Midda pointed out that Kotaku have, uh, pointed out that the price of Call of Duty 4 on Steam for Australian users has bounced from US$49.95 to US$88.50 - bringing it more in line to what you'd be paying in stores. I'm sure we'll be seeing the benefit of that strong Aussie dollar any day now.

So the US pay $49.95usd and we pay $88.50usd for exactly the same thing, how does that work?

According to science we are richer than America and they are poor. Its science.

Please Steam, don't start getting gay now :/

glad I got it for $49.95 USD. I thought the good thing about Steam was that the games will be cheaper :(

Back to shopping at play-asia...

last edited by Martz at 12:50:09 22/Nov/07

Kinda makes me cranky that I sat around twiddling my thumbs trying to decide what platform to get it on. Pretty sure I can get it on 360 at a cheaper price now, so I guess that's the route I'm gonna have to go down...

dammit I should've bought it on Steam the day it went online

i'm f***ing cut at this

i bet steam's going to jack up the prices to the already inflated local prices for all major releases now.

might as well buy it at eb and get a box and manual for that cost.

Apparently the original price was a mistake, as Activision always intended for the price to be what it is now, but Valve mistakenly put it up for cheap. It's f***ing s***, but it's not as bad as THQ completely blocking all Australians from purchasing their games over Steam, ever since our dollar got stronger.

ever since our dollar got stronger.

That isn't what happened and the difference justifies more than if our dollar had gotten stronger. the USD is going to s*** so our dollar seems to go up but we are just as weak against euro/pound. They would be getting less than they had previously gotten for games if they didnt jack the price, where as if our dollar had gotten stronger, they would still be getting the same amount (just that we would be paying less)

imo we need a petition.

Tho it needs the likes of Game Arena to get ballsie and tell Steam/other pubs it won't host/support in anyway a game being digitally distributed that has regionalised pricing.

Oh, really? I know the USD is going to s***, but I thought we were a bit stronger against the Euro than we were before.

Petition. word. someone set it up. It would go awesome.


also, you should personally email them.

This sucks fuking ASS! I was just saying last night I was going to buy this on steam. Now, I wont obviously.


I'm one pissed off little alien.

thats pretty dumb, the only reason to get steam games is not to get the box + cd etc so it should be cheaper, if its going to be the same price as a boxed game no point in getting it

We could use that site that all the QLD DST petitions are put on because that gets results.

blame me for the price rise, I want to become famous!

what, people still pay for games!

that's bulls***. I was going to steam it this weekend was just tee-ing up the cache from a mate so I could avoid the download.

anyway gameshop.com.sg have it for S$62 == Au$48. Activision Australia can suck my arse.

wow. that sux.

superior 360 version confirmed!

you can't stop progress so suck it up.

anyway gameshop.com.sg have it for S$62 == Au$48. Activision Australia can suck my arse.

Just hope they don't get into the practice of blocking cd keys marked for sale in cheap countries from being used in other countries

Wtf that is screwed.

$88 US = ~$100AU.

The main incentive for buying online is the reduced cost thanks to not having to go through reatilers / make manuals and CDs. Lets hope other developers dont follow their lead.

Can you set your location to USA and then buy it or something?

I was seriously considering getting cod4 but not now. This is complete c***s. This would be activisions doing right?

oh boo hoo, having to pay proper price for a game

cry me a river

Well, there was a possibility of buying CoD4 too, cause it was reasonably priced. Now there is no chance. They went from a probable to no sale.

I'd like to see the stats on how many people buy the $80 version compared to the $40.. :/

I'd hardly call this progress. It's another step in the WRONG direction. They're charging a stupid amount of money for a game which is almost exclusively multiplayer.

i dunno the sp experience was worth the retail price if you ask me, mp is just a bonus... which is how it should be.

oh boo hoo, having to pay proper price for a game

you're only saying that cause you paid retail

oh boo hoo, having to pay proper price for a game

We pay like double what most other countries pay for our games.

