Paradox Interactive Enormous Unprecedented Price Hikes

[Andreas Lilja]

10 minutes ago, Aytex said:

Have you seen CoD prices? Some older titles are still $60

Indeed, but did they hike the price at some point? Especially by 20%? I believe we're in uncharted territory.

 

 

 

[Derangel]

6 hours ago, mark_cameron said:

They're one of the worst for DLC releases that offer nothing.

 

I've actively avoided them since most of the time their games aren't really that good any way.

So you actively avoid them yet claim to know the quality of the games and what their DLC offers? Paradox does release a shit load of DLC, but the big pieces of DLC are almost always worth it. They make massive changes to games, adding new features, completely reworking core mechanics and so on. For games like HOI, EU, and CK those DLC releases come along with a free patch for everyone that also makes an ass ton of changes to game balance, bugs, and so on. CK2 is is five years old, EU4 is four years old. Both games are still being actively updated and developed for. Not just DLC releases either, but patches, tweaks, etc. Some of Paradox's business decisions are several levels of bullshit (including the one this topic is about) but their DLC policies are just fine. Half a decade of support for a game is a pretty damn good way to justify selling a lot of DLC.

[mark_cameron]

7 hours ago, Derangel said:

So you actively avoid them yet claim to know the quality of the games and what their DLC offers? Paradox does release a shit load of DLC, but the big pieces of DLC are almost always worth it. They make massive changes to games, adding new features, completely reworking core mechanics and so on. For games like HOI, EU, and CK those DLC releases come along with a free patch for everyone that also makes an ass ton of changes to game balance, bugs, and so on. CK2 is is five years old, EU4 is four years old. Both games are still being actively updated and developed for. Not just DLC releases either, but patches, tweaks, etc. Some of Paradox's business decisions are several levels of bullshit (including the one this topic is about) but their DLC policies are just fine. Half a decade of support for a game is a pretty damn good way to justify selling a lot of DLC.

I had Europa Universalis or whatever its called. Pre-Steam.

 

I buy all my games now (virtually) on Steam. The only one I didn't buy recently on Steam was Dawn of War III collectors edition.

 

Steam allows me to compare prices. I was looking at hearts of iron. But the prices are ridiculous. I also look closely at verified purchase reviews. Particularly what negative reviews are saying.

 

I don't like their DLC policies. Looks simply to be about money making to excess.

[mark_cameron]

12 hours ago, VanayadGaming said:

They do have lots of DLC but a lot of free content as well for their games. And saying that their games are bad, is really close minded. They have actually some of the best strategy games out there. 

They almost had me on Hearts of Iron the most recent one with some of the updates.

 

But the prices - I cannot justify the purchase(s) based on the reviews.

If it were on Steam Sale to -50% or more I might consider HOI. But not for the prices quoted.

 

Also the fact the prices have increased further reduces my desire to buy! 

[plsno]

This really just seems like they're adjusting pricing for changes in currency values. 

[Sakkura]

15 hours ago, BuckGup said:

Just causes more pirating. US isn't on there so doesn't matter. LOL close minded world 4 lyfe

Yeah it's those closed-minded Americans Fredrik Wester and Johan Andersson, in the American city of Stockholm in the American state of Södermanland.

15 hours ago, mark_cameron said:

They're one of the worst for DLC releases that offer nothing.

 

I've actively avoided them since most of the time their games aren't really that good any way.

They add content to their games for free with ongoing patches, then add DLC that's either cosmetic or enables extra features. For example, CK2 launched with the ability to play as the ruler of the Christian nations in Europe. Then they made patches that added deeper mechanics for non-Christian rulers, and increased the map to cover more areas outside Europe. DLCs were then made available allowing you to play as a ruler of non-Christian countries, as well as cosmetic DLC like better portraits for people in the middle east etc.

[nawaf]

9 hours ago, potoooooooo said:

ITT: People not realizing this is probably just normal price changes based on currency values changing

That wont explain the price hike for Saudi Arabia. The currency exchange has been the same for decades now. The government makes sure that the price stays the same by buying back currency. It is just simple cash grab. 

