Regardless of Activision’s claims that the recent Steam price hike of Call of Duty 4 was a mistake by Steam and a manoeuvre to stem undercutting of Australian retailers, you guys were angry.
As it stands, Oz Steam users will have to fork over $US 88.50 ($101) to get their hands on Infinity Ward’s shooter. Many of you pointed out that this cost does not factor in the 6GB download, or the lack of a retail box and disc. Considering that several Oz retailers have the boxed game available for less than or near to this price, the Steam offer seems not only rude, but pointless.
By far the most popular reader theory was that Activision is trying to take advantage of the weak US dollar. Sensible from a business perspective, yes, but true? I really can’t say.
What I can do however, is grab the top comments from the original post. You can check them out after the jump.
Vangalorr
It is this kind of BS price gouging that drives people insane. There is no valid reason to up the price from steam considering it is a digital distribution system with very low overheads, the price for digital distribution SHOULD BE AT A DISCOUNT to boxed goods purchased at a retail outlet.
If wholesalers/retailers in Australia would actually pass on the benefit of the higher Aussie dollar I would consider buying more games at retail outlets in this country, acts like this only serve to re-enforce my position that they don’t deserve my hard earned and for now I will continue to purchase games from overseas vendors.
Chris
This is not steam/valves fault.
Well, except for making their product able to discriminate based on where you live.
I’m sure Activision won’t be making people who use steam in thailand able to buy COD 4 for $10/15/25 US, which is what they are used to.At least THQ simply don’t offer their program to Australia. It’s less of a kick in the guts than offering it, withdrawing it, and then doubling the price overnight for AN IDENTICAL PRODUCT, which will cost the same AS A RETAIL BOX.
Of course, we know why, and that’s because anyone from there who uses steam is giving them profit.
The only good side to this is that it’s starting to mobilise the people into realising just how badly we are getting ripped off. The last game I bought at retail here was ETQW, it cost $100 AUD, complete waste of money, I’ve had to sell it for $50 because no-one is playing it online and the clan scene is dead. Activision game too.
I was going to take the money and get steam COD4 to play online, but why bother when I’ll now get charged full price, and have to bear the cost of downloading the 6 gb files.
Now I will might pirate it to play the single player (if I can be bothered to download the behemoth 6gb files), and maybe if I can be bothered when it’s on zest (in a month) buy it from there for the price of about $20 US.
Ashley
Well I must say I personally am offended at this price increase.
When I just signed on to Steam and saw the price I thought it must have been a bug, but then I read the forums and see the Aussies are getting ripped.
This is unacceptable on any level, no game should ever, ever be this expensive, AU$ 60 is the most I would pay for any game, and now being charged AU$ 101 for a game where you then have to download the files and the manual, there is no reasoning to it. I will only ever purchase stuff when it is fairly priced and actually is worth the price being asked.
And I was planning to buy the game next monday, not anymore, this is just plain profiteering.
MarkCocJin
Is it possible that Australians should be blaming their Government because of this? I mean, Why would Activision raise the price for the game just because they’re selling it to Australians? They’re mostly white people too just like Americans and Europeans. I think this stinks of the taxes your government puts on imported software. Think of how many hands are dipping in your wallet before you could even play a game.
How about American made candy bars in Australia? Are they just as overpriced too?
Michael
there’s just no way to make me feel any better about this kind of corrupt and indecent violation, other than say, gathering up a mob and lynching or dropping the marketing manager of activision Asia-pacific/Australia of a high ledge and watching him fall, and continuing to do so until the regime changes.
at the least it’s incompetence, at the most, it’s patent, ostentatious greed that a company would do this without apology or consequence to customers who are going to be paying more to download games than to buy them from the shelves at RRP.
if it’s more important to activision to have shelf sales, just don’t sell your games on steam. just do what THQ did, hold your hands over your ears, eyes and mouths and pretend the internet doesn’t exist for customers in australia. i konw Activision can be deaf dumb and blind to reality already, the catalogue of products they publish speaks for itself as does it actions.
the old expression, heads will roll feels appropriate, but it’s not enough, a stand needs to be made in the way companies price their products, and it should not be dictated by companies who do absolutely nothing and expect things to stay the same.
I will never be an activsion customer again in australia, i will buy activision products overseas instead if necessary and there’s just so very little you can do to stop it from happening before your competition and the consumers tears your company apart.
i can understand Activision feels that $102 AU is appropriate to the market, but who are they kidding here. you can go into a retail store and get this game for $80 or less from overseas, much much less in all cases. i felt it was too expensive at $50, now its just customer rape at $88.50
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