Localized Game prices for Egypt after significant rise in dollar prices

[Amorias]

Hi, I am from Egypt and I been buying games from steam for years

For the longest time the price of 1$ was from 6-8 egyptian pounds maximum.

Recently due to economic issues, the price of the dollar has exploded to 17.5 and RISING

This has caused ANY game in ANY dollar amount to be unrealistically unaffordable.

a 40$ game now costs 700 egyptian pounds as opposed to 280.

I am creating this Steam thread hoping to suggest that Steam creates localized prices for the Egyptian market or at least for the Arabian and Middle East market. For example, if the prices where in Saudi Riyals instead of Dollars for the Egyptian market, (which is a stable currency but more affordable to us in Egypt than a dollar amount) , a 40 dollar game with be a 40 saudi riyal game, and 1 saudi riyal is 4.71 so the game about be around 190 egyptian pounds. That is more affordable to us.

At the current exchange rate the Egyptian market can only afford a game that is discounted aaaalll the way to 1 or 3 $ and that usually doesn't happen to most mainstream and interesting games.

I couldn't find a steam support link on steampowered.com any more so i decided to start this topic here because this issue is not related to ANY of the topics in the Steam FAQs and I feel as a serious gamer this will make it impossible for me to ever buy anything again in the future, especially that Steam's security has purchases limited to localized credit cards so I can't even use my American Payoneer card to buy the games from my dollar account.

If there could be some future plan to include Egypt and the Middle East on the Steam map with special prices ONLY for Arabian and Egyptian users that would be heaven. I would be on a shopping spree with no end and I'd be so grateful. I haven't been able to buy any decent game for a while because of the rising dollar prices and now it has become impossible

I actually woke up from a dream today that by the time the new Sonic games comes out that the dollar would cost 40 egyptian pounds and buying a 40$ Sonic game would cost 1600 egyptian pounds. (As a person of a freelance career, that is almost the minimum amount I make in one month which is way too much for a game!!!!!!!)

I am hoping there is some way it would not be this way.

Thanks.

[cSg|mc-Hotsauce]

i assume before valve would even think about doing something, your government needs to fix itself and stabilize its economy.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/as-egypts-economy-struggles-calls-for-protests-against-sissi-grow-louder/2016/10/18/8a004128-908e-11e6-bc00-1a9756d4111b_story.html

[Amorias]

that's why I suggested that the localization be in the currency of a neighboring arab country. Gaming has nothing to do with politics and the political and economic status here is probably not going to change any time soon, so i wasn't only suggesting it for our country but the middle east in general,. because when I checked gaming purchases on google play, I realized that the prices on all game items are localized and the prices never went higher, so if Google localized their gaming prices why can't steam.

The above comment was neither constructive nor related to the topic. Was just an unnecessary cheap shot. I live in Egypt. I already know what's going on here.

[Spanky]

I don’t claim to understand much about money but here I go. The monetary policy in your country would be of some use to research into for your debacle. Supply in your country must be present first. That would make steam sales affordable. My suggestion is to find a discount retailer website/brick and mortar store in your currency.

[Amorias]

The reason i rely on steam is because the video game sales industry in local retail is near non existent. Again why I suggested it be localized in Saudi Riyals, because the local video gaming sales industry does exist over there. There are localized prices in middle eastern currencies for several online stores. Playstation store has done it for the middle east and as I said earlier, Google Play has localized prices too. Egyptian purchases rely on digital purchases for software and gaming as opposed to physical purchases. No one imports physical purchases here, They are seen as a rare commodity. The original PC gaming scene in Egypt is almost FULLY reliant on Steam.

[Spanky]

Real life example: I found a retail store that's in China for PCCleaner who are Americian. I buy in Canadian dollars an item at a discount.

The thing is the American company has purchased a manufactory in China. That price I pay for the item's monetary value in China has fallen because it is cheaper to create the item in China. As long as the American company sells in China at Canadian dollars, I can get the item at a discount.

[Amorias]

what u said above is actually 1) Against the steam policy. You can do that digitally by getting steam games from the russian stores but that is illegal and can get your account banned
2) that exists more for physical products. I already deal with China in physical products to get them at their base cost. I got a pair of roller blades this way, but games are not created in China and you can't get them at a low cost unless in a sale or pirated, and i don't want to pirate the games.

I am specifically talking about a solution for original Steam games in particular. The above example you said works for absolutely everything else :)

[Spanky]

I've got lots of time on my hands, so I can do some digging for you. What currency you looking to use for the Steam games? Or if you want to you can contact a retail store, any one of them will listen to you if you ask nicely for the currency of choice option. The important things to remember is when looking for a retail store you need to find the item at a discounted price and the retail store website/brick and mortar must have the right to distribute it too.

[Monk3y]

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[76561198001062896]

we should also get localised prices if we are at it

[wuddih]

switching to SAR wont help you much, it is on par with the USD prices. and since it was not specifically mentioned here ... pub/dev sets the pricing for each currency, nothing is currency converted by rates.

a 40usd game costs 100-200sar depending on how much the publisher/developer thinks that you are the rich oil people.

[MEGA POWER]

Now its 1$=32egp we can't afford good games anymore

[cSg|mc-Hotsauce]

Originally posted by MEGA POWER:

Now its 1$=32egp we can't afford good games anymore

The only problem right now is the global inflation and the fact that your government destroyed the value of your currency.

Don't expect any new currencies to be added any time soon.

[Steve]

This thread was quite old before the recent post, so we're locking it to prevent confusion.