So this dosen't effect already owners of cod4 on steam?

what a load of crap.

least i got in early for the cheaper price, but still such BS.
Cant you choose non AU address at checkout and get it cheaper or has the price in general gone up to 89USD? cuz that would be the most expensive game i have ever seen for the us.

maybe i am strange but you would think you are entitled to somewhat of a discount seeing as you dont have to pay for the additional cd, manual, box and the cost of shipping it 1/2 way across the world to sell in a store, give a cut to the retailer etc.

you're downloading it through the internet which you are paying for and you dont even own an original physical dvd cope copy of the game, something organisations like the RIAA hold dear to their hearts. why wouldn:t you just buy it in a box at eb and support local businesses ???

buy ET:Quake wars fools. Support the splash damage boys. dont get mad, get even.

50 bux

buy ET:Quake wars fools. Support the splash damage boys. dont get mad, get even.

Wouldn't that just be encouraging them to make more s***ty sub-par games?

All you hippy f*****s who like to complain about johnny not signing kyoto can save the planet by purchasing the game without all the packaging and wasteful things like transportation, which only further serve to damage the environment already crushed by the chopping down of trees. haw haw.

I just re-read what I wrote on the previous page and it makes no sense whatsoever so you should disregard it like all the other nonsensical things I say... which is pretty much everythihng :P

It's not really Vavle/Steam who's at fault here, it's Activision. I wouldn't start jumping to conclusions about Steam just yet.

interesting experiment by the publisher - testing whether people will pay the same price for a game that has a box, manual, and so on, and is transferrable, as a game that has none of those things and did not have to absorb manufacturing, distribution, and retail overheads

the market should realise this for the gyp that it is and go to the store to buy the game - i.e. vote with your dollars

boxes r cool

My email to Activision. Enjoy.

Dear Activision,

I am writing in response to your recent decision to scalp and extort the Australian market place. Specifically, your decision to change the pricing of your latest game, Call of Duty 4, when purchased through the Steam network.

I was delighted to find out that I could purchase this latest installment of an interesting and so far, captivation franchise, for the same low price that other consumers pay in the United States. Well, they actually buy it for the same price, an MSRP of $49,95, but they have the benefit of receiving the game in a nice box, with a manual, and a hardcopy of the game on disc. But this was not important, in light of the fact that I would receive the same game in the end.

I was able to purchase this game for approximately US$50. Instead, you chose to make this game more expensive and sell it online for US$88.50. One does wonder, buy this data traversing the Pacific Ocean, did it somehow decide that an Australian consumer should pay more than an American consumer for the same product? Why does one person pay more than the other? Is one consumer receiving something the other is not? Does the current relative market positions of the respective currencies play a role? Oh, wait, it couldn't. Why? Because the purchase is made in US dollars, irrespective of the location of the consumer. So how does US$50 from one person have less buying power than another? I am suddenly being penalized for not being in that particular country? In the end, the company still receives the same money, US$50, regardless of where I live in this electron based internet, where location plays no role.

The answer is this. There is no possible justification for this unashamed price gouging and falls under what many consider to be unsavory business practices. The only reason why one person pays more than another is so that one company can make a killing, as it were.

Back to my original point, of reporting piracy. I happen to know of many people who where going to purchase this game, play it online, be merry, and generally have a good time. Now, those same people are now going to forgo the online experience, and the somewhat dubious pleasure of having your money grubbing fist up their ass, and instead will "obtain" a less than legal copy.

So in the interests of your own business, it would be wise not to pull this s*** again.

Thank you.

Heywood Jablome

it's on digg: http://digg.com/pc_games/Call_of_Duty_4_via_Steam_now_Twice_the_Price_Down_Under
hit it up if you have an account

btw I have no intention of buying COD4, but still I hope they DIAF for basically admitting we get f***ed over on prices yet they make no apologies nor attempt to do anything about it.

What the hell says its a 'proper' price, the price that the Australian publisher says, or the price that the market charge. The market rate for this game is 50AUD

Wouldn't the market rate be what people are willing to pay?

imo we need a petition.

Tho it needs the likes of Game Arena to get ballsie and tell Steam/other pubs it won't host/support in anyway a game being digitally distributed that has regionalised pricing.

Obes, you ARE a character!

