Ripping off the EU Player...

[cins]

(inspired by another nearby thread)
The monthly subscription cost for Europes is 13 euro around here. On the other hand, the exact same thing costs 15 dollars to Americas. I don't personally care about the ping or lag or whatever else that happens because of servers being in America, but I do care about the fact that I'm being charged more for the same thing. Why am I paying more?

I used to be able to ignore this discrepancy back when there were different servers and I could naively imagine that's what causes the price difference. But no more, today we're all on the same damn boat and I'm being asked to pay more than the other guy while we're both getting the same service. Because of this apparent ripping off, I can't bring myself to sub anymore.

So unless there's a logical explanation for this price difference, I'm going to stop subbing regularly. This game is far too awesome for me to bluffingly scream and shout about quitting like some petulant little kid, but I definitely will not be giving FC as much money as I used to without an acceptable reason for price discrepancy.

[Marlekin]

I could imagine the reason is that the average income (per hour, after taxes, health insurance etc.) of the target group "MMO players" is maybe 20% higher in Europe than in the USA.

At least in Germany, Scandinavia, Netherlands, France, Austria, Switzerland and some other places.

[pekka]

AoC gamecards are still around, they cost about half of the eu monthly fee.

[Ythor]

This is the same for most tech companies, for example Apple is notorious to have 1:1 conversion rate in prices for USD and EUR. I believe it has something to do with taxation and VAT's.

[Argantes]

This is the same for most tech companies, for example Apple is notorious to have 1:1 conversion rate in prices for USD and EUR. I believe it has something to do with taxation and VAT's.

yep, it´s taxation and VAT.. but now when servers are in US, FC AoC studio is in Montreal, Canada, it doesn´t make that much sense, or?

AoC gamecards are still around, they cost about half of the eu monthly fee.

still around? haven´t seem them here (Slovakia/Czech republic) for past dunno.. 2-3 years?

I could imagine the reason is that the average income (per hour, after taxes, health insurance etc.) of the target group "MMO players" is maybe 20% higher in Europe than in the USA.

At least in Germany, Scandinavia, Netherlands, France, Austria, Switzerland and some other places.

and then there´s the whole central and eastern Europe + Russia etc. where this is not the case. Steam recognizes these countries as Tier 2 region and usually lowers the price.. so why not bring this in MMOs, eh?

[tapwater]

yep, it´s taxation and VAT.. but now when servers are in US, FC AoC studio is in Montreal, Canada, it doesn´t make that much sense, or?

AoC is no longer developed in Montreal. They moved to the US and are now merged with the TSW and AO teams in one office.

[Chillee]

Unless they charged you differently than advertised, how were you ripped off?

[Khaletohep]

The service provided was changed after paying, i. e. the servers were moved from Europe to the U. S. For some (not including me btw.), this has created annoying lag problems. One can see that as a ripoff if one wants.

The funny thing in this, imho: Why are U. S. MMO players less well off than european MMO players? I've often heard that european players have can spend more money on their PC's, games and so on and so forth. But why is that?
Income is higher on average in the U. S. Are MMO players recruited from another income group? Or is disposable income lower despite higher theoretical income? Or is it caused by a higher income disparity?

[Kurt2013]

Different regions can have different prices for the same product.
Just look at magazines in the EU. Price is for example 6 euro in germany, 7 euro in austria and 8 in italy. Sounds like a similar issue.

I am pretty sure it is legal to charge eu players more...if it is wise, is on a complete different page though.

[Chillee]

The service provided was changed after paying, i. e. the servers were moved from Europe to the U. S. For some (not including me btw.), this has created annoying lag problems. One can see that as a ripoff if one wants.

The funny thing in this, imho: Why are U. S. MMO players less well off than european MMO players? I've often heard that european players have can spend more money on their PC's, games and so on and so forth. But why is that?
Income is higher on average in the U. S. Are MMO players recruited from another income group? Or is disposable income lower despite higher theoretical income? Or is it caused by a higher income disparity?

What does how "well off" the players are have to do with the prices of a video game? It's not a government program targeted to have an equilibrium price across all countries.