Non Uniform Increment In Price ( For Everyone Outside The Uk )

Please help me understand if I'm missing something here but the price for BCC has increased proportionately high in mine ( and a lot of other currencies ) than they have in USD, GBP or Euro.

Price for Harlem Line in TSW2



Price for Birmingham Cross City in TSW3



( credits to steamdb )

As you can see, the new price for a DLC is 1600 INR for BCC against the 699 INR. More than double!
Far worse, in Argentinian currency, it's almost 9 times.

Seems like the Lickey Incline varies differently depending upon which part of the globe you see it from!
( I don't know how to say it politely that the new price is insultingly high )

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Another effect of this mismatching price.
BCC will not be the first DLC to get affected. New journeys is already there with this issue.

Prices of CSX SD40 from New Journeys Expansion :-

On steam -> 165 INR


On Epic Store -> 89 INR


Now try to step in our shoes here. We have our entire collection on steam and this is the level of mismatch going forward.

Everybody outside of the UK is facing this issue, amplified proportionally depending upon how hard their currency is hit ( not by inflation, but by the new steam matrix ).

Definitely needs a fix...

 

Well apparently they increased the price because of external factors like inflation, keep people employed and all that business nonsense. Now depending on the currency, it can seem pretty high. The recent EA Codemasters F1 games had a similar issue where the pricing system that was used in certain countries meant there was an increased price in those regions.

Personally I don't have a issue with higher prices (Heck, prices for tsc dlc were usually $39.99 but players like myself had the luxury of frequent sales), but the quality has to reflect the price. $34.99 for the entire WCML for instance wouldn't be unreasonable. However an increased price for a route that is short, has around the same number of stations and one train just doesn't cut it for me personally.

 

That would be an occasion of celebration to me!

And I'm totally fine with a gradual price rise as well. But isn't inflation a continuous thing ?!
What prompted them to multiply the price all of a sudden ?!

 

It's probably down to how steam or DTG does the conversions. This was an issue with F1 2021 and F1 22 I believe still has that problem but Im not entirely sure

 

A lot of publishers/developers use Steam Regional Pricing, which is a matrix set out by Valve which takes a US$ price and then converts it automagically into representative prices in all the other supported currencies.

Unfortunately, currency fluctuations can render some conversions more severe than others (and can change quite quickly), while in some regions an equivalent price in US$ will be unrealistic when compared to the general prices of other entertainment (or non-entertainment items).

Other companies use their own matrix, for example aligning all platforms' price points with the console version prices - although this can then skew some Steam prices far higher than would otherwise be expected in some territories, because the consoles and console games in those territories are much more in the luxury bracket.

Anyway, the point is, there's no single really good way to try and provide a consistent price conversion across all currencies when everything ultimately has to be based on a US$ starting point and currencies and regional economic situations are constantly in flux.

 

Yes the nonsensical business of keeping people in employment, making a profit, keeping the lights on, paying the insurance, paying increased property rates, paying increased supplier costs, paying increased energy bills, paying increased tax etc, absolutely total nonsense!

 

How about read the rest of my post

 

34.99 for the entire WCML? That's about 4 or 5 routes at least joined together. If they did a complete WCML I think 99.99 would be a good deal!

 

I want to reiterate, the price increase is not the issue I'm talking about. It's understandable.

 

My complaint is about the sudden burst of price ( see OP ). It's more than double!

For reference, Netflix still costs 150 INR per month.

 

It's the same for Switzerland. Historically the price has always been roughly a direct conversion. I have no complaint about the £5 increase. But the Swiss Franc Price has gone up by 14.50CHF (just under £14). So DTG have broken away from a fair conversion and increased the route price by 50% in my case. I'd love to know the justification for this.

I want the route a lot. But I'm not going to buy it and support this kind of business practice. There is no reason to charge this much more on a digital product. Aside from a small currency conversion cost, it surely does not cost anymore to sell overseas?

I'm hoping given the big differences in some countries that seem to bear no resemblance to the exchange rate, that this is a mistake. Sadly I expect that this is a new policy. Well I don't like to be overcharged, so I'll play my existing routes and call it a day.