Surely it should be up to the consumers to get ballsie and stop paying for the games if they don't like what they cost? If it's proven over and over and over again that enough gamers are going to pay $100 for a game, what POSSIBLE incentive does anyone have for dropping the price?

i'm doing my part.. i dont even have a steam account. that show'd 'em!!@#!@$ ;D

But Trog, you know us consumers are dumb, we need good corporate citizens to prevent us from being stupid! ... I mean look at me I paid $750each for 2 12meg voodoo2 back in the day ....

So the US pay $49.95usd and we pay $88.50usd for exactly the same thing, how does that work?

I'm sure they'll point out the cost of importing to Australia, taxes, etc. Then they're go on about how piracy is rife in Australia and has forced prices up because developers are being ripped off and whatever other crock of s*** they want to make up. Wondering price hike that....

pfft Term you just want more fat loot from Steam.

I'm sure they'll point out the cost of importing to Australia, taxes, etc.

On a digital download... ? good luck with that

I'm sure they'll point out the cost of importing to Australia, taxes, etc.

those were steam prices. no importing or taxes

More Steam news from Kotaku:

Gabe Newell wants Steam to have every PC game ever made

As long as they make sure nobody pulls an Activision, sounds f***ing good to me.

just noticed today on steam ETQW has its 20% off, so its down to $46 now.

and there is also a ID Super pack!!!!, $69.95

Includes: Quake III Arena, Wolfenstein 3D, Ultimate DOOM, Final DOOM, DOOM II, QUAKE, QUAKE II, QUAKE II Mission Pack: The Reckoning, QUAKE II Mission Pack: Ground Zero, QUAKE III: Team Arena, HeXen, HeXen: Deathkings of the Dark Citadel, Heretic: Shadow of the Serpent Riders, Spear of Destiny, Return to Castle Wolfenstein, QUAKE Mission Pack 2: Dissolution of Eternity, QUAKE Mission Pack 1: Scourge of Armagon, DOOM 3, HeXen II, DOOM 3 Resurrection of Evil, Master Levels for Doom II, Commander Keen


now thats value for money.

i have purchased every game i have now legitimately since steam came in and brought in some realistic pricing.

last edited by 3x0dus at 15:59:29 24/Nov/07

If it's proven over and over and over again that enough gamers are going to pay $100 for a game, what POSSIBLE incentive does anyone have for dropping the price?

I think that's because when sales drop from over pricing they just blame piracy O.o

I got it for $79 from k-mart so even a retail store is cheaper than internet stores

Yep, how stupid is that. Internet store have just about no over heads, no packaging, no shipping. There can be no justification for this price hike other than shear greed.

f*** YOU ACTIVISION

Just started playing this morning and damn it's a cool game. I'm only on the second mission but if the rest is as cool as infiltrating the ship then I'll be happy.

I have yet to fully get into it. I enjoy playing. but i'd like some better guns ^_^, and there are plenty of people much further ahead then me atm.

Just started playing this morning and damn it's a cool game. I'm only on the second mission but if the rest is as cool as infiltrating the ship then I'll be happy.

seems like every other wander around inside buildings/ships/warehouses to me so far. Do you ever get to go outside? That's what I liked about crysis, the ability to run around in just about any direction and still end up where I'm supposed to be. Ever since doom (I'm guessing there's probably earlier games I don't know about) you're launched inside a building/warehouse/alien complex and made to find your way around some stupid maze and I for one am bloody sick of it. Give me a f***ing jungle to wander around in, give me trees to climb and look around the area to see what's what, give me a hill to sit atop and pick people off as they walk by for a change ffs.

Crysis has the most bulls*** hitboxes/bullet damage EVER yet I enjoy it more than COD 4.

All of my ramblings will be retracted if there are missions that involve jungles, I did get to wander across a big open field so COD 4 is getting there and it's not a total loss. Yet.

That's what I liked about crysis, the ability to run around in just about any direction

It's still restricted in a sense. If you wander too far you get the battlefield style "leaving mission/map" warning and you lose health.

Still a big area to explore nonetheless. COD4 on the other hand is very linear, plenty of outdoor areas but relatively restricted. Still fun though, but maybe not that replayable.

If you want massive outdoor areas you should try WoW.