Nearly everything is on sale on steam but still higher prices than other platforms

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electronicpanda Nov 23 @ 2:02am

Nearly everything is on sale on steam but still higher prices than other platforms

Yesterday night I wanted to buy a game with the money left in my steam wallet (from 0.0001$ cards I sold over time in the past). Since it's sale event season or such, I would play 1-2 new games anyways.

I checked God of War: Ragnaros and Last of Us 2: Remake. On epic games, even without "on sale", they sell these games way cheaper.

Then I switched to Halo campaign. xbox.com version is way cheaper.

There are many games that are way cheaper on other platforms than steam. Not because of the money but if I buy something here with "on sale" tag and see other platform without on sale is selling cheaper, I would feel stupid and deceived.

Yesterday night I made a detailed comparison chart for many games on sale on steam(with chatgpt hehe). Btw I am still looking for a game that is good "on sale" on steam that is cheaper than other platforms. I realized steam is putting "sucker" tag to its users. So, it is better if you check other platform prices before jumping in black friday, winter or such sale events.

You are warned.

Edit: I am not complaining here, everyone is free to buy games on higher prices on steam with "on sale" tags. I am pretty sure that some people here don't wanna make fool of themselves. It was just sharing to those who didn't realize the situation yet.

Last edited by electronicpanda; Nov 23 @ 2:17am

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Originally posted by Black Blade:

You can use this site to track easier:
https://isthereanydeal.com/

Epic takes a lower cut as much as I know
Humble gives 20% off for humble choise memmbers
Greenmangaming gives "store credit"
At times its not that the game is cheaper, but that the platfrom is cheaper
Pretty sure part of the agreement for developers on Steam is that they cant set the pricing of games lower on a diffrent platfrom (can be the same)
If the platfrom how ever takes the hit, that is on them, and we benfit, ya that shows its a healthy market, as there is competition

Saying all that There are some games not sold else where, and some that are cheaper or same price on Steam
There some that are not, and that all is fine as it is, like said you can use the site above to track prices everywhere, really useful you can even sync your wishlsit and get emails about it

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Showing 1-15 of 85 comments

Eagle_of_Fire Nov 23 @ 2:04am

Are you saying that games which were specifically made and developped by the other platforms decided to sell their games in steam but at a higher price because they'd rather sell you the game on their own platform?

Shocking!

datCookie Nov 23 @ 2:04am

Blame the devs, because they're the ones who set the prices for their games on whatever platforms they sell them ojn.

electronicpanda Nov 23 @ 2:06am

Originally posted by Eagle_of_Fire:
Are you saying that games which were specifically made and developped by the other platforms decided to sell their games in steam but at a higher price because they'd rather sell you the game on their own platform?

Shocking!

God of War and Last of Us were playstation games. There are many examples like these :P

J4MESOX4D Nov 23 @ 2:06am

Publishers set the prices on Steam so go complain to them. The fact products may be cheaper on the respective home platforms against a third party one that charges 30% commission is basic business and it can't be that much of a surprise.

electronicpanda Nov 23 @ 2:07am

Originally posted by datCookie:
Blame the devs, because they're the ones who set the prices for their games on whatever platforms they sell them ojn.

Firstly I thought that might be because of commision differences. Devs might be forced to set higher prices on Steam.

datCookie Nov 23 @ 2:08am

Originally posted by electronicpanda:
Originally posted by datCookie:
Blame the devs, because they're the ones who set the prices for their games on whatever platforms they sell them ojn.
Firstly I thought that might be because of commision differences. Devs might be forced to set higher prices on Steam.

They aren't forced to do anything. The 30% that Steam takes hasn't ever shown that majority of devs who sell their games on multiple platforms will sell them here at a higher price to compensate for that.

It's not at all surprising that big publishers would do this, however.

J4MESOX4D Nov 23 @ 2:10am

Originally posted by electronicpanda:
Originally posted by datCookie:
Blame the devs, because they're the ones who set the prices for their games on whatever platforms they sell them ojn.
Firstly I thought that might be because of commision differences. Devs might be forced to set higher prices on Steam.

Forced? It's a business choice. If they can receive 100% of income on their own platform but only 70% on another, the latter is going to be a higher price to maintain a decent margin. It's that simple.

