And this is why we can't have nice things, hence the current OP and also my prior OP about PS+ prices increasing 600% in Turkey.Yeah, I get my YT Premium through Argentina or maybe India, so I get it, but the real thing to do is exactly what you said, to make it harder for people to buy outside of the country.
Pretty sure on PSN to play an in-region game you need to be using an in-region profile. So you'd have to maintain your profile for all the games you wanted to buy and that would pose problems for people who want to play online.
There are ways of doing this without raising prices 400 percent.
They'll just unsub. They were unwilling to pay the price before. Once I can't get YT Premium for low low prices (just to avoid ads) I'll probably watch less youtube.
Ms doing their best to make Sonys price increase more palatable.
I think Microsoft probably could take measures to prevent it, but realistic, they sell codes and that gives a lot of options for people to buy through other means and bypass security. The result at the end is the same, people in development countries get the short end of the stick.While I understand your frustration (and I genuinely wish things get better for you), are people really to blame?
Microsoft opens up a door, an exploit, for people to buy something for cheap. Of course, people are gonna use it. Microsoft should focus on plugging that exploit rather than making it financially difficult for local players to buy their products and services.
Microsoft is choosing the easy way out. It's not the right way out though.
Look, here in Brazil most people live with less than US$:500,00 in the rich part of the country, in the north, it's more like 200 a month, and Brazil isn't even that bad compared to a lot of places. Really, I understand that 70 bucks is expensive, but realistically, unless you buy everything they put out it shouldn't be a problem for most of the people living in the so called, first world country.Sickening that people buy a product from a trillion dollar company at the lowest possible cost? Come on man. That’s one bizarre take. That poor exploited trillion dollar company. My sides.
Isn't gamepass more expensive anyway if you don't get a deal?You can look at it that way. Or Sony's increase just made MS feel more justified to increase their offering....
Anyway, this is nothing. Just wait until MS starts advertising COD and releases it on GP.
Turkey and Argentina are often used by people outside those countries to get games exceedingly cheap. MS is trying to block this exploit.
But in doing so gamers actually from these countries are getting completely screwed. They should have made it harder for people outside those countries to use their prices not raise them for the locals.
Also the question now comes that if people that were exploiting these Turkey/Argentina prices will now pay a higher price or if they'll just unsub.
Pretty much.Well, to be fair. The prices in Türkiye was the main reason why almost all my friends in former-Soviet Union had accounts there. Not only on xbox systems, also on PSN
They can geo-lock their accounts to solve that problem relatively easily.I think Microsoft probably could take measures to prevent it, but realistic, they sell codes and that gives a lot of options for people to buy through other means and bypass security. The result at the end is the same, people in development countries get the short end of the stick.
That would impose some limitation to users who travel a lot, like the military, VPN is also a thing, IDK, any measure that can allow them to practice better prices in development countries would be welcome.They can geo-lock their accounts to solve that problem relatively easily.
Don't be rational, people here don't like that.It'll continue across the WW.
This is not a Microsoft problem, it's industry wide.
Microsoft opens up a door, an exploit, for people to buy something for cheap. Of course, people are gonna use it. Microsoft should focus on plugging that exploit rather than making it financially difficult for local players to buy their products and services.
Microsoft is choosing the easy way out. It's not the right way out though.
I'm no tech guy, but I dont see how any company can totally restrict crazy regional pricing. Dont clever people just have to VPN their PC or console from a low priced region and thats good enough to avoid security checks?You're making it sound easier than it probably is. If plugging in price exploits would be easy PS+ or Steam wouldn't be increasing either. Lots of people on GAF use these price exploits as well, you've admitted to using the PS+ exploit in Turkey and I recommend everyone buy GP from Turkey for the cheapest conversions. But the recent price increases will probably make those options less recommendable.
I'm no tech guy, but I dont see how any company can totally restrict crazy regional pricing. Dont clever people just have to VPN their PC or console from a low priced region and thats good enough to avoid security checks?
Or can companies somehow crack down on VPNing?
