In Australia we're used to getting fucked over for prices on games. When a game is $60 in the US it'll probably be upwards of $90 here in Australia. MW2 was $100 at release here in Australia, and by then I think our dollar was at parity with the American, and it is now above the American dollar, yet games here are still hideously expensive. But that was always retail. Looking at people complain about the price for Skyrim on Steam today ($60US) I saw that Skyrim was $89.99US on our Australian steam store, and realised that even Steam was fucking us over. Theoretically there should be no extra costs for us over the Americans, as there is no transportation costs or import duties on downloaded games (I would assume). 
  
Then I found these gems in $US; 
 
Modern Warfare 2 on the US Steam store = $29.99 
Australian Steam Store = $89.99 (I shit you not)
 
Medal of Honor US = $19.99 
AUS = $69.99 
 
RAGE 
US = $59.99 
AUS = $89.99 
 
I know it may be the publisher's fault or something, but WHAT THE FUCK? Why are we paying upwards of 50% more for our games!?

It also sucks as you get the same release dates as Europe.

Sucks man. Maybe move.

Well, the solution to that problem is simple. Just come over here and live in the US! 

Sour.

I am not going to buy them that is how I vote with my money 
i saw some web sites that you can get them cheap from but it takes a while to get em shipped 

its the same in europe, usually something that costs 50bucks also costs 50euros, when we know it should be like 35 or something if the conversion was right.  Sucks but you can always get around it.

Well if you compare to the US these prices may seem high. But in Europe new games cost 60 EUR that's 85 USD if you believe this site http://www.xe.com I guess games are just cheaper in the US. 

It's the same fucking thing here in Europe and it is truly terrible. I buy everything at G2play.net, which sell asian versions of games for about half the price - the price they should be, and the american price. I don't really care how much of that money actually reach the developer, because I simply refuse to buy a game at 50 euros when the american version is 50 dollars. Also, you get the games on Steam in most cases.

@Inkerman said:

In Australia we're used to getting fucked over for prices on games. When a game is $60 in the US it'll probably be upwards of $90 here in Australia. MW2 was $100 at release here in Australia, and by then I think our dollar was at parity with the American, and it is now above the American dollar, yet games here are still hideously expensive. But that was always retail. Looking at people complain about the price for Skyrim on Steam today ($60US) I saw that Skyrim was $89.99US on our Australian steam store, and realised that even Steam was fucking us over. Theoretically there should be no extra costs for us over the Americans, as there is no transportation costs or import duties on downloaded games (I would assume). Then I found these gems in $US; Modern Warfare 2 on the US Steam store = $29.99 Australian Steam Store = $89.99 (I shit you not) Medal of Honor US = $19.99 AUS = $69.99 RAGE US = $59.99 AUS = $89.99 I know it may be the publisher's fault or something, but WHAT THE FUCK? Why are we paying upwards of 50% more for our games!?

Dude Steam has nothing to do with it, in order to sell the games here they need to agree with existing publishing contracts etc. It doesn't mean it isn't a rip, of course it is but just do what 90% of Aussies do and order online from overseas. Personally i use thehut.com.

Couldn't agree more OP. I just pre-ordered Deus Ex: Human Revolution Augmented Edition from Ozgameshop for $49 as opposed to $99 from retailers. If it arrives safe and sound, I will probably shop more often from that website.

I bypass region detection with a proxy... side steps both regional price gouging and censorship. Annoying hoop to jump through but worth the extra time.

Edit: Typo

$90 for Modern Warfare 2? That is just wrong.

Yeah it kinda sucks paying about 110$ per game when they are new, have not bought a game for my xbox since Red Dead and Alan Wake.

$90 for Modern Warfare 2? That is just wrong.

$150!

$150!....

@SpikeSpiegel said:

$90 for Modern Warfare 2? That is just wrong.

In new zealand EB games tried to get away with selling Blops standard edition, Standard, no extras, just the game, for one hundred and fifty dollars. 
 
