Why are we overcharging for games?

[ValorUnlimited]

Spooling through some competitive sources for PC games on the internet (wont say who, because that would probably put a wasp in the mod's bottoms, let's just say it's really easy to find this...) I noticed a few pricing discrepencies with these two games. Which I am really interested in:

F1 2012
F1 2011

Let's say a legitimate hardcopy of 2012 was priced at 39.99 at a popular site... And 2011 was selling there for 17.38...

Why should I spend 49.99 on Steam? Can anyone give me a good reason?

[ONe_mOMENT]

İlk olarak quicksilver139 tarafından gönderildi:

Can anyone give me a good reason?

Nope. If its cheaper somewhere else, and its a game you want. Buy it. Shouldn't matter where its from if it's something your interested in.

[Dreakon13]

Steam may not always offer the best price, especially since the price is likely dictated by the publisher. No one site (or store) has the best price for everything all the time.

If you find it somewhere cheaper and want it, why think twice about it?

The only reason to buy it on Steam anyways would be to have it in your Steam library, and depending on the site you may wind up with a Steam activation code anyways.

[Spawn of Totoro]

Developers set the prices, Steam does not. Ask them why they want to charge more and not adjust their prices.

[(SOGA) SouthernBoy]

Prices can vary at any place/store/etc, whether online or not. Steam is just one of many areas/stores/places you can purchase software, you choose the place and the price.

Besure that the software you may purchase is not stoling/hack/illegitament, and is from a trustworthy/reliable source.

[OldMemes.biz]

I understand developers set the prices. But that begs the question, why does the developer set a price of X at site 1, but a price of X+10 at site 2...?

[Spawn of Totoro]

İlk olarak Trigger Happy tarafından gönderildi:

I understand developers set the prices. But that begs the question, why does the developer set a price of X at site 1, but a price of X+10 at site 2...?

Because of how the other site work. They are more like regular retail where the site has already paid for the game and can set their own price. While no one gets money with Steam untill the item sells. Steam is a retail buisness, but it handles things diffrently then other retailers.

[ChrisW]

If the publisher sets the price high on Steam and low somewhere else, it is because they are trying to encourage you to purchase the game from the other site. This is typically due to contracts with the retail publisher who wants you to purchase a retail copy of the game (since they get no money if you purchase from Steam).

[shreddedbullet]

@ChrisW

Well, the publisher/developer get's a percent if it's on Steam, usually always the same as retail, but through third party sites it is the seller's choice, because if they are not a retail distributor, the developer/publisher has made money from the copy of the game liscence being sold from any major retail or digital retail store, and since the store has purchased, it, they can sell it.

[TempestZ]

You would also have to factor in that you have on some games achivements or some other thing and with steam you buy it on your account its yours so there is that part as well

[Satoru]

İlk olarak ChrisW tarafından gönderildi:

If the publisher sets the price high on Steam and low somewhere else, it is because they are trying to encourage you to purchase the game from the other site. This is typically due to contracts with the retail publisher who wants you to purchase a retail copy of the game (since they get no money if you purchase from Steam).

Steam takes 30% of the sale price and gives the other 70% to the publisher. This is by far much better margins than you'd get at retail. Since all digital downlaod stores pretty much charge this 30% (a standard set by Apple) going 'somewhere else' doesn't change the metrics much.

Note that on Steam devs get data on sales that is unavailable in any other system. If your data says the game is selling well at price A, there's no need to discount it. They're charging exactly what the market allows it to charge.

[Jawaka]

I must have missed the sign on the main page that stated that Steam guarantees that they'll always have the lowest prices on the games that they sell.

[ChrisW]

İlk olarak -MGR- shreddedbullet tarafından gönderildi:

@ChrisW

Well, the publisher/developer get's a percent if it's on Steam, usually always the same as retail, but through third party sites it is the seller's choice, because if they are not a retail distributor, the developer/publisher has made money from the copy of the game liscence being sold from any major retail or digital retail store, and since the store has purchased, it, they can sell it.

That is true, except the retail publisher gets zero for sales on Steam. The retail publisher only gets money for retail copes sold, which is why they force digital prices high in their contract. Therefore, when you notice retail prices are cheaper than digital and decide to purchase retail copies, you are infact rewarding the people responsible for the high digital prices.

[Kvs]

One of the reasons developers charge more on Steam is that they make more on Steam. Other sites may be cheaper, but theyll make less off those sites (GMG, GG, Amazon, etc.) Steam is the big dog in the yard when it comes to digital gaming. More notoriety, more customers, and thust, more sales.

[TempestZ]

Steam is also there for the profit so they have to get something out of it

[dirrtymartini]

14 posts and 15hrs after the OP performed a "rant and run" and people are still replying. Unreal.