[Sakkura]

The Saudia Arabian economy did boom enormously from the turn of the century (GDP/capita went from 8300 USD in 2001 to 24900 USD in 2012). This is odd timing though as it's actually weakened since the oil price dropped.

[Sakkura]

If we look at the GDP per capita in PPP terms, IMF's numbers from last year have Saudi Arabia at just over 55,000 USD.

 

The new prices for Saudia Arabia are a little lower than for the EU. And that's despite most of the EU countries having a lower GDP per capita in PPP terms. Austria 48K, Belgium 45K, Bulgaria 20K, Croatia 23K, Czechia 33K, Denmark 48K, Finland 42K, France 42K, Germany 48K, Greece 27K, Hungary 27K... Okay, Ireland at 69K and Luxembourg at 104K kinda break the pattern. But overall, the Saudi prices should probably have increased more.

[AxelRantila]

14 hours ago, VanayadGaming said:

They do have lots of DLC but a lot of free content as well for their games. And saying that their games are bad, is really close minded. They have actually some of the best strategy games out there. 

I would argue that it is the sale of paid DLC that allows for the base game to improve a lot even for players that doesn't have any DLC.For example, I think Stellaris has improved A LOT since it was released one year ago, even without the two gameplay DLCs that has been released (Leviathans and Utopia)

 

I love playing EU4 and Stellaris. I got to try HOI4 during PDXcon and it will certainly be the next game that I buy. And my thoughts on CK2 is "It is not a bad game but it is not for me"

[mark_cameron]

1 hour ago, nawaf said:

That wont explain the price hike for Saudi Arabia. The currency exchange has been the same for decades now. The government makes sure that the price stays the same by buying back currency. It is just simple cash grab. 

I suspected this.

[Sakkura]

4 minutes ago, huilun02 said:

GDP/Capita is a useless metric

You can have a couple hundred who in total own the oil fields and are rich af, their wealth taking up well over 90% of GDP

And then the rest of the population poor paupers by comparison

As for what Paradox is doing, their sales will naturally go down if they try to price gouge. Pc market is an open market, you don't have to buy from Steam.

They're not really price gouging though, just adjusting prices as circumstances change. The Saudi prices were way too low, for example.

 

The openness of the market is irrelevant as the base prices are the same across different stores.

[mark_cameron]

18 minutes ago, huilun02 said:

GDP/Capita is a useless metric

You can have a couple hundred who in total own the oil fields and are rich af, their wealth taking up well over 90% of GDP

And then the rest of the population poor paupers by comparison

As for what Paradox is doing, their sales will naturally go down if they try to price gouge. Pc market is an open market, you don't have to buy from Steam.

That logic only works if they do that in isolation. Price fixing for example or price gouging as an industry sector will blow that logic out of the water.

 

Given the dramatic increase in PC computer game prices companies in the sector think they can charge what they like.

 

The only way to remedy this is don't buy. Unless its in a sale.

 

A sale that is corroborated (not simply a reduction to the price it should have been in the first place).

[Sakkura]

2 minutes ago, mark_cameron said:

Given the dramatic increase in PC computer game prices companies in the sector think they can charge what they like.

PC game prices are lower than they used to be. Especially when you take into account sales being more common and with deeper discounts. The difference is made up by more DLC, higher sales volume, and lower distribution costs.

[VanayadGaming]

1 hour ago, AxelRantila said:

I would argue that it is the sale of paid DLC that allows for the base game to improve a lot even for players that doesn't have any DLC.For example, I think Stellaris has improved A LOT since it was released one year ago, even without the two gameplay DLCs that has been released (Leviathans and Utopia)

 

I love playing EU4 and Stellaris. I got to try HOI4 during PDXcon and it will certainly be the next game that I buy. And my thoughts on CK2 is "It is not a bad game but it is not for me"

Exactly. I have all their main games atm and while Ck2 is not really for me, HoI / Stellaris / EU are incredible. Especially because if you just bought the base game when it was released, now it is a whole other type of game. Ck2/Eu after 5 years still get free updates. And usually, the massive, important, game changing updates are free. Sure, I do dislike some of their DLC because they are too expensive, but that doesn't mean I don't understand they raising the prices in countries like russia or brazil where they were extremely cheap. 

