This post is intended to inform fallout fans of the blatant price gouging Bethesda is inflicting on your fellow Australian gamers and fallout fans. We are currently being asked to pay U.S $89, yes $89 United States Dollars through Steam digital download. How much are you paying? Gamers in the United States are paying $49.99. Do you think it is fair that the same product, priced in the same currency, distributed over the internet through Australian servers and the publisher paying no extra tax, has two significantly different prices through the same retailer?

For those who still give Bethesda the benefit of the doubt and believe they must have a legitimate reason for doing this, consider this fact:

Last week Bethesda was selling the game in Australia through Steam for $49.99 US dollars.
They've hiked the price 80% in the last week in what can only be a be considered a rort.

I logged into Steam this evening with the intention of purchasing the game at $49.99. Now I'm stuck in limbo with $49.99 that I want to spend on this game. While it is possible for me to legally import it from the UK from reputable online stores for $40 including shipping (are you laughing yet?) I don't want to buy a boxed version of the game that requires games for windows... the last time I used games for windows it borked my PC and love the Steam platform.

Does Bethesda care? Do you care? Is there a solution to this dilemma?

*Edited for clarity

I don't understand the "games for windows" part. Isn't just a tag on the box? I mean there is no "games for windows LIVE" requirement or anything.

svcks to be Australian if the prices are like that, though. You're better off getting the import version.

Thanks for clarifying that, looks like I'll be importing it instead. It's amazing that after they've hiked the price, they'll be getting less money from me....

it's ￡24 on all the UK stores participating in the promo (Game, Amazon etc). That's like $39 Aus, $38/9 US or something? And WE complain about being ripped off... wow.. $89 Aus is like double the price. Cheaper to buy it from overseas

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edit: PC version, obviously. The Xbox and PS3 versions are more expensive here too

First of all, the boxed version of the game is also steam operated. At least that's a way to get the game at a fair price. GFWL has been dropped entirely.

Second: Although you sound screwed by getting the price cranked up by 80%, I'm sure there has been an honest mistake. Perhaps it was an offer for multiple games

or perhaps, a mistake? 4 and 8 are pretty close together on a keypad...


If it stays for a few days, then I'd start to worry.

Normal PC version is € 49,99. Collectors edition is € 89,99, with extra's like casino-chips. This is in Holland, i think the US dollar is around € 0,80.

I would reserve judgement before going this far, you do not understand all of the factors at work in determining the price for these games. What I am definitely sure about is that Bethesda does not have a giant map of Australia in a dark corner of their basemant in which trolls shout insults at the map several times a day. I'm also pretty sure that no one would intentionally "gouge" or "punish" our Australian friends - that part makes no sense to me. I think it is far more likely that there are unforseen costs with producing the game there. Perhaps there are duties of some kind or taxes that they needed to pay. Perhaps we should Ask them nicely why, and I'm sure the Bethesda peeps here would be more than happy to clarify if they know.

It's been $89.99 US since the first of October, I doubt it's a mistake

I know enough about Australian trade law to know there aren't any major government factors that could contribute to this price increase.

It would be great if Bethesda could clarify the situation for us.

Aha,

May I ask than what the average price of a videogame in Australia is?

If it is about the same as the original price, then I would like to know you are sure it's USD.

I don't know the exact exchange rate from USD to AUD, but perhaps there lies an answer.

It could also be the Limited Edition. Although it wouldn't make much sense to sell it trough a digital download.

Perhaps your government instates heavy tariffs or whateaver on imported products?

If all of the above do not apply,

i'm bust...

It's still pretty early here in the U.S. So Bethesdas offices may be closed still, may be a few hours before a Beth employee replies.

Steam is a fun thing. If all was fair, Europeans should only pay about 36,14 (EUR), Australians about 51.25 (AUD), Brits 31.46 (GBP) and americans the set price 49.99 (USD) for the normal version of the game.

May I laugh and cry in the same moment? I Just learned that I have been paying 13,85 EUR too much for every game I bought the last year.. Things I could have done with that money...

Average price is around $60.. However there has major increase in the price of new games in the past year. Fallout NV is only the latest example of this price inflation.



Australians have to purchase Steam games in US dollars, there is no other option. And yes, that means we pay currency exchange fee's on top of the $89.99.



The exchange rate is almost $1 = $1, but that is irrelevent in this case as we purchase the game in US dollars anyway



It's not the limited edition, it's the standard pre-order



there are no heavy tarrifs.
Remember they were selling it at $49.99 last week!

hmmm another reason I pre-ordered. Places like Amazon tend to hike the price up to morelike RRP once the game (book, CD) is released. Always shop around, and pre-order if there is a money-off preorder deal. (Even if that means buying it from a place not offering the pre-order bonus items.)

That's probably not it even if the price is 60$ 89,99 is almost a 50% increase. Unlikely any company would get away with that.



Damn, that svcks...



You are right about that one.



Makes more sense yes.



Tarrifs can be enacted pretty quick, but then again, Tariffs would also make your shipping import more expensive.

So We'll rule that one out as well.


So it is either bland capitalism or a honest mistake.

More inclined to believe the honest mistake.

I'm inclined to think it's typical short sighted capitalism, and unfortunately for Bethesda they've made less money from one customer. I bet they'll be making much, much less from many others.

Unless, of course, it's all a simple mistake...

I thought most games in Australia are overpriced to [censored].

Title to this thread is probably the most misleading I've ever seen.

You should have bought it earlier!That's so unlucky though, i'd buy from the UK and ship it over if i were you.

It's a play on words for "Dr. Strangelove: or how I learned to stop worrying and love the bomb"

Misleading thread name is still misleading.

Aren't aussieland games so expensive not because the game publisher sets that price, but because the government says so? I know that high prices in Australian copies of most games are standard, NV is not an anomaly in this respect. Why, I remember one of my aussie friends talking about how Dragon Age was 90 AUD.

It's definitely not Bethesda gouging you on the price, I know that much.

Are you sure you aren't looking at the CE version?

I know for Fallout 3 there was at least a $20 difference between the game itself and the CE

I think the game turned out to be around $80 or so rather than the $59.99

Australia has it horrible when it comes to games, seriously you guys have got to sit down with your weird ass politicians and give them a thorough talking to, try to convince them that a video game doesn't turn you into a criminal any more than say a board game (omg he's playing Risk! He's gonna think he can take over the world. Oh noes!)

It may be your government, frankly I know enough to be annoyed but too little to be detailed...so erm, check if they've hiked game prices maybe? (And of course delayed them for a few months....just cos...)