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Care to explain this?

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GguyGguy Posts: 254 Member
My friend from Europe just recently purchased a copy of the Sims 3 pets via steam, and when he did, i noticed something rather alarming. What i found out is that the price for older titles has DOUBLED ever since EA's move to Origin.

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The sims 3 is definitely worth the price, but this is just shady.

Comments

  • Seera1024Seera1024 Posts: 3,629 Member
    Steam takes a percentage of the money earned. So EA raised the buying price on Steam to combat it and probably to try to get players to use Origin as EA and Steam have finally agreed to do business again.
  • GguyGguy Posts: 254 Member
    edited March 2020
    They didn't raise anything on Steam, though. The game and every dlc is still 24 dollars/20 euros. Only the Origin counterpart has increased in price. Both of these pictures were taken yesterday.
  • Seera1024Seera1024 Posts: 3,629 Member
    Gguy wrote: »
    They didn't raise anything on Steam, though. The game and every dlc is still 24 dollars/20 euros. Only the Origin counterpart has increased in price. Both of these pictures were taken yesterday.

    the 24 dollar/19.99 euro price was set way before Origin even existed. I know cause i bought the sims 3 back then and it remains the same on steam.

    All I know is EA and Steam made a deal and raised the prices of their older games that were still on Steam from before they parted ways previously. I can't answer as to why for some reason they ignored Sims 3.
  • texxx78texxx78 Posts: 5,657 Member
    Try Instant Gaming. You can get base game and eps from 2 to 8 euros (i bought almost all for 2-3 euros each). It's legit and works directly in origin.
  • GguyGguy Posts: 254 Member
    It's not about me. I'm just pointing out unusual and potentially shady business practices.
  • HestiaHestia Posts: 1,997 Member
    A very similar situation going on here too. Only, the steam prices are higher.

    https://youtu.be/G7imQJy7tEg

    Still related to EA. Need to be suspicious about this.
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  • JoAnne65JoAnne65 Posts: 22,959 Member
    edited March 2020
    I don’t quite understand, € 39.99 is what a Sims 3 EP has always cost?

    Oops, never mind, there’s an on the left and on the right situation here :mrgreen:
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  • TamakiSakura84TamakiSakura84 Posts: 543 Member
    Regional pricing, it's a plum.
  • ClarionOfJoyClarionOfJoy Posts: 1,945 Member
    That shows that TS3 is the better game and that people are willing to pay it at those prices. Notice how TS3 is only on sale occasionally, whereas TS4 is constantly on sale and the base game even given away for free. I'm so proud of our TS3! <3
  • simgirl1010simgirl1010 Posts: 35,710 Member
    There're the same price for me.

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  • SimAlexandriaSimAlexandria Posts: 4,845 Member
    Maybe watch for sales? I got the base game and a few expansions for $5 each recently through Origin... (didn't end up liking the version of the game but that's another story haha) I've seen it on sale once more for the same since then.
  • GguyGguy Posts: 254 Member
    edited March 2020
    @SimAlexandria Yet again, like i just said, it's not about me. This was mainly taken to point out an oddity. Plum, i don't even use Euros, i use dollars. Can someone from Europe take an additional origin price picture? I'd like to confirm my theory that Europeans are being charged double the price (I highly doubt that only my pal is being affected)
  • texxx78texxx78 Posts: 5,657 Member
    @Gguy last time i check it was 39,99 euros for the base game. It has been like this for years (in my origin account).
  • GguyGguy Posts: 254 Member
    edited March 2020
    Well, between my friend's pic, your statements and my comparison to the prices in dollars, i think it's safe to say that my theory has been proven correct. Now we have to figure out just why the price is so higher in Europe (At least on Origin). I mean, if you convert Dollars to Euros, it should cost pretty similar, around 18 euros or something along those lines. I doubt regional prices would increase the price by 20, that's a crazy difference.

    @SimGuruGraham Any input on this?
  • CinebarCinebar Posts: 33,618 Member
    I keep up with pricing on TS3 on Origin just for amusement and it's very rare they drop any of the prices of any TS3 packs lower than US $19.99 and sometimes maybe even higher. They usually keep them half of what the original EP costs were. TS3 is still their cash cow which pays for any other EA game because it's evident they sure don't put any of that money into TS4.
    "Games Are Not The Place To Tell Stories, Games Are Meant To Let People Tell Their Own Stories"...Will Wright.
  • SuzyCue72SuzyCue72 Posts: 526 Member
    Price comparison Origin - Steam, screenshots taken an hour ago:

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    If you live in the EU, you can now view all EU stores for the Origin Store both on the web and in the Origin client. Learn how to switch your store here.


