Now some may be confused about what this title means. It is simple, ill contrast with an example. HW2 season pass USD price= $20. Now, lets convert that to AUD (my region). USD to AUD atm is 1USD=1:26AUD. Therefore, 20usd converts to $25.28AUD. That is fine, and I am happy to pay that price. HOWEVER, on the AU MS store, the season pass sold for $49 AUD. Yes you read that right. Almost DOUBLE the price. Link HERE (au store HW2 season pass). What does that convert to in USD? $38.77 US. Now you see the problem yes?
Now, with ATN at $20 US (again, I am FINE with this price) it should be on the AU MS store for $25.28 (26/27 is fine) AU. However, seeing the original season pass price at the AU store at $49.99 worries me. To contrast with another game.witcher 3 “game of the year edition” I have seen sell for between 30-50 AUD. Obviously, as you can see, prices on the MS store are over inflated in comparison.
Now, to make it clear, I am not blaming 343, as this is most certainly Microsoft problem. I am making this post in the hopes that 343 reads this and understands that it will impact regional ATN sales, as I’m sure Australia is not the only region that gets bent over in terms of price conversions. Also, before anyone mentions taxes and such, I buy games and DLC off steam (USD to AUD, same thing) and it always comes close to the exact USD>AUD conversion. I will not buy ATN if the price conversion is not sorted out ($49 for an expansion is absurd).
If anyone else from other regions has the same/similar experiences, please leave details below. Who knows 343 might look into it and sort it out (I hope) because it will certainly effect sales.
Didn’t mean the double post, how can I delete one of them any ideas?
Although it’s a bit of a pain there is a way to get around this. Buy American Xbox Gift Cards switch your region to USA and then load the gift cards on and purchase the content on the USA store and then just switch it back to normal. I agree something needs to be done as that is quite a drastic price difference I’m just giving a solution to get around it for now.
> 2535448113686542;3:
> Although it’s a bit of a pain there is a way to get around this. Buy American Xbox Gift Cards switch your region to USA and then load the gift cards on and purchase the content on the USA store and then just switch it back to normal. I agree something needs to be done as that is quite a drastic price difference I’m just giving a solution to get around it for now.
Oh wow that actually works? If so that is good and Ill use your idea as a last resort. On the point of double post, I don’t think you can delete it.
> 2535448113686542;3:
> Although it’s a bit of a pain there is a way to get around this. Buy American Xbox Gift Cards switch your region to USA and then load the gift cards on and purchase the content on the USA store and then just switch it back to normal. I agree something needs to be done as that is quite a drastic price difference I’m just giving a solution to get around it for now.
This!
I’ve been doing this for a few years now, since Microsoft’s exchange rate of dollars to euros is 1 to 1, when it is not for the rest of the world.
Rolling Js Up, why would you switch the region back? I just keep it on USA.
> 2533274875084332;4:
> > 2535448113686542;3:
> > Although it’s a bit of a pain there is a way to get around this. Buy American Xbox Gift Cards switch your region to USA and then load the gift cards on and purchase the content on the USA store and then just switch it back to normal. I agree something needs to be done as that is quite a drastic price difference I’m just giving a solution to get around it for now.
>
> Oh wow that actually works? If so that is good and Ill use your idea as a last resort. On the point of double post, I don’t think you can delete it.
> 2533274792362811;5:
> > 2535448113686542;3:
> > Although it’s a bit of a pain there is a way to get around this. Buy American Xbox Gift Cards switch your region to USA and then load the gift cards on and purchase the content on the USA store and then just switch it back to normal. I agree something needs to be done as that is quite a drastic price difference I’m just giving a solution to get around it for now.
>
> This!
> I’ve been doing this for a few years now, since Microsoft’s exchange rate of dollars to euros is 1 to 1, when it is not for the rest of the world.
> Rolling Js Up, why would you switch the region back? I just keep it on USA.
Yeah Custard it works, I do it when I want to get around the timed releases as some games come out early in certain regions.
And Malcatrazz, only reason I say set it back to normal is that if you forget and try to purchase something off the store without giftcards or what have you it can mess up the billing. It’s just so I don’t forget and try purchase again from USA. Given I’m in the UK most of our prices are fairly comparable so no need to always be on it but like you point out it may be better just to leave it on.
> 2535448113686542;6:
> > 2533274875084332;4:
> > > 2535448113686542;3:
> > > Although it’s a bit of a pain there is a way to get around this. Buy American Xbox Gift Cards switch your region to USA and then load the gift cards on and purchase the content on the USA store and then just switch it back to normal. I agree something needs to be done as that is quite a drastic price difference I’m just giving a solution to get around it for now.
> >
> > Oh wow that actually works? If so that is good and Ill use your idea as a last resort. On the point of double post, I don’t think you can delete it.