It's like try to avoid rain with a piece of paper.I'm no tech guy, but I dont see how any company can totally restrict crazy regional pricing. Dont clever people just have to VPN their PC or console from a low priced region and thats good enough to avoid security checks?
Or can companies somehow crack down on VPNing?
I've not used it. I use the US PSN account.You're making it sound easier than it probably is. If plugging in price exploits would be easy PS+ or Steam wouldn't be increasing either. Lots of people on GAF use these price exploits as well, you've admitted to using the PS+ exploit in Turkey and I recommend everyone buy GP from Turkey for the cheapest conversions. But the recent price increases will probably make those options less recommendable.
I've not used it. I use the US PSN account.
I live in Brazil and my account is US, so is the inverse, I pay more for my content, and my problem with Sony is another thing that drives me crazy, I can't change my account region without loosing all my trophies. Before you guys ask me why my account is US, is simple, I made my account back em 2006 when I bought my PS3, back then, there isn't a PSN BR, and when we finally god our store, it didn't have 90% of the US content.I've not used it. I use the US PSN account.
Using VPNs are already restricted on consoles, unless I'm mistaken, right? I don't think it'd be that difficult to force geo-targeted IPs to create only a local account (if that country is supposed) or a US account (if the country isn't supported).
Besides, Microsoft's system is weaker in this regard than PlayStation's. There is no "New Zealand" trick you can do on PSN, but you can on Xbox.
That system needs to improve, instead of blanket-punishing local players from less-rich countries.
The whole idea of regional pricing is to be cognizant of local buying power. Somebody in Turkey didn’t magically get 70% raise because Lira nosedived.The lira has nosedived in strength against the dollar and even with this recent price hike Gamepass is still cheaper in Turkey compared to the US.
But Microsoft bad I guess.
While we can blame Erdoğan for 65% inflation we can also blame the companies for increasing prices by 433%. There is a massive gap between 65% and 433%. Inflation is caused by these company increases anyway and not the other way round.If anyone is to blame is Erdogan and his idiotic economic policies. Not Microsoft, nor any other company that has to rise prices due to ramping inflation.
Yeah it is, because Plus has annual subs and Game Pass doesnt.Isn't gamepass more expensive anyway if you don't get a deal?
While we can blame Erdoğan for 65% inflation we can also blame the companies for increasing prices by 433%. There is a massive gap between 65% and 433%. Inflation is caused by these company increases anyway and not the other way round.
True, but digital products are different as it can be transmitted digitally for free, fast and the material cost of a game is probably a nickels worth of bit & bytes or a plastic case with disc costing $1.50 to make. So they got so much margin to play with that gaming is something (assuming every person to sticks to their own region and buying power), where companies can skew pricing a lot and still make money hoping every ganer doesn't VPN to an Argentina or Turkey account.The whole idea of regional pricing is to be cognizant of local buying power. Somebody in Turkey didn’t magically get 70% raise because Lira nosedived.
In recent years no but this 433% increase is over the one year only. If you do it for several years then it's more. I visit Turkey for 3 month periods every year and have experience of their rising prices first hand. The companies are also to blame for causing the inflation as they increase prices. Especially on goods which aren't supply constrained in the first place.It's not just 65% inflation in recent years.
In recent years no but this 433% increase is over the one year only. If you do it for several years then it's more. I visit Turkey for 3 month periods every year and have experience of their rising prices first hand. The companies are also to blame for causing the inflation as they increase prices. Especially on goods which aren't supply constrained in the first place.
If anyone is to blame is Erdogan and his idiotic economic policies. Not Microsoft, nor any other company that has to rise prices due to ramping inflation.
That only works up to a point. Eventually you will need to increase the price or you will just be making a loss. Before the increase Gamepass was hilariously cheap, even after the increase it is still cheaper then the US and is inline with what you would pay for games on the PS5 or Xbox.The whole idea of regional pricing is to be cognizant of local buying power. Somebody in Turkey didn’t magically get 70% raise because Lira nosedived.
