wisdom, said region locking games cheaper to that region was a great offense to the rest of the EU who should also get it that cheap.

So, Valve and Publishers said... fine... same price for everyone, default price. No more regional pricing.

[Phénomènes Mystiques]

You don't have to buy from Steam as there are a plethora of official Steam key sellers on the market (sometimes at a far cheaper price as those stores buy bulk keys and some stores are regional although I have only seen France, Germany, and Spain for specific store regions).

[ValentB]

引用自 Chika Ogiue：

引用自 ReBoot：

People in other countries earn less than half than you. Newsflash: other countries have different economies.

Living in a so-called "richer" country doesn't immediately equate to earning more.

Oh so your average salaries are too $400 in equivalent?

[De Hollandse Ezel]

regional pricing is a crime.
even more so is regional restriction.
-> as the most expensive region (europe) you would say that my version should be allowed to be traded and used globally.. but it is not. region locked ofted.

it would make more sense if regions worked like price zones.. and that users had freedom to select what pricezone they want.. you could always use a more expensive copy in a cheaper zone but not the other way around.
-> but thats not how it is now.

this regional pricing also is unfair..
IF the game needs modern hardware to run.. than the people in those nations are of the wealthier class and as wealthy as me.. and should not get preferental pricing.
->for most people from 3d world countries with HORRIBLE outdated hardware as for their 100 euro a month incomes even our ewaste is still expensive.. if develops make their games run on that.. than we also get screwed over for we not get as good a game as we could have.. while still paying the high price.. if the game is so bad it runs on potato.. than we too we should pay that low 3d world price.

Oh and finally when steam added regional pricing not all developers bothered to add it..
there are still games I'd like to buy but can't as they only have a price in USD
(that is cause originally devs just DID set 1 global price in USD and users just paid that converted to their own currency... when regional pricing was added this made it mandatory devs set a price for each currency
devs who never bothered to do that (often older titles that have been sold at auction many times to new owners... who I guess not care enough to either pull them from thje store.. or update their prices for non usa customers)
-> but it locks out a lot of consumers from obtaining those games.

=========================

I get why devs and steam want it.

more revenue to gain from adapting pricing to regional markets
the at price x will get you y sales.. will be diffrerent in each nation.

so by finetuning a price per region.. instead of one globally you will have more revenue.
and as production costs per licence are 0.. and steam charges a flat 30% per sale anyway.. that directly translates to more profit.

but it is highly user unfriendly.

[Leon]

Regional pricing is the reason lots of people got back to actually buy games, if Steam stoped using it, the only thing that would happen is a sea full of boats again

[「التكاثر」✧★✧✧★✧★☆✧]

When I'm charge of steam every game will be $60 American Dollars for everyone, less confusing and fair to all

[ValentB]

引用自 𐾱𐾱 /☆「E92M3東京ブレイド3D✧石田 雨竜：

When I'm charge of steam every game will be $60 American Dollars for everyone, less confusing and fair to all

And then publishers and players gonna leave Steam. GG

Still not gonna be fair since USA pays extra tax while many country "don't " (tax included in said 60).

[RPG Gamer Man]

OP, JUST TO CLARIFY, Steam does not set prices, they are a storefront that sells games. They take 30% from advertising on their platform. This is similar to renting out a stall in a fleamarket to sell items. You pay money to the property owner to sell items, and then you set the prices yourself, not the owner of the flea market.

So the prices are set by the developers, not steam. Steam/Valve does recommend prices, but most developers ignore them and set the prices higher. So your info is inaccurate. Steam does not set the prices, the developers do. Steam/Valve is only a platform like GOG that sells games.