Although pricing is usually quite favourable for you guys in the USA compared with the rest of us, things might be getting a little better in the future. The European Union is considering mandating that prices for games be the same throughout all EU regions, in what it's calling the Digital Single Market.
Under the new scheme, all 28 countries currently within the European Union would make sure that pricing across all digital gaming networks, whether it be Steam, PlayStation Network, Nintendo's eShop, the Xbox store or elsewhere. Wherever you are from, you would pay the same as everyone else.
Services like GoG already implement a refund system for those that are forced to pay extra because of where they are from. However in the future that may not be necessary, as pricing may soon become standardised:
"Simplified and modern rules for online and digital cross-border purchases will encourage more businesses to sell online across borders and further develop digital markets such as games," a spokesperson said (via MCV).
It would also stop companies taking advantage of traditional pricing models to crank up the cost of digital produces region to region, which unless bandwidth there is specifically effective, doesn't cost anyone any extra.
"To suggest to the consumer that the cost of selling a digital product or a physical product sold via a digital outlet can vary from country to country is becoming ever more difficult to justify. Businesses suggesting otherwise are simply adopting the King Canute approach," said indie developer, Kiss' head of marketing, Dave Clark.