Edit : JD replied to my complaint explaining that they set a Euro, Ukp and USD price. All other prices are based on Steams Optional Recommendations based on the USD price. This seems to be coming up with some ridiculous prices. I could understand this with a physical product where shipping has gone up, but not for a digital product. My bank would charge me 2% for currency conversion Steam are charging considerably more. I want DTG to make money and stay in business , but this is just not right.

I hope it is reflected in sales figures and they take the time to make more accurate conversions in the future. Though I suspect that as the majority of customers will pay in the 3 Main currencies, they won’t miss a few of us.

My only hope is that the XBox price of CHF42 also gets a Gamepass discount. Then I might still be in. The steam pricing is just not right though. I urge DTG to consider setting the price themselves as the Steam matrix is totally optional.

 

That certainly doesn't sound good. A £5 rise in my case I think is fair and understandable but you shouldn't be paying double, I certainly wouldn't pay £50 for a route, unless it was epic with a large amount of stock.

 

Please take a look at the OP as well. Some people will have to pay up to 9 times for a DLC.
The worst part :- there was no prior notice to prepare for this steep climb

 

Exactly. In the grand scheme of things £5 is nothing, a couple of beers in Wetherspoons. It's the % increase on what is/was already a fairly expensive pricing model that's the principle here. That and the fact preorder discounts seem to have been done away with.

 

I don’t understand how this currency conversion works or how it can give such huge increases. With the UK pound being so weak you would think things would have got cheaper elsewhere but I’m no global economist so maybe there has been a mistake somewhere. I fully understand the price increase in the UK and it isn’t a huge increase but some of those international price increases are eye watering.

 

On my currency, the Birmingham Cross-City Line: Lichfield - Bromsgrove & Redditch cost more than the TSW3 Base Game.

 

On my currency the DLC cost 492% more than the TSW3 Base Game and 690% more than the last DLC I bought (Horseshoe Curve)

 

That's really crazy bro, it's not fine by any standard.

 

If it's optional then I wonder if DTG can set their own prices in these regions rather than using what seems to be a automated system. It's a digital product so it's not like they have to pay for shipping

 

The world won't end if you don't buy the new DLC right away.
With a little patience we can continue to set the price ourselves, just wait for a sale that reduces the price of the DLC at least to the old price, maybe even 10% below to get the non-existent pre-order discount in your pocket, done.

 

Ah, now you see the point. " The nickel has dropped " in American parlance.

It's not a price increase per se that is the issue. Most of us were expecting modest increases. It's the sudden whopping increases around the world. Even the US$ price has increased by 33%, way over the inflation rate ( or any pay increase that DTG employees may have received).

It surprises me that UK players are so tolerant of their 20% increase. Or are you becoming inured to rampant double-digit inflation?

Even if BCC were a phenomenal route with spectacular new features, these price increases would still be out of line.

 

DTG could set their own prices to align with the actual inflation rate if they wanted too in these regions. Companies don't have to use the recommended Steam system to set prices. It is optional. These sharp increases are just way out of line in countries like India and Canada for instance and certainly don't reflect the inflation rate in the U.S. One could argue that this is price gouging. I'm not saying it is price gouging but one could think that

 

The British are so understanding of the price rise here because we are all behind the workers of this country who have all been shafted since the 2008 austerity measures which never really went away and now with everything else going up and everyone fed up with corporate greed and bad government cuts everybody is demanding they are paid what they are worth, after absorbing pay cuts, pay freezes, and minimal pay rises for many years. A price increase due to that is unavoidable and we (generally) understand and sympathise with smaller companies and local shopkeepers for putting their prices up because they are people too.

So the only argument I’ve knowingly entered into is that of the price rise in the UK, which isn‘t just for BCC it’s just a standard route price now and is separate issue to what that individual route is ‘worth’, and I stand by that but I did notice that the rise in USA was slightly higher. I didn’t realise that Steam had made so many other currency’s prices go up as well with their dodgy algorithm and I don’t know what console companies are recommending. Maybe DTG should look at pricing their own overseas sales using actual exchange rates from the UK pound or US dollar. As I don’t understand the process for setting prices around the world, or Steam’s recommendation reasoning, I can’t really add anything other than sympathy and agreement that the rises are going to be hard for players to deal with, but I have been coming from the angle of the UK price increase and the UK economic climate only up until seeing this.

So a penny has dropped, although by the time it reached the ground is was only worth half a penny, and for complaints about the international price increases I shall have more understanding (and bewilderment of how it has happened I must add).

