Why is Spore more expensive on Steam by a WHOLE lot?

[Fred]

Spore is a game on the Steam Store currently costing £30, however on Amazon and on the freaking EA website it's around at least £15 cheaper. On Amazon it's £7!

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Electronic-Arts-SPORE-Spore-Mac/dp/B000FN7K2S

Please can this be seen to?

Other than that Steam is great,

Max

[Spawn of Totoro]

Because EA sets the price of the game on Steam. If it is higher on Steam, then people will be more likely to buy from Origin.

[Satoru]

Also the link you sent to is to the PHYSICAL product. And to a reseller through Amazon.

Note that low prices on physical products are a response to INVENTORY problems. A game rotting in your warehouse, costs depreciation, storage costs, etc. Aka you LOSE money every single second that thing is not sold. As a physical retailer I am more interested in moving product, even at a loss, to avoid losing money over time as the product dies in the warehouse and the cockroaches start playing Spore.

In the digital realm there is no inventory cost. 1 copy or a billion copies 'cost' the same to store. Ergo as a developer/publisher, I don't need to firesale the price to get rid of inventory. I can reduce cost that is more in line with actal demand. For example the COD series generally doesn't go on sale taht much and theprice has remained high. The demand for the game must still be good so they see no need to reduce pricing.

Aka low prices on physical product is a product of inventory limitations.