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Matrix games much cheaper on steam than instore - 8/1/2016 5:52:02 PM

asdicus

Posts: 260
Joined: 5/16/2002
From: Surrey,UK
Status: offline

I recently received my anniversary coupon and was looking at the game prices instore at matrix compared to steam. All these prices quoted are GBP. Just 2 examples of many - in fact every matrix game I checked is cheaper in steam store.

Scourge of War Waterloo instore 40.99 steam 29.99

Decisive Campaigns Barbarossa instore 40.99 steam 29.99

Note these are not sale prices on steam. Normal steam full prices. I cannot justify paying the higher price although I would like to use the matrix store for my purchases as they get 100% of the money while steam will obviously keep a % for themselves.

Why on earth do matrix charge 36% more for the same product when steam in fact give them even less than steam retail price after taking their cut ?

Post #: 1

RE: Matrix games much cheaper on steam than instore - 8/1/2016 6:10:32 PM

Blond_Knight

Posts: 1031
Joined: 5/15/2004
Status: offline

I don't want to buy Matrix games on Steam. But I bought Storm over the Pacific, a game that people stopped talking about the official forum years ago for $9.99 on Steam. Matrix price $30.00.
Don't become the new HPS, selling ten year old games at new prices.

(in reply to asdicus)

Post #: 2

RE: Matrix games much cheaper on steam than instore - 8/1/2016 9:52:13 PM

chemkid

Posts: 1238
Joined: 12/15/2012
Status: offline

.

< Message edited by chemkid -- 4/24/2018 12:26:22 PM >

(in reply to Blond_Knight)

Post #: 3

RE: Matrix games much cheaper on steam than instore - 8/1/2016 10:03:37 PM

wings7

Posts: 4591
Joined: 8/11/2003
From: Phoenix, Arizona
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: asdicus

I recently received my anniversary coupon and was looking at the game prices instore at matrix compared to steam. All these prices quoted are GBP. Just 2 examples of many - in fact every matrix game I checked is cheaper in steam store.

Scourge of War Waterloo instore 40.99 steam 29.99

Decisive Campaigns Barbarossa instore 40.99 steam 29.99

Note these are not sale prices on steam. Normal steam full prices. I cannot justify paying the higher price although I would like to use the matrix store for my purchases as they get 100% of the money while steam will obviously keep a % for themselves.

Why on earth do matrix charge 36% more for the same product when steam in fact give them even less than steam retail price after taking their cut ?

Scourge of War Waterloo - Matrix price 49.99 US Dollars
Scourge of War Waterloo - Steam price 49.99 US Dollars
http://store.steampowered.com/app/369390/

Decisive Campaigns Barbarossa - Matrix price 49.99 US Dollars
Decisive Campaigns Barbarossa - Steam price 49.99 US Dollars
http://store.steampowered.com/app/454530/?snr=1_7_15__13

Don't quite follow you...

_____________________________

Please come and join and befriend me at the great Steam portal! There are quite a few Matrix/Slitherine players on Steam! My member page: http://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561197988402427

(in reply to asdicus)

Post #: 4

RE: Matrix games much cheaper on steam than instore - 8/1/2016 10:11:30 PM

MrsWargamer

Posts: 1655
Joined: 6/18/2014
Status: offline

Sometimes we can be too clever for our own good.

I got Storm Over The Pacific from Gamersgate when it was on sale for an idiotically low price. Sadly I never really use Gamersgate, ok I never used it before. Sent support a request for help. I have the installer and a serial. But I have no idea what my account name was or password. So I'm just hoping that they can sort out my trouble. Otherwise it's a loss, not that it was much.

I never really mind paying full real price for a war game (ok I mind when I get stupidly impulsive and buy games I don't really need), when I buy them from Slitherine Group. It's not like I have trouble remembering account details. And I know I can get fresh installation files (which I have had to do before). The main detail though is I prefer buying from the source. If I want a war game it's not going to be easy getting them from the source. You don't make much money making war games. There's a limit to how penny pinching we can be before our cheap nature hurts the source.

Steam to me is really only good for one thing.... ability to install a game with updates patches and add ons all with a click.
But I tend to prefer the Steam file to be a secondary free perk as a result of from buying from the source.

Steam is a means to advertising end really. They needed more visibility. Advertising isn't cheap.

_____________________________

Wargame, 05% of the time.
Play with Barbies 05% of the time.
Play with Legos 10% of the time.
Build models 20% of the time
Shopping 60% of the time.
Exlains why I buy em more than I play em.

(in reply to chemkid)

Post #: 5

RE: Matrix games much cheaper on steam than instore - 8/1/2016 11:57:00 PM

asdicus

Posts: 260
Joined: 5/16/2002
From: Surrey,UK
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: wings7

quote:

ORIGINAL: asdicus

I recently received my anniversary coupon and was looking at the game prices instore at matrix compared to steam. All these prices quoted are GBP. Just 2 examples of many - in fact every matrix game I checked is cheaper in steam store.

Scourge of War Waterloo instore 40.99 steam 29.99

Decisive Campaigns Barbarossa instore 40.99 steam 29.99

Note these are not sale prices on steam. Normal steam full prices. I cannot justify paying the higher price although I would like to use the matrix store for my purchases as they get 100% of the money while steam will obviously keep a % for themselves.

Why on earth do matrix charge 36% more for the same product when steam in fact give them even less than steam retail price after taking their cut ?

Scourge of War Waterloo - Matrix price 49.99 US Dollars
Scourge of War Waterloo - Steam price 49.99 US Dollars
http://store.steampowered.com/app/369390/

Decisive Campaigns Barbarossa - Matrix price 49.99 US Dollars
Decisive Campaigns Barbarossa - Steam price 49.99 US Dollars
http://store.steampowered.com/app/454530/?snr=1_7_15__13

Don't quite follow you...

