Viperfdl has the right of it.  Like how a brick and mortar store follows the MRSP (manufacturer's reccomended sale price), the digital distributors are provided a "recommended" price by the publisher of the game.  Traditionally, a brick & mortar could undersell the MRSP, but they would be cutting into their own margin. Walmart and other big box stores are a prime example of this -- they take a reduced margin in order to outsell their competition, making it back on volume, in theory.

Also traditionally, some manufacturers looked poorly on big box stores underselling the MRSP, and sought to enforce it through product retaliation (no shipping of product unless guarenteed to sell at MSRP) or other means (lawsuit anyone?).  I am not familiar with how this relationship has transferred from brick & mortar to the internet, and would actually be quite interested to hear from Frogboy on how it all works, but I might be wierd that way.

What I'm getting at, is that in all liklihood the MRSP is being set and enforced on Stardock by the publisher of the game.  Maybe there's room for Stardock to negotiate on the price (say for sales and such) with the publisher, maybe the publisher is holding firm, I have no idea.  What is happening though, is that you're paying more value for the game than people in other parts of the world. This is nothing new. I remember at least, that in Austrailia, Yhatzee (of Zero Punctuation) has complained numerously that his bosses are overcharged for these games.  However, the wonders of the Internet make it abundantly clear to you just how much you're being soaked.

Another theory, is that Stardock's Dollar to Euro converter is broken.  I can't really speak for that though.  I can say however, that when I was last in Thailand, Stardock's currency converter worked just fine to turn my Thai Baht into Dollars to buy a game.

TL,DR: viperfdl is right, it's probably not stardock's fault, and yes, you're getting soaked.

It is very simple: the publisher has decided to have regional pricings. One for North America, one other for Europe. This happens on all Paradox titles (which is an european publisher). The publisher can also decide that the default price is in euro and that north America has a specific regional price.

you can also say the same about the $A <> $us. as an example the tropico3 pre-order for $33.99us stardock's price to australians is $61.54a at a current excange rate of $1A sould be aprox $0.85us which suggests the price in $a for the tropico3 preorder should be $39.99 even if the $a dropped to .8us it still would be $42.50A.

the price being charged suggests that stardock/publisher thinks that the $a exchange rate is SIGNIFICANTLY BELOW the average exchange rate since 1969(average rate is $1A=$0.88us) (since jan 2004 the average is $1A=$.078us and the minumum exchange rate is $1a=$.6438us) ie $1A=$.55us.

harpo

Whats worse is the same shady pricing applies to pharmaceutical drugs to the point where some countries export products purchased more cheaply from the manufacturers to other countries leaving a shortage in their own country!

One thing you do need to appreciate though is that not all countries charge the same ammount of tax, in Norway for example they apply a 25% tax after any import taxes have been applied.

Have you tried to see if the base price for Tropico is based on European price? (35.99 EUR) Since Kalypso media is an european company, having its costs in euros, they may choose a worldprice in euros, with a different price for North America.

if it is a Euro price then australia at .5910 euros to the a$( btw we have the only species called euro in the world) still gives $60.90A not the $61.54A that is being asked for, so there is still a rippoff happening, just not as large, BUT as stardock/impulse is US based the $US price should be the one applied as the transaction is between stardock & customer, NOT kalypso.also as an example sins purchases are with stardock & not ironclad games, while ironclad games supplies the majority of support they do not handle the sales which is stardock.

harpo

Anyway I'm glad to see that I'm the only one finding this matter quite disturbing.

Will report it to steamunpowered.eu so they might hit a larger audience.

Awwwww crap. Well, looks like we're screwed. Or maybe we should organize something where someone from the US could gift games to us ? Using paypal for this would be quite a blast.

Then I guess gifting is the only solution left.

I agree that it's not fair - a single, flat charge should apply that is converted into the appropriate currency when you conduct your transaction. As an Australia, I often have to pay AU$120.00 for a new release Xbox 360 title at retail, while I can buy the same game, PAL Version, from the UK in AU Dollars for significantly less - including postage. How does this compute to the people in charge when, adding in an entirely new fee, the game is still cheaper buying it internationally?

The issue here, however, isn't as simple as complaining - you need to complain to the right people. Stardock, like Valve, do not determine the price points of the games available via their distribution platform, as has already been mentioned. You need to contact the right company and make your opinion known. I know many, many Europeans currently boycotting digital distribution services and insulting the service's founder; Stardock, in this case. While I can understand their pain, believe me, they're directing their anger at the wrong people.

I'm lucky enough to only lose out a few bucks here and there when buying off of Steam and Valve, but I understand the issue and support the concept of a single price point. Keep in mind, if they do adopt the single price point, they'll most likely pick the most expensive option; you'll probably still end up paying the same amount - American and non-Eurpoean gamers will be charged more. Food for thought.

Publishers treat digital distribution as retail distribution. They expect you to pay as if you were buying in a retail of your country. How you dare to suggest that we should pay less because of free market and all that? (like those of my country who complain that people should stop buying games from the UK instead of our country... Lame, considering the stupid and abusive prices of most of the games that makes that importing from the UK, or Singapore too, is cheaper than from a retail near you)

Well, in case of European software, (Paradox and Kalypso media sofwtare), whose costs are in euros, is it normal that US pay a lower price than EU ? And if 1€ = 0.8 $ like it was few years ago, would you still complaint about regional pricing? And is it fair for an european software, with costs in euro, to have a reference price in USD? it must be set in EUR and shouldn't change based on exchange rate.

Prices for digital download are set to correspond to price on retail space for geographical regions. Sadly, the retail price is considered as the correct market price. It is the price expected for sofware. And publishers can't really undercut their retaillers.