[Notional]

16 hours ago, ashypanda said:

if they all of a sudden drop prices and call it a sale, in the UK at least that's illegal and usually met with a hefty fine. 

It's in preparations for steam summer sale in late june/july. It's probably due to UK laws and similar, that they have increased prices so early.

[Sakkura]

19 minutes ago, Notional said:

It's in preparations for steam summer sale in late june/july. It's probably due to UK laws and similar, that they have increased prices so early.

Denmark has strict regulations on pre-sale pricing too, and probably most EU countries regulate it to some extent.

 

But I doubt this has anything to do with the steam summer sale.

[Notional]

Just now, Sakkura said:

Denmark has strict regulations on pre-sale pricing too, and probably most EU countries regulate it to some extent.

 

But I doubt this has anything to do with the steam summer sale.

Yeah in Denmark I believe it's 2 weeks or 1 month latency. Can't remember though.

 

Oh, it definitely is. Not the first time we see it either. This way they can artificially lower have a larger rebate on the sales. Steam summer sale is exactly 1 month away now. But it's probably not the only reason. It seems like they just hiked all DLC to milk their customers. Either they are getting real greedy or they sorely need the money.

[Sakkura]

28 minutes ago, Notional said:

Yeah in Denmark I believe it's 2 weeks or 1 month latency. Can't remember though.

 

Oh, it definitely is. Not the first time we see it either. This way they can artificially lower have a larger rebate on the sales. Steam summer sale is exactly 1 month away now. But it's probably not the only reason. It seems like they just hiked all DLC to milk their customers. Either they are getting real greedy or they sorely need the money.

There is no correlation between where they're raising prices and where such regulation exists and is enforced. So no, it has little or nothing to do with establishing higher before-pricing for the Steam summer sale.

[Notional]

Just now, Sakkura said:

There is no correlation between where they're raising prices and where such regulation exists and is enforced. So no, it has little or nothing to do with establishing higher before-pricing for the Steam summer sale.

Not sure what your point is. If they are raising the pricing before summer sale, then that increase will be world wide. No reason not to. Not doing it simultaneous WW would make a lot less sense.

[VanayadGaming]

28 minutes ago, Notional said:

Not sure what your point is. If they are raising the pricing before summer sale, then that increase will be world wide. No reason not to. Not doing it simultaneous WW would make a lot less sense.

But they are not increasing the prices WW, only in specific countries where a game is like 10$ instead of the full 40/60$. That's the point. They say that those countries can now afford a more expensive game. 

[Notional]

Just now, VanayadGaming said:

But they are not increasing the prices WW, only in specific countries where a game is like 10$ instead of the full 40/60$. That's the point. They say that those countries can now afford a more expensive game. 

According to OP, it's almost WW. But regional pricing will still exist. No reason to blast up the pricing in countries, where people cannot afford it either way.

[xAcid9]

Shit, i was going to buy Magicka 2 to play with my frens. 

[nawaf]

3 hours ago, huilun02 said:

GDP/Capita is a useless metric

You can have a couple hundred who in total own the oil fields and are rich af, their wealth taking up well over 90% of GDP

And then the rest of the population poor paupers by comparison

As for what Paradox is doing, their sales will naturally go down if they try to price gouge. Pc market is an open market, you don't have to buy from Steam.

It is correct in Saudi's case. The 55k GDP is grossly over exaggerated Its almost half of that for a BC graduate in the job market. The average for someone with a B degree is 22k(If lucky enough to find a job). 16k for high school graduates. The wages have been the same as before the oil price crash and boom. To add most households have one person working. 60$ for a game is still really high for people here. So they resort to piracy. Also to make it clear. The Saudi government controls the Saudi riyal exchange rate. The carruncy price hasn't changed for a long time now.

[mark_cameron]

4 hours ago, Sakkura said:

PC game prices are lower than they used to be. Especially when you take into account sales being more common and with deeper discounts. The difference is made up by more DLC, higher sales volume, and lower distribution costs.

WHAT?

 

Sorry. Thats rubbish.