Steam PC games are about to become more costly, according to a revision to Valve’s regional pricing feature, which shows recommended prices for titles in all supported currencies. The game developer has increased the recommended price for PC games on Steam in all countries other than the US, including India. As a consequence of this change, prices for PC games on Steam in India are expected to jump by up to 85 percent.
The new regional pricing on Steam is projected to increase the cost of PC games in India. Valve’s regional pricing tool has been updated, with new, higher rates for all currencies supported outside of the United States. In India, expenditures are expected to climb by 85 percent in order to keep up with the constantly increasing inflation that is now wreaking havoc on the game distribution business. A PC game that formerly cost Rs. 1,299 will now cost Rs. 2,400 on Steam. To be clear, the price increase does not reflect the game’s true pricing on Steam. They are rather recommendations for developers, who have total pricing control.
“We feel it’s a valuable tool,” Valve noted on its blog, “but with purchasing power and foreign currency values always changing, we have to make big revisions to those conversion ideas to stay current.” “The new ideas are currently accessible, although as is customary on Steam, creators have total discretion over their pricing.” The new Steam pricing tool is now online, as is an educational DVD that shows artists how to set reasonable prices for their products.
Valve explicitly emphasizes that there is no “requirement or expectation” to alter price depending on location, while its ideas may be revisited at any time. The update, on the other hand, makes it reasonably straightforward for PC developers to accept a speedy conversion — through the toolkit — for new currencies and slap it onto their products, which, as previously said, are more expensive.
In Argentina, for example, prices have risen 485 percent, raising an ARS 649.99 (about Rs. 346) game to ARS 3,800. (about Rs. 2,020). The Steam pricing in Argentina served as a magnet for budget-conscious customers who would change their region and banking information to Argentina in order to purchase games at a significant discount. In the UK, however, the price increase is just 8%, bringing a £46.49 (about Rs. 4,387) game to £49.99. (about Rs. 4,717).
Valve hasn’t modified regional pricing concepts in a long time, but the company said in a recent developer-focused paper that it will do so on a regular basis to prevent people from just moving locations to obtain a better deal.
“All of these factors have compelled us to commit to changing our price ideas on a much more regular basis so that we can keep up with economic changes throughout time,” it continues. This new, improved Steam price toolset would be the first of such moves, albeit it would not be simple. Price rises trigger a 28-day cooling period in all locations, “even if the price is only raised in a single currency.”
These ideas will be incorporated into Valve’s own games, including the Half-Life and Counter-Strike series.
