Square Enix statement

[Ryodi]

I fail to see how most of these suggestions hold any validity when the standard and digital CE are converted to a price you would expect, but the boxed CE is not. How can you then justify the price tag?

[Ryu_Hayabusaa]

let me make this simple. this is how SE see's it.
SE: Dear so and so, how much do you love our game? ok, buy this. if you dont, buy the standard. we apologize for any inconvenience. thank you.

[beowulf81]

More like:

SE: hey do you love our game? Do you really, really love it? Great! Buy the physical Ce!

... What's that? You're in the UK? Oh. Well, you have to really, really, really, REALLY love our game, because we're charging you Limeys 50% more for it. I know, we're greedy, money grubbing bastards and there's no real justification for this, but hey, you love our game right? So buy the CE for the ridiculous price we're demanding you pay for it, so we know that we can keep doing this to you and you'll just bend over and take it.

Just let it happen

[Noxifer]

I fail to see how most of these suggestions hold any validity when the standard and digital CE are converted to a price you would expect, but the boxed CE is not. How can you then justify the price tag?

Precisely. It would be one thing if they had done the $=€=£ across the board. Then you might have had an argument regarding this. When it only concerns one product (AFAIK), this just becomes absurd.

[Tiggy]

So basically its bullshit. Just because I can afford to pay more for something than the next guy doesn't mean I should have to.

It's not the difference between you and someone else. It's the difference between your country and another more than anything. Two completely different economies. Two different set of laws and taxes.

Expecting the price to be identical is more ridiculous. It ignores the reality.

I fail to see how most of these suggestions hold any validity when the standard and digital CE are converted to a price you would expect, but the boxed CE is not. How can you then justify the price tag?

Physical objects are subject to different rules, laws, tarrifs, etc where-as digital objects in many ways aren't properly covered by the laws yet. It's really not a stretch.

Did no one pay attention in school when they talked about this stuff?

[Jamein]

Why on earth are people comparing minimum wage to try and justify the prices? If you actually think SE's marketing department sat down and for one second considered the minimum wage instead market trends/previous pricing points and a whole host of other reasons you are bat crap crazy.

Minimum wage never even crossed their mind, especially on something that would be considered a luxury item.

[DarkmoonVael]

At the risk of getting flamed, I'll try to explain.

See, it's not just about plugging numbers into google or whatever your favorite currency converter is. It's about purchasing power of the individual.

The USD is a lot weaker than the Euro right now, and this sucks for Americans travelling abroad, but is nice for Europeans travelling to the States or similar. But Gaming isn't about travelling/tourism.

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.

That is why the games industry prices are the way they are. This is also why some movies are dirt cheap in certain countries (the target demographics there could not afford our prices), but they instituted region locking to prevent wealthier nations from taking advantage of it.

I am not saying I agree nor disagree with these practices, but that's why it is this way.

The UK does not use the Euro, it used the Pound Sterling. $192 (approx) is how much the CE costs in the UK. The Euro and Dollar cost are about on par, with the Euro cost being slightly more by a margin. As for purchasing power, the purchasing power of these following Euro Zone countries is higher than the UK: Germany, Netherlands, Austria and Norway.

[Natsuno]

Physical objects are subject to different rules, laws, tarrifs, etc where-as digital objects in many ways aren't properly covered by the laws yet. It's really not a stretch.

Did no one pay attention in school when they talked about this stuff?

Because everyone went to law school >.>

No, seriously. The only 'enonomics' class I had the privelage to attend at school had the word 'home' infront of it, and trust me, it wasn't anything to do with currencies, or the economies for that matter (except for how much butter or flour cost). There was a business studies class, but because of x and y, most of the people in the same year as me was denied the chance of attending that class. The closest I came was in maths. And to be fair, averages, modes, medians, ranges and any other were hardly needed at all during my work life in the 20 years since I've left school.

We are a part of the EU. Their rules apply to us too.

The digital/physical sales for all the rest of the games are near enough the same. Only this product is different.

[Tiggy]

Because everyone went to law school

Learned it in high school. Was ELPS. Economic Legal and Policital Systems.

Sucks you didn't have a class that covered this kind of stuff. It was very useful.

The digital/physical sales for all the rest of the games are near enough the same. Only this product is different.

One is digital, one is physical. They are subject to different rules, laws, tariffs, ... oh yeah I said that already.

Does the pricing difference suck? Yes. Is it completely out of left field with no possible reasoning behind it? No.

[Shaone]

The digital/physical sales for all the rest of the games are near enough the same. Only this product is different.

Yep, this is the part that bothers me, and as far as I'm concerned people can argue about minimum wage, average wage, PPP, big mac prices or taxes until the cows come home. If all those weak justifications are true, then why did they adjust the prices on the other versions at all?
They are pulling underhand, despicable tactics with the CE box pricing, and in doing so attacking their most loyal fans, as those are the ones most likely to be buying CE in the first place. I consider this a massive breach of trust. But I'm OK with it, honestly. I have boxed collectors 1.0 and 2.0, so I would have liked to get 3.0, but not if it comes with a "f&*k you" price tag. Standard edition digital from the cheapest retailer at launch time it shall be. I would add "unless they do something to remedy the situation" but I've given up hope on that front.

One is digital, one is physical. They are subject to different rules, laws, tariffs, ... oh yeah I said that already.

Yeah except they adjusted UK price on the boxed combined XIV+Heavensward. Next!