OOTP 9 - Pre-order and save $15 :)

[Markus Heinsohn]

Hey guys,

we have just started our pre-order period, here's the newsletter which covers the details:
http://www.ootpdevelopments.com/newsletters/nl0040/

Enjoy!
Markus

[Coder]

Markus, out of curiousity, is the pricing in Euro not discounted? The pre-order price for OOTP is $24.95, but also €24.95, which equals $39. Is this a mistake or will the non-preorder price for OOTP be €39 (i.e. $59) for the non-US buyers?

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Originally Posted by Coder

Markus, out of curiousity, is the pricing in Euro not discounted? The pre-order price for OOTP is $24.95, but also €24.95, which equals $39. Is this a mistake or will the non-preorder price for OOTP be €39 (i.e. $59) for the non-US buyers?

They're using the 'Euro Rock Band' pricing setup.

[Markus Heinsohn]

Originally Posted by Coder

Markus, out of curiousity, is the pricing in Euro not discounted? The pre-order price for OOTP is $24.95, but also €24.95, which equals $39. Is this a mistake or will the non-preorder price for OOTP be €39 (i.e. $59) for the non-US buyers?

No, that's not a mistake... people from the USA pay in $, all others in €. We're still internally debating if we lower the € price, but that the exchange rate is so bad is not our fault really It could be the other way round in a few years...

[Draft Dodger]

how long do we have to procrastinate over this?

[Coder]

Originally Posted by Markus Heinsohn

No, that's not a mistake... people from the USA pay in $, all others in €. We're still internally debating if we lower the € price, but that the exchange rate is so bad is not our fault really It could be the other way round in a few years...

I still don't understand the math.. like I said on the OOTP-board, even with taxes, a more realistic pricing model would be €20. That would give you the same amount of net profit (after tax) that you are getting from people in the US.

Last year, the Euro-price was €29 while the dollar price was $34.. I realize this was an SI-decision and that you're your own again, but even with a weaker Euro (as it was then), SI realized the currency differences.

[Philliesfan980]

Preordered as well.. haven't puchased OOTP in about 4-5 years now. Any firm date on the release yet?

[DaddyTorgo]

i'm changing my tune. i vote that coder is right.

[Ryan S]

I don't understand why a downloaded product is priced differently in different regions. I am tired of being screwed over by software companies who charge Europeans a fortune for downloadable software because they think we won't notice we are being ripped off.

If the game is being sold to US customers for $25, there is no chance I would consider paying more than €16.

[MizzouRah]

After reading the newsletter, I'm actually pondering pre-ordering. This is after buying 2007 and 8 AND maybe playing both of them combined for about 4 hours.

I really like the inclusion of real rosters and the new scouting system is finally something I could see using.

You're a cruel man Markus.... a cruel man.

Maybe I just like to support the text sim community?

[Markus Heinsohn]

Originally Posted by MizzouRah

After reading the newsletter, I'm actually pondering pre-ordering. This is after buying 2007 and 8 AND maybe playing both of them combined for about 4 hours.

I really like the inclusion of real rosters and the new scouting system is finally something I could see using.

You're a cruel man Markus.... a cruel man.

Maybe I just like to support the text sim community?

Good idea

[Marc Vaughan]

Originally Posted by Ryan S

I don't understand why a downloaded product is priced differently in different regions. I am tired of being screwed over by software companies who charge Europeans a fortune for downloadable software because they think we won't notice we are being ripped off.

If the game is being sold to US customers for $25, there is no chance I would consider paying more than €16.

(I promised I'd avoid this arguement - but looking at this as an outsider who have lived in both regions and who feels its unfair that Markus is being lambasted on this point I feel I have to put in my tuppence worth)

Can I ask why you think you are being ripped off out of pure curiosity?

Companies charge what a market expects/can handle and what is considered an acceptable price level generally to people in an area.

You can't just apply an exchange rate onto all aspects of life and expect to purchase items for that amount in the country you live in that would be unrealistic and also impractical in many cases.

Taking for simplicities sake England and America as the examples in question (because these are the ones I've most experience with - having lived in both locations).

In England the average wage is approximately £26k/annum - software is generally around £50/sku for console games.

In America the average wage is around $36k/annum** - software is generally around $59/sku for console games.

Now the exchange rate between the currencies isn't far off 2/1 but you can see from the comparison of the prices against the income that actually for people in the localities the 'real cost' in terms of price against income isn't that vastly different (the average English person can afford 520 games a year against 610 in America - drastically better than the 2/1 you initially think of).

I believe that OOTP is in a similar situation - why should Markus charge less than would be generally acceptable to users for similar games software in Europe?, if you didn't know about the US price would you still be complaining about the price?

*http://www.statistics.gov.uk/cci/nugget.asp?id=334
**http://ask.yahoo.com/20040518.html

PS - I realise this argument simplifies things hugely for the situations involved, but I think it gets across the fact that exchange rates aren't what matters with purchasing items locally its the cost in comparison to local income which is the determining factor on pricing generally.
Hence in third-world countries many items will be a fraction of the price of the equivalent item in America - it isn't that Americans are being ripped off, its that the market charges what it knows people will pay - so long as it can make a profit.

[Marc Vaughan]

(or to put my prior arguement another way - if you had a shop and relied on income from it to make a living, would you price items in it more cheaply because you knew if someone in America bought them there they could get them cheaper?)