 

$150!

 
 
The JB Hi-Fi across the street was selling it for $80 
 

$150!....

@Red12b: $150? WHAT

Jesus Christ, that's ridiculous. But yeah, game prices here are stupid high for no real reason. It's mainly just EB games being able to get away with it, I guess.

I'll almost always get games online now, but if I want to get something on release day, I go to JB Hi-Fi.

And isn't Steam's pricing some legal BS between itself and the retail stores? Like they're not allowed to charge what they want to or something.

@Red12b said:

@SpikeSpiegel said:

$90 for Modern Warfare 2? That is just wrong.

In new zealand EB games tried to get away with selling Blops standard edition, Standard, no extras, just the game, for one hundred and fifty dollars. 
 
 

$150!

 
 
The JB Hi-Fi across the street was selling it for $80 
 

$150!....

Do people actually pay that much?  And how much did the prestige edition cost?  (It was $150 here in the US)

@Red12b said:

@PeasantAbuse said:

@Red12b said:

@SpikeSpiegel said:

$90 for Modern Warfare 2? That is just wrong.

In new zealand EB games tried to get away with selling Blops standard edition, Standard, no extras, just the game, for one hundred and fifty dollars.

$150!

The JB Hi-Fi across the street was selling it for $80

$150!....

Do people actually pay that much? And how much did the prestige edition cost? (It was $150 here in the US)

I hope not, I was in the store and saw a mother and her 15 year old kid talking a bout the game, I told them to go to JB hi-fi, fucking hate EB games. I think it's the equivalent to your gamestop.

Yeah it isn't just like Gamestop, it IS Gamestop, exact same company just trading under a different name. As for buying games at retail, thank god for JB Hifi is all i can say.

In Sweden a new console game goes for $110. $90 if I'm lucky. And steam games go for $70.

its the same in europe, usually something that costs 50bucks also costs 50euros, when we know it should be like 35 or something if the conversion was right.  Sucks but you can always get around it.

It's the same fucking thing here in Europe and it is truly terrible. I buy everything at G2play.net, which sell asian versions of games for about half the price - the price they should be, and the american price. I don't really care how much of that money actually reach the developer, because I simply refuse to buy a game at 50 euros when the american version is 50 dollars. Also, you get the games on Steam in most cases.

In Sweden a new console game goes for $110. $90 if I'm lucky. And steam games go for $70.

@Red12b said:

@PeasantAbuse said:

@Red12b said:

@SpikeSpiegel said:

$90 for Modern Warfare 2? That is just wrong.

In new zealand EB games tried to get away with selling Blops standard edition, Standard, no extras, just the game, for one hundred and fifty dollars.

$150!

The JB Hi-Fi across the street was selling it for $80

$150!....

Do people actually pay that much? And how much did the prestige edition cost? (It was $150 here in the US)

I hope not, I was in the store and saw a mother and her 15 year old kid talking a bout the game, I told them to go to JB hi-fi, fucking hate EB games. I think it's the equivalent to your gamestop.

I remember seeing that, it's shocking! MW2 standard edition costing $129 - $139 (PC / console) was bad enough but $150 was just ridiculous. Especially when every other retailer - like Dick Smith, JB, Mighty Ape were all selling it for significantly cheaper.

It was at that stage that I realised EB Games is selling games to people who are idiots, and I didn't want to be part of that.

@Elazul: Yes, and I'm in Sweden as the other two guys below me are. I don't play console games, which I'm quite happy for, since there would be no way of getting around the stupid prices. Thanks to globalization and shady Singaporean (?) webshops I can get retail Asian games that are scanned and just download it.

Edit: lol, mobile site just messed up my post. I had to come to the full site on my laptop to edit it.

I think the best thing to do is stop buying games that are overpriced, and encourage other fellow Australian gamers not to buy them. If you keep buying them, they'll keep screwing you over. Simple as that.

The prices are set by the publishers. Steam has nothing to do with them.