That would make sense if this wasn't the second increase within a year. They're doing it frequently.A few things to consider. Companies don't update prices as frequently as inflation changes. Do there is a lag, and that can manifest in one big increase.
Even if so unless MS workers got a 433% pay raise and/or running the infrastructure somehow got 433% more expensive it wouldn't even be anywhere near true inflation still.Another thing to consider is that Turkey is under reporting the real value of inflation.
This I sympathise with but it still sucks for the local people there.Finally, there are external factors. Such as people using vpns to buy digital goods in Turkish stores.
That would make sense if this wasn't the second increase within a year. They're doing it frequently.
Even if so unless MS workers got a 433% pay raise and/or running the infrastructure somehow got 433% more expensive it wouldn't even be anywhere near true inflation still.
This I sympathise with but it still sucks for the local people there.
What's there to not understand? It's the Lira not Lyra. I understand inflation has everything to do with increased running costs (which includes wages), supply and the company price increases are based on them. Doesn't mean price increases can't be driven by other things too. The lira didn't drop 433%, 600% etc in a year it dropped by ~50%. Companies drive inflation, not the other way round.You still don't understand this is because of inflation in Turkey. The Lyra has devalued a lot compared to the dollar.
It's not about workers getting a pay increase.
Price increase yes, but not 400+% one. And again, prices should absolutely not be similar to US or EU, that would be insanity when considering local purchasing power.That only works up to a point. Eventually you will need to increase the price or you will just be making a loss. Before the increase Gamepass was hilariously cheap, even after the increase it is still cheaper then the US and is inline with what you would pay for games on the PS5 or Xbox.
What's there to not understand? It's the Lira not Lyra. I understand inflation has everything to do with increased running costs (which includes wages), supply and the company price increases are based on them. Doesn't mean price increases can't be driven by other things too. The lira didn't drop 433%, 600% etc in a year it dropped by ~50%. Companies drive inflation, not the other way round.
I didn't ignore it but we can agree to disagree. Gamepass PC launched late in Turkey (after 2020 i believe) so it wouldn't even make sense if we said that they had a lira price set from then that needed adjusting as even that increase wouldn't be anywhere near 433%. Trying to stop others buying through VPN and boost revenue by getting rid of regional prices I understand (minimum wage is something like $250 a month there). Clearly these price increases by the likes of Sony and MS aren't purely driven by inflation, it's a far greater increase than inflation.You are ignoring previous years inflation and that the reports from the Turkish government are not accurate.
OUR country, you firangiMy bad, I recall you commented something like "everyone in my country also exploits it" and lumped you in there.
You are conflating two different percentages. A 50% drop in value of the currency would require a price 200% of the previous.What's there to not understand? It's the Lira not Lyra. I understand inflation has everything to do with increased running costs (which includes wages), supply and the company price increases are based on them. Doesn't mean price increases can't be driven by other things too. The lira didn't drop 433%, 600% etc in a year it dropped by ~50%. Companies drive inflation, not the other way round.
I'm not at all. It would require a 100% increase not 200% of the previous.You are conflating two different percentages. A 50% drop in value of the currency would require a price 200% of the previous.
But this is all about people taking advantage from other countries - the article didn't give enough info on whether they meant the price was 400% of what it was previously or a 400% increase so I tried googling the price of gamepass in turkey. Practically the entire front page was links to get cheap gamepass by exploiting the Turkish regional pricing.
Depending on the context and words used, going from 50 to 100 can be both a 100% increase of 50, or 200% of 50.I'm not at all. It would require a 100% increase not 200% of the previous.
You can check this with the GP ultimate increase given in the article. The GP ultimate price which is currently 209TL vs 45TL last year. That's a 365% increase which matches the OP and article or the way you calculate it that's 465% of the previous price.
The reason you're getting those hits on your search too is because you searched in English.
Yes but the values given are using the context relating to 100%. So if you were using the 200% of 50 context the 433% increase would in fact be 533% of the previous price.Depending on the context and words used, going from 50 to 100 can be both a 100% increase of 50, or 200% of 50.