 

As a UK player and only speaking for myself, 20% certainly makes it sound like a lot, however for me £5 is not even two pints at most pubs (apart from Weatherspoons), or maybe the cost of a evening meal or lunch. Also DLC prices have been static for many, many years so it isn't as though they increase the price each year. Also, as someone who works in industry as a purchasing manager I have seen the strain placed on companies by price rises of goods, consumables and utilities over the past twelve months, as well as the desire of decent companies to try and increase the pay of their staff so they can cope better, so I could see the price increase coming anyway. Also, I only purchase DLC full price when I know it is something I am going to get enjoyment out of, which for me the new route will do so it will even be £30 well spent, there are some DLC I regret buying full price so I am more circumspect now. There are plenty of sales for items you are not sure about or just fancy trying out or are not inherently interested in.

However, seeing reports of the way the cost of DLC in other countries has shot up alarmingly, that seems unfair and I hope DTG can do something about it as it seems to be punishing those using different currencies, also it won't garner a good reputation for DTG in the minds of overseas gamers.

 

It is a strange situation as the reverse seemed to be the norm. Buying stuff direct from the USA, such as the locomotive and car packs for Run 8, has now become very expensive with the lousy £ to US$ exchange rate which is still around $1.14 not much more than the low of $1.09 a few weeks ago. So despite my support for Run 8 (as I indeed try to also support DTG), I find myself not having bought anything for at least two months and that will probably continue. Not helped by the bank slapping a foreign exchange fee on the transaction either.

 

so the electrons that compose those bits and bytes have gone up in price too?

 

The day that never comes. +600% to price -50% discount /= doesn't equal 100% of price.

 

Exactly the point I'm trying to convey in this thread.
I understand that inflation is the reason for increasing the price. But I'm reiterating the problem with an example for easier understanding.

I bought Harlem line, a few months ago for 699 INR. And I'm totally fine if they charge 899 INR for BCC. It's roughly a 28% increase.
By the new matrix, BCC will cost me 1600 INR.

 

Are you serious? To make those bits and bytes work, it needs human intervention, equipment, premises etc etc.
In the UK, we are facing a very difficult couple of years. As a business owner, its going to be tough. As the cost of living increases, so the pressure on businesses inceases. Staff want more money. Keeping good people happy in your business is vital, and i speak from experience. Some of our supply chain costs have increased by more than 41% since before the pandemic. Prices have to increase for businesses to survive.
The price of DLC was always going to increase at some point.
Having said all the above, the difference when using different currencies is quite an eye opener, but MAY not all be down to DTG.

 

With all respect, I understand that things are not going great in UK. And there are plenty of places on this forum to talk about that.
Please understand that the purpose here is to highlight the fact that there are 'people' outside of UK as well, being asked to pay a ridiculous high amount.

And this fact isn't even getting enough recognition. Check out the steamdb page to see how much people will have to pay in different currencies going forward.

 

Absolutely agree. I had not finished typing and posted accidentally. As you can see by my edited post, it was not aimed at you, and finding the reasons for the currency discrepancies will be interesting.

 

No issues with that.
At the end of the day, if we can strike a balance for all stakeholders ( DTG, players inside / outside of UK, etc ), all efforts of expression will be worth it !

 

Are you being deliberately obtuse! Do you think DTG are staffed by robots who don't receive a salary and maybe run on solar power!

 

Yes I can see the problem, whether DTG can do something about it I know not, I hope they can for your sake and theirs.

 

They can. According to Steam the price matrix that DTG is using is completely optional. They have overridden this for the 3 main countries, but have left the standard steam pricing for everything else, based on the already inflated USD price.

Whether they will or not is the question. (Source is JD’s response to my post on the other price increase thread).

Unfortunately steams price matrix defies all logic. It is way off from actual exchange rates. I thought I was hard done by with a 50% premium on the UK price (using actual exchange rates) but as can be seen, others are way worse off.

 

For the umpteenth time, it's not the fact of a price increase that bothers some of us. We recognize that companies have to cover increased costs and wages.
It's the size of the increases that bugs people - 33% and up, far beyond the rate of inflation.

 

For the umpteenth time, in real terms we've been paying less and less year on year for the past 3-4 years, its well overdue a correction.