>
>
>
> > 2533274792362811;5:
> > > 2535448113686542;3:
> > > Although it’s a bit of a pain there is a way to get around this. Buy American Xbox Gift Cards switch your region to USA and then load the gift cards on and purchase the content on the USA store and then just switch it back to normal. I agree something needs to be done as that is quite a drastic price difference I’m just giving a solution to get around it for now.
> >
> > This!
> > I’ve been doing this for a few years now, since Microsoft’s exchange rate of dollars to euros is 1 to 1, when it is not for the rest of the world.
> > Rolling Js Up, why would you switch the region back? I just keep it on USA.
>
> Yeah Custard it works, I do it when I want to get around the timed releases as some games come out early in certain regions.
>
> And Malcatrazz, only reason I say set it back to normal is that if you forget and try to purchase something off the store without giftcards or what have you it can mess up the billing. It’s just so I don’t forget and try purchase again from USA. Given I’m in the UK most of our prices are fairly comparable so no need to always be on it but like you point out it may be better just to leave it on.
Thats awesome, thanks for the tip. However, I wish we didnt have to do this and the MS store just converted the prices properly.
Yeah it’s a pain in the -Yoink-, another way around it is to get a prepaid debit card that you can pay with Aussie dollars to load it into American. As once you’ve used it I think you can just add more money online and won’t have to go to a shop etc. Anywhere tourist wise would probably sell them? I know we can buy prepaid gift cards for when we are going on holiday so just do that but without the holiday XD.
Either way it looks like this had been set up on purpose by Microsoft my bet is taxes of some sort causes it.
> 2535448113686542;8:
> Yeah it’s a pain in the -Yoink-, another way around it is to get a prepaid debit card that you can pay with Aussie dollars to load it into American. As once you’ve used it I think you can just add more money online and won’t have to go to a shop etc. Anywhere tourist wise would probably sell them? I know we can buy prepaid gift cards for when we are going on holiday so just do that but without the holiday XD.
>
> Either way it looks like this had been set up on purpose by Microsoft my bet is taxes of some sort causes it.
Well that’s 2 ideas I’ll use as last resorts. I just hope it doesn’t come down to that and the pricing gets sorted out.
> 2535448113686542;6:
> > 2533274875084332;4:
> > > 2535448113686542;3:
> > > Oh wow that actually works? If so that is good and Ill use your idea as a last resort. On the point of double post, I don’t think you can delete it.
>
>
>
> > 2533274792362811;5:
> > > 2535448113686542;3:
> > > Although it’s a bit of a pain there is a way to get around this. Buy American Xbox Gift Cards switch your region to USA and then load the gift cards on and purchase the content on the USA store and then just switch it back to normal. I agree something needs to be done as that is quite a drastic price difference I’m just giving a solution to get around it for now.
> >
> > This!
> > I’ve been doing this for a few years now, since Microsoft’s exchange rate of dollars to euros is 1 to 1, when it is not for the rest of the world.
> > Rolling Js Up, why would you switch the region back? I just keep it on USA.
>
> Yeah Custard it works, I do it when I want to get around the timed releases as some games come out early in certain regions.
>
> And Malcatrazz, only reason I say set it back to normal is that if you forget and try to purchase something off the store without giftcards or what have you it can mess up the billing. It’s just so I don’t forget and try purchase again from USA. Given I’m in the UK most of our prices are fairly comparable so no need to always be on it but like you point out it may be better just to leave it on.
Fair enough… I’m just lazy that is my main reason for keeping it.
There used to be another reason though… it used to be that the region dictated the Xbox language as well.
Since I’m from the Netherlands, my XBox used the Dutch language which I didn’t like at all, plus the Kinect voice recognition didn’t work.
#usamakesthexboxgreatagain
I may just be an ignorant American, but doesn’t Australia have an obscene tax on video games? That would also explain why you have to pay more.
Not saying that it’s a good reason for the price inflation, though. But you’d have to take it up with your government.
> 2533274792776027;11:
> I may just be an ignorant American, but doesn’t Australia have an obscene tax on video games? That would also explain why you have to pay more.
>
> Not saying that it’s a good reason for the price inflation, though. But you’d have to take it up with your government.
There is tax, but its not enough to double the price. At most it is 10% (i.e from $25 raw conversion to 27…not $49.). Also, in the OP i clearly stated I don’t have this issue with steam USD> AUD conversions. So no, its not our “government”.
> 2533274875084332;12:
> > 2533274792776027;11:
> > I may just be an ignorant American, but doesn’t Australia have an obscene tax on video games? That would also explain why you have to pay more.
> >
> > Not saying that it’s a good reason for the price inflation, though. But you’d have to take it up with your government.
>
> There is tax, but its not enough to double the price. At most it is 10% (i.e from $25 raw conversion to 27…not $49.). Also, in the OP i clearly stated I don’t have this issue with steam USD> AUD conversions. So no, its not our “government”.
My apologies, then.