Square Enix statement

[Chevrefoil]

historically, the euro is reaching an all-time low as far as value when compared with the USD. That doesn't mean anything other than Euro is more equal to USD than it ever was... I remember living in Paris when 20 dollars would get you about 10-12 euros

Now, that being said, just slapping a different currency label on the price is silly.

[Risvertasashi]

Not very weak, but 1 euro is, today, worth 1.08 usd now. Which roughly translates to somewhere around 140.4 they are paying compared to us at 130. Not including tax

I seem to have mixed up the Euro and GBP here. Sorry about that!

[Chevrefoil]

Yeah, I think this was actually about the GBP and USD prices for the collector's edition....I think the GBP price is ridiculous :-( -hugs for her brit buddies-

[Phafi]

Definitely thought this was going to be about the FFXI announcement for some reason.

[Issac]

In terms of purchasing power, the values are a lot closer. Roughly the same demographics can afford a $60 game as a €60 game, or in this case, $130 and €130.

So for all the complaining about the cost being "expensive" the truth is in the mininum wage and while taxes weren't taking into account over this that's a variable which honestly isn't SE's issue they most likely focus on the aspect of mininum wage and income of people in said area.

Elegantly explained, both of you. It is tragic how many people will steamroll past this and keep complaining. We all know it. In this thread and new threads.

Thank you for taking the time.

[Kuurei]

FFXI Announcement? Lol.

In all seriousness though, 130 GBP is 191 USD 0.o wth!? Ik you guys get all those awesome freebies across the pond, so I thought you were all blowing hot air admittedly, but this is something we'd protest...and possibly sue over...in the Lawyer States of America.

[kyuven]

So for all the complaining about the cost being "expensive" the truth is in the mininum wage and while taxes weren't taking into account over this that's a variable which honestly isn't SE's issue they most likely focus on the aspect of mininum wage and income of people in said area.

Tax isn't an issue for SE on the consumer level, but it IS when you're dealing with selling your product.
Import/Export tariffs, production costs, possibly having to have the box display multiple languages or multiple versions in multiple languages...
Plus the simple fact that, despite the EU being seen as a single entity, it's comprised of multiple sovereign nations that may have special considerations that need to be taken, such as the items needing to be inspected for the presence of one chemical or another or whatever.
SE just seems to have difficulty in general dealing with EU

[Zumi]

A couple things the US i do not think has as many rich people as the UK. The income distribution in the US is so skewed to toward the top its not even funny. It is very hard to find a well paying job in the US most jobs pay the minimum wage 7.25 an hour. It is very hard to find a job that pays more then this. From what I heard about the UK from people I know that live there it is much easier to get a well paying job. Could just be one of the reasons for the price difference.

[kyuven]

A couple things the US i do not think has as many rich people as the UK. It is very hard to find a well paying job in the US most jobs pay the minimum wage 7.25 an hour. It is very hard to find a job that pays more then this. From what I heard about the UK from people I know that live there it is much easier to get a well paying job. Could just be one of the reasons for the price difference.

economics is more complex than that. Part of the reason it's "easier" to get low paying jobs is because a large number of Americans don't WANT to work them. Basically, the supply of low paying jobs outstrips the demand for them, since the U.S. is a very large country with a very large educated population.
"Too many scientists and not enough hunchbacks" as Gary Larsen once said in one of his comics. And no that's not a slur -_-

[Snugglebutt]

-snip

Except that generic calculation does not take into account amount of people employed or how many actually are earning that wage, more importantly it does not take into account living costs which is vastly higher. Us Brits do not automatically have more spending power just because of currency rates alone or minimum wage, it goes hand in hand with living costs and employment rates too. We might be living in a well to do nation but that does not mean most people are in a well to do position living here.