If you don't think a particular route is worth whatever is being asked for it, dont buy. Just like when you go to a supermarket and see the price of a chocolate bar has gone up.

 

Yes I am perfectly aware of that and think that you are right to be annoyed by it.

I was replying to the snarky, obtuse and totally irrelevant comment as thus "so the electrons that compose those bits and bytes have gone up in price too?" where the poster was completely missing they point either deliberately or not!

 

So this "correction" has to be above the rate of inflation if the argument is that prices need to be increased because of inflation?

Nobody here is against increased prices. The U.K is going through a tough time. But I don't live in the U.K. I don't live in a country that had the head of government crash the value of a currency. If your gonna use inflation as a reason (an understandable reason) to increase prices, increase it with the rate of inflation and not charge higher than the rate of inflation in foreign countries.

Also the price of a chocolate bar at the deli next to my home is $1.25 and has been for over 10 years. A price for Arizona Watermelon Juice has been an dollar for as long as I can remember but I digress

 

Just realized that in my currency the Birmingham Cross City Starter Pack price increased by 76% if compared to initial TSW3 starter pack price (US, UK, DE, and SOS Starter Pack) and increased by 48% if compared to TSW3 Standard Edition base game. It's unacceptable for one comparatively short route with 1 new train.

 

I understand that things are not going great in the UK. And there are plenty of places on this forum to talk about that.
Please understand that the purpose here is to highlight the fact that there are 'people' outside of the UK as well, being asked to pay a ridiculously high amount.

Check out the steamdb page to see how much people will have to pay in different currencies going forward.

 

That's exactly what I want to highlight here. There are a lot of players in the community for whom the new listed price is highly punishing. Worst hit ( in my knowledge so far ) is Argentina with the price of BCC listed 9 times that of Harlem Line.

Reiterating again, We want DTG to create amazing content so the need to increase the price is absolutely understandable. Just ensure that it doesn't punish your playerbase outside of the UK.

 

Allow me to show you another effect of this mismatching price.
BCC will not be the first DLC to get affected. New journeys is already there with this issue.

Prices of CSX SD40 from New Journeys Expansion :-

On steam -> 165 INR


On Epic Store -> 89 INR


Now try to step in our shoes here. We have our entire collection on steam and this is the level of mismatch going forward.

Everybody outside of the UK is facing this issue, amplified proportionally depending upon how hard their currency is hit ( not by inflation, but by the new steam matrix ).

Definitely needs a fix...

 

They are, there are some who are very against it. Thankfully they aren't my employer as I suspect I would be looking for a new job!

However I don't see why people from other countries should pay exponentially more than we are.

 

Some prices even increased more than the Steam matrix says - for the Japanese Yen the Steam matrix lists a price of 4500 JPY (for 39.99 USD items), which would roughly be 50 % more than the 3090 JPY the Harlem Line was, but actually the new price for BCC is 5500 JPY, so an increase of 80%! The Yen may be weak recently, but still the inflation is at around 2%, so compared to the inflation rate the increase is just unacceptable.
I have to be lucky to be back in Europe now, 35.99€ is still a price I can accept for a good route - although I‘m not that interested in BCC to buy it at full price.
If I‘d still live in Japan I guess I would not buy anything from DTG anymore, except it‘s 80% off or something.…

 

very easy no buy

 

Same for Ukraine region: 79/119 on Steam, 59/89 on Epic. But the game itself on Steam - 479 UAH, on Epic - 709 UAH.

 

I meant nobody in this thread are. The issue is how it was increased in foreign countries.

 

As JD said in another thread, Dovetail only give Steam prices in £/$/€ and all other currencies are automatically generated by Steam, based on the $ price. It looks as though there may be a glitch in the (Steam) matrix.

 

Part of it is also because DTG took the higher Dollar pricing. According to the Steam pricing matrix, 34.99 $ equals to £ 29.50, 39.99 $ equals to £ 33.50.
With their setting of £ 29.99 in their home country UK they could have chosen the 49 pence loss but instead chose the £ 3.51 win, thus making it even more expensive for all non UK citizens, which amplifies with the other corrected rates of the new matrix.
And still, there are some exceptions to the matrix like the price in Japanese Yen which is even more expensive than the price according to Steam. An 80 percent increase is just a punch in the face for every fan. Totally understand fanta1682002 too, because in HK the price increased from 129 to 248 HKD.