Eagle_of_Fire Nov 23 @ 2:11am

Originally posted by electronicpanda:
Originally posted by Eagle_of_Fire:
Are you saying that games which were specifically made and developped by the other platforms decided to sell their games in steam but at a higher price because they'd rather sell you the game on their own platform?

Shocking!
God of War and Last of Us were playstation games. There are many examples like these :P

/whooosh.

electronicpanda Nov 23 @ 2:13am

Originally posted by J4MESOX4D:
Originally posted by electronicpanda:
Firstly I thought that might be because of commision differences. Devs might be forced to set higher prices on Steam.
Forced? It's a business choice. If they can receive 100% of income on their own platform but only 70% on another, the latter is going to be a higher price to maintain a decent margin. It's that simple.

It is called forced if you are not doing something by your own will. If I aim %30 profit let's say, if platform cuts %10. Then I am forced to sell my product to 144.

Tito Shivan Nov 23 @ 2:15am

Originally posted by J4MESOX4D:
Originally posted by electronicpanda:
Firstly I thought that might be because of commision differences. Devs might be forced to set higher prices on Steam.
Forced? It's a business choice. If they can receive 100% of income on their own platform but only 70% on another, the latter is going to be a higher price to maintain a decent margin. It's that simple.

Also it's normal business strategy to spice your revenue stream by cycling sales on different platforms.

Originally posted by electronicpanda:
It is called forced if you are not doing something by your own will. If I aim %30 profit let's say, if platform cuts %10. Then I am forced to sell my product to 144.

Except it doesn't work like that.

Last edited by Tito Shivan; Nov 23 @ 2:16am

#10

Chika Ogiue Nov 23 @ 2:28am

Originally posted by electronicpanda:
God of War and Last of Us were playstation games. There are many examples like these :P

Then get a PlayStation and buy them physically for peanuts long before they see any chance of a sale on Steam. People who refuse to expand from one platform or even one store, have no right to complain about pricing.

#11

electronicpanda Nov 23 @ 2:33am

Originally posted by Chika Ogiue:
Originally posted by electronicpanda:
God of War and Last of Us were playstation games. There are many examples like these :P

Then get a PlayStation and buy them physically for peanuts long before they see any chance of a sale on Steam. People who refuse to expand from one platform or even one store, have no right to complain about pricing.

It is being sold in epic store, cheaper without on sale tag which was already written. I should have written the post with all caps or something? Sorry for not writing idiot proof posts but consider I am just a gamer who didn't get mission to save everyone.

#12

datCookie Nov 23 @ 2:35am

Originally posted by electronicpanda:
Originally posted by Chika Ogiue:

Then get a PlayStation and buy them physically for peanuts long before they see any chance of a sale on Steam. People who refuse to expand from one platform or even one store, have no right to complain about pricing.

It is being sold in epic store, cheaper without on sale tag which was already written. I should have written the post with all caps or something? Sorry for not writing idiot proof posts but consider I am just a gamer who didn't get mission to save everyone.

Except your post is a lie. "Nearly every game"? You've found a handful of games on Steam that are being sold cheaper on other platforms, which is unsurprising considering the games you mentioned.

Unless you're willing to do a deep dive of every game on the platform and compare the prices of the ones sold on other platforms and here, the most you can say is that you found a few games that are priced more cheaply elsewhere.

#13

J4MESOX4D Nov 23 @ 2:36am

Originally posted by electronicpanda:
Originally posted by J4MESOX4D:
Forced? It's a business choice. If they can receive 100% of income on their own platform but only 70% on another, the latter is going to be a higher price to maintain a decent margin. It's that simple.
It is called forced if you are not doing something by your own will. If I aim %30 profit let's say, if platform cuts %10. Then I am forced to sell my product to 144.

A conscious choice is not 'forced'. Nintendo and Microsoft earlier this year announced their their standard pricing for their own platforms was increasing to $70. The 30% Valve have charged has been in place for probably nearly 20 years. 3rd party publishers aren't 'forced' to publish on Steam either but they choose to and they choose their price. Steam has a bigger market by a substantial margin so they may choose to waive higher margin potential at the prospect of a greater quantity sold, plus selling cheaper draws people to their own platform and keeps sales moving rather than stagnating to one.

#14