Steam to raise prices of games in certain countries
Valve has made changes to Steam’s minimum pricing policy for certain currencies other than USD, potentially affecting sellers of games and expansions priced below $5. Publishers and developers have been cautioned by the company that this update may result in the unavailability of games and DLC with lower pricing in certain regions unless adjustments are made. Additionally, they may not be able to offer discounts as substantial as before.
According to Valve, the aim of the revised policy is to adapt the minimum pricing to the recommended currency conversions published by the company last October. It updated those recommendations “to accommodate some currencies that drifted significantly in value over time.”
Therefore, the base price of the game or expansion must be at least 99 cents. The minimum price for a discounted game or DLC is 49 cents.
Developers and publishers may have to change the prices of their products in some countries. As Game Developer points out, they also need to be aware of how they handle discounts. Generally, publishers and developers of games that cost $4.99 or less must ensure that they do not go below the threshold during sales. Valve provides price management and discounting tools on Steam to help them deal with such issues.
The change may also affect players who create Steam accounts in different countries to take advantage of regional price differences. While blockbuster games may not be affected by the new thresholds, they may make it less profitable for gamers to switch their virtual location to the likes of Turkey and Argentina to pick up a handbag of indie games and other deeply discounted titles.