The prices I quoted are in UK GBP. Perhaps it is a dollar to UK pound conversion issue but the figures I quoted are accurate.

(in reply to wings7)

Post #: 6

RE: Matrix games much cheaper on steam than instore - 8/2/2016 3:37:10 PM

Kuokkanen

Posts: 3545
Joined: 4/2/2004
Status: offline

Scourge of War: Waterloo - Steam price 45,99�
Decisive Campaigns: Barbarossa - same

_____________________________

You know what they say, don't you? About how us MechWarriors are the modern knights, how warfare has become civilized now that we have to abide by conventions and rules of war. Don't believe it.

MekWars

(in reply to asdicus)

Post #: 7

RE: Matrix games much cheaper on steam than instore - 8/2/2016 5:11:45 PM

JosephM

Posts: 202
Joined: 3/18/2014
Status: offline

Hello asdicus,

Sorry about this. We have seen the thread, and I am looking into this. For our site we set the price in USD, and then BlueSnap do the currency conversion, whereas on Steam they set the price based around their own conversion rates, so there can be variance between us. As Wings says, the USD price is the same and my colleague in Portugal also says that there is not a big difference in Euros between the two, so it does seem to just be a GBP issue and I am seeing the same prices you are. One way around this is to purchase the game in USD or another currency, then you will be charged a currency conversion rate by your bank, but this is usually less than the default conversion rates. I will contact BlueSnap about the issue, and if I don't get much from them I'll have to check with the directors, but they are currently on Annual Leave until Monday so I won't be able to check with them until then. Sorry for the delay while I look into this.

(in reply to Kuokkanen)

Post #: 8

RE: Matrix games much cheaper on steam than instore - 8/2/2016 5:16:22 PM

wings7

Posts: 4591
Joined: 8/11/2003
From: Phoenix, Arizona
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: Joseph M

Hello asdicus,

Sorry about this. We have seen the thread, and I am looking into this. For our site we set the price in USD, and then BlueSnap do the currency conversion, whereas on Steam they set the price based around their own conversion rates, so there can be variance between us. As Wings says, the USD price is the same and my colleague in Portugal also says that there is not a big difference in Euros between the two, so it does seem to just be a GBP issue and I am seeing the same prices you are. One way around this is to purchase the game in USD or another currency, then you will be charged a currency conversion rate by your bank, but this is usually less than the default conversion rates. I will contact BlueSnap about the issue, and if I don't get much from them I'll have to check with the directors, but they are currently on Annual Leave until Monday so I won't be able to check with them until then. Sorry for the delay while I look into this.

Thanks Joe for clarifying and correcting this!

_____________________________

Please come and join and befriend me at the great Steam portal! There are quite a few Matrix/Slitherine players on Steam! My member page: http://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561197988402427

(in reply to JosephM)

Post #: 9

RE: Matrix games much cheaper on steam than instore - 8/2/2016 5:40:51 PM

asdicus

Posts: 260
Joined: 5/16/2002
From: Surrey,UK
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: Joseph M

Hello asdicus,

Sorry about this. We have seen the thread, and I am looking into this. For our site we set the price in USD, and then BlueSnap do the currency conversion, whereas on Steam they set the price based around their own conversion rates, so there can be variance between us. As Wings says, the USD price is the same and my colleague in Portugal also says that there is not a big difference in Euros between the two, so it does seem to just be a GBP issue and I am seeing the same prices you are. One way around this is to purchase the game in USD or another currency, then you will be charged a currency conversion rate by your bank, but this is usually less than the default conversion rates. I will contact BlueSnap about the issue, and if I don't get much from them I'll have to check with the directors, but they are currently on Annual Leave until Monday so I won't be able to check with them until then. Sorry for the delay while I look into this.

Thank-you for looking into this.

I did finally buy Sengoku Jidai Collectors ed from the matrix store using my anniversary coupon. The base price was cheaper on steam but the difference was not as extreme as the other games I quoted. My coupon allowed me to get the game considerably cheaper than steam.

I only hope the result of this price investigation is not to just increase the steam prices to match the GBP prices in the matrix store. �41 is just too expensive for those titles and in my view prices that high will really hurt sales to UK. Prices on steam need to be competitive or games will just not sell there.

(in reply to JosephM)

Post #: 10

RE: Matrix games much cheaper on steam than instore - 8/3/2016 12:38:12 AM

Mobeer

Posts: 662
Joined: 1/17/2007
Status: offline

Slight change to the numbers for Scourge of War Waterloo:
Matrix �39.99
Steam �29.99
Also Amazon (sold by Slitherine fufilled by Amazon) �34.99

(in reply to asdicus)

Post #: 11

RE: Matrix games much cheaper on steam than instore - 8/8/2016 3:55:28 PM

JosephM

Posts: 202
Joined: 3/18/2014
Status: offline

Hello Guys,

We've looked into this and unfortunately it is an issue with the cart which we can't change. We set the price in USD then BlueSnap set the exchange rates on the shop, whereas on Steam again we set the USD price, then Steam do their own conversion rates. In this case, it is likely that the fall in the pound has lead Steam to provide a specific regional rate (such as they do for Russia), whereas BlueSnap are using their own rate, but as the USD price is the same then we can't alter this. I'm sorry that this is such a difference, and I know we had this asked on another game on the Slitherine forum (where the Euro rate was significantly different), and in this case numerous customers did say they got a better rate using my previous suggestion of changing the currency to another currency, e.g. USD, then paying this was and the Foreign Transaction fee from their bank wasa much lower than the difference. Sorry we cannot help further.

(in reply to Mobeer)

Post #: 12