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  • SuzyCue72SuzyCue72 Posts: 526 Member
    telmarina wrote: »
    @Gguy last time i check it was 39,99 euros for the base game. It has been like this for years (in my origin account).

    @telmarina - Which country do you live in? When I checked on Origin website an hour ago I could only find The Sims 3 Starter Pack (=Base game + Late Night Expansion and High-End Loft Stuff Pack) for 39,99 euro. The base game alone doesn't seem to be available, if it is I couldn't find it.


  • DianesimsDianesims Posts: 2,867 Member
    edited March 2020
    I have 39.99€ here (France). How come you guys in the USA often have cheaper offers ? Like here when there are sales (for TS4) here, it's rarely more than 50% off. (on Origin, I mean).
    Post edited by Dianesims on
  • texxx78texxx78 Posts: 5,657 Member
    edited March 2020
    @SuzyCue72 i have 39,99 in Portugal. It rarely goes on sale. I would also want to hear from gurus why the price doubles in europe...?
    @SimGuruGraham @SimGuruLyndsay
  • king_of_simcity7king_of_simcity7 Posts: 25,102 Member
    That shows that TS3 is the better game and that people are willing to pay it at those prices. Notice how TS3 is only on sale occasionally, whereas TS4 is constantly on sale and the base game even given away for free. I'm so proud of our TS3! <3

    Maybe The Sims 3 is like wine. It gets better with age? :D
    Simbourne
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  • BluegayleBluegayle Posts: 4,175 Member
    Canada on Origin: $19.99
    Steam: $26.99
    "Every child matters. If we fail our children, we are bound to fail our present, our future, faith, cultures, and civilizations as well."
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    AHQ Champion
  • GguyGguy Posts: 254 Member
    edited March 2020
    @Dianesims I didn't even know until yesterday. Plum, i wouldn't have known even if i was from Europe, or Canada or the UK and that's because the sims 3 content that i did purchase back in the day (Sims 3, Sims 3 World Adventures, Sims 3 Ambitions, Sims 3 Nightlife) was purchased via steam. Origin didn't even exist yet.
  • cody6268cody6268 Posts: 643 Member
    I've been buying a lot of the EPs for $5 each on Steam. I used to have (and originally bought) TS3 on Steam; but transferred it over to Origin for sake of organization.

    Looking at sales figures. 7.96M for TS3; 4.1M for TS4.

    https://www.vgchartz.com/game/17805/the-sims-3/

    https://www.vgchartz.com/game/72139/the-sims-4/?region=All
  • DianesimsDianesims Posts: 2,867 Member
    39.99€ is also the price of any EP for TS4 here, which is about the same than in the USA, however when there are sales, it rarely goes over 50% off here, while in the USA it can be more, from what I understood.
    Gguy wrote: »
    @Dianesims I didn't even know until yesterday. Plum, i wouldn't have known even if i was from Europe, or Canada or the UK and that's because the sims 3 content that i did purchase back in the day (Sims 3, Sims 3 World Adventures, Sims 3 Ambitions, Sims 3 Nightlife) was purchased via steam. Origin didn't even exist yet.

  • Seera1024Seera1024 Posts: 3,629 Member
    Gguy wrote: »
    Well, between my friend's pic, your statements and my comparison to the prices in dollars, i think it's safe to say that my theory has been proven correct. Now we have to figure out just why the price is so higher in Europe (At least on Origin). I mean, if you convert Dollars to Euros, it should cost pretty similar, around 18 euros or something along those lines. I doubt regional prices would increase the price by 20, that's a crazy difference.

    @SimGuruGraham Any input on this?

    Could also be a country's taxes.

    Most countries require stores to post prices that INCLUDE tax when they advertise price.

    The US does not. So our price is without tax.

    The other countries have their price as converted from dollars and then their tax added. And countries have different tax rates, I think many countries in Europe have a higher tax than the US.

    So keep that in mind as well when looking at prices and comparing.
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