[marcmoustache]

Originally Posted by Marc Vaughan

(or to put my prior arguement another way - if you had a shop and relied on income from it to make a living, would you price items in it more cheaply because you knew if someone in America bought them there they could get them cheaper?)

Doesn't this make the point though, if he needs $25 for each game (on pre-order) then isn't that Euro15 and not Euro25?

of course if it's Euro 25, then that's actually a bit less in GBP so it's still only about 15 quid which really isn't a lot (and is about $25-$28?).

I wonder how many people who complain about this will then go out a buy a pint of beer of a packet of fags

[Marc Vaughan]

Originally Posted by marcmoustache

Doesn't this make the point though, if he needs $25 for each game (on pre-order) then isn't that Euro15 and not Euro25?

of course if it's Euro 25, then that's actually a bit less in GBP so it's still only about 15 quid which really isn't a lot (and is about $25-$28?).

I wonder how many people who complain about this will then go out a buy a pint of beer of a packet of fags

No its making the point that different items cost different amounts in each country according to the spending power of the individual countries - this is very much standard practice and not something Markus has come up with to torment people.

Nintendo don't say "Heck we're only charging 30 Euro's equivalent" for our games in America lets drop our prices in Europe quickly .... why should Markus?

(or more accurately why do you think a game which I presume you enjoy should be available 'on the cheap' compared to comparative computer games you purchase in Europe? - would you be 'happier' if he destroyed his sales in America by instead putting prices up over there to above what the 'usual' game price is and kept the European price at a normal level for similar games and why would you expect him to do that?)

[DaddyTorgo]

my head hurts, but i agree with the distinguished gentleman from England. *flip-flop, flip-flop*

[sabotai]

Just want to point out that in the other thread, I wasn't complaining or attacking Markus for the exchange rate (Not saying anyone accused me of doing so, just clarifying). I was confused by the conversation that was going on. It seemed like some of the people were talking as though the exchange rates was reversed, so I wanted to make sure I had it straight. I'm sure there are many reasons why products are not priced by exchange rates in different countries, one of which being the purchasing power of the population.

[Coder]

I'm sorry, I still don't think it's a fair price, and even SIs own policy last year was $34.95 and €29.95, which is more in line with the difference in currency value. To partially address your point though Marc, here in Sweden, computer game prices (new games) is around €27 (SEK 299), so Markus' planned price (ok, I'm taking a wild guess here, but it would follow the same plan as for the pre-order price), would actually be considerably higher than a "regular pc game". However, I understand that Markus can't price OOTP differently for every European country, so he had to settle for one price, thereby possibly alienating some prospective European buyers.

For me, the point is moot however, as my the OOTP league I'm in with only Swedish GMs has decided not to upgrade until the price drops at some point.

[Qrusher14242]

yeah i dont get why he cant charge 15 euro and it works out for everyone doesnt it? Who's gonna pay 40 euro for it when it comes out lol

[Pumpy Tudors]

This entire discussion leads me to ask one question. Can one dollar really feed a family of 30 for six months??

[sabotai]

Originally Posted by Pumpy Tudors

This entire discussion leads me to ask one question. Can one dollar really feed a family of 30 for six months??

In some parts of Southeast Asia, sure!

[Pumpy Tudors]

Originally Posted by sabotai

In some parts of Southeast Asia, sure!

Then they should charge $1 for a meal that feeds 30 people here.

[Mantle2600]

Originally Posted by Pumpy Tudors

Then they should charge $1 for a meal that feeds 30 people here.

Good argument.

[Big Fo]

Pre-ordered and looking forward to the new game whenever it comes out, love that 37% discount.

[MizzouRah]

I did it.

[path12]

Did we ever get an answer how long this is going to run for?

[DaddyTorgo]

need to do this today

[MizzouRah]

Originally Posted by path12

Did we ever get an answer how long this is going to run for?

I think up until release day... which I think is in May?

If you're going to do it, might as well get er done.

[path12]

Originally Posted by MizzouRah

I think up until release day... which I think is in May?

If you're going to do it, might as well get er done.

Yeah I know. But I'm in that boat where I've played 2K7 a total of about 10 hours, just could not get into it for some reason. I just was wondering how long I had to debate the idea before pulling the trigger.

[MizzouRah]

Originally Posted by path12

Yeah I know. But I'm in that boat where I've played 2K7 a total of about 10 hours, just could not get into it for some reason. I just was wondering how long I had to debate the idea before pulling the trigger.

I've played 07 and 08 a combined 4 hours total.. and that's stretching it. I just know at some point, I'll want 09 so why not save $15 in the process?

[astrosfan64]

since he will probably only sell 50 copies of baseball in europe compared to the 1000's he sells here in the US who cares

[KWhit]

I've played 08 for a few hundred hours and have really enjoyed it. I'll be pre-ordering - fo sho.

[Ronde Barber]

I just preordered...the 2008 version is really good and ootp9 will be even better...support for Markus!!!!

[path12]

Being the text-sim bitch that I am I just tried to pre-order but couldn't get it to go through, it said there was some database issue that was preventing the order from processing.....

[21C]

I have to give the OOTP guys some credit for addressing their pricing policy. It may not help our European brothers but to anyone else outside of the US they have adopted the US price of $25 rather than the €25. They have even taken the step of addressing any orders affected by the pricing adjustment.

I admit that I've been pretty vocal about the pricing before but it now means that I've gone from a no purchase to pre-ordering. So well done and thank you OOTP.