Really this makes no sense really, its Digital Distribution yet some publishers find it fine to rip us gamers in Australia.  Really i understood back in the past why Ausie boxed games were more expensive, but this is digital distribution its costing nothing to put it on the market in Australia , there is no transport costs and the regular costs in the us wouldn't be much of an different that justifies an 20-30 dollar increase.  

I was on steam after getting on, ready to jump on the sales and cheap game bargine when i had an look at future releases i might get for PC. First search was Brink. It came up 50 US dollars, the same price the US gamers pay retail. I was Yippe finally. Then i search Homefront and 79 USD. i am like WTF. Two games that would of cost around the same to make and releasing around the same time but one has an 30 dollar increase???

Shame on you THQ 

But even worst i found out that black ops was the same. Now Activison you have an game that certain to make 100s of millions of profit, yet you are having to be that bit more greedy and jack the price up to rip on an market of gamers that the only reason we dont buy that many games is because it too dam EXPENSIVE. 

That is just bull **** 

and sadly i can get it cheaper on PS3 for 60 USD and could import from overseas for even cheaper if the postage wasn't so slow 

This is news?

All major forms of digital distribution are a rip off in Australia. It just proves the point that I have been making for years - a negligible fraction of the reason for the increased cost is transport of the physical media (if we can afford to import food from Asia and sell it at around $3/kg without transport costs being prohibitive then we can damn sure afford to import video games, dvds and cds, which sell at about $1000 Au /kg.

No, I'm afraid Australians get ripped off, digital or retail, simply because the companies know we will pay

there was a thread about this a lil while ago. While I don't disagree w/ what you have to say, you should also consider that:
1) sales tax is not included in our prices (I'm canadian) so that tags on another 5-10$ depending on the state/province you live in.
2) Your minimum wage is 15$ if I remember correctly. Here in Quebec, minimum wage is 9.50$ and that's high compared to others in the country and the US.

Things in Australia are just more expensive in general. Some Australian friends who came to visit during Christmas, told me waitresses get paid 25$/hr. I dunno how much truth there is to that but that is insane. My brother has put in yrs of university studies to become a physical therapist and he doesn't even make that.

our exchange rate is different.. i guess?

We're actually all on par atm.

Some of it is agreements with Steam not to sell the game cheaper than can be sold in physical stores.

In Australia there is no goods and sales tax on items worth less than $1000 through import.

Exchange rate it at partity with the US (which is why it is curious that Sony is charging Australian players US$20 a month to subscribe to DCUO while it is US$15 everywhere else). So, we should be paying US prices, but aren't for most new titles.

guys the only reason i bought it up was that Brink is selling for 50 USD (which is the RRP in the US) while Homefront is 79 USD.

It makes no sense.

@UnSub 

yea thats always surprized me that they haven't bought down DLC. See they know we have no other option now that the dlc is becoming region locked but to buy the game over seas and then down the game from that counterpart network. They are trying to see what they can get away with. 

And right now i am downloading AA3, thanks the US because i am getting this 100% free

Fortunately for you, both Brink and Homefront are steamworks games, so if you buy a retail  copy, you can add it to your Steam account. You get the best of both worlds.

yea it pisses me off sometimes and I can't believe how much Activision are trying to charge for Black ops on steam $89US!?!?!? it's like $80NZ retail for fk sake why is it more expensive on steam when it costs them less to sell it? gust crazy and then publishers wonder why their PC sales are bad FFS...

Oh and Civ 5 $79 US sure the steam version has some little extras but no way it's worth that much, and worst of all Mordern warfare 2 is still $89 in NZ on steam WTF

yea true and whats worst is that they dont have to bring it down. So you have to buy retail. I am importing Civ 5 for 30 AUD including postage. 

49 dollars cheaper and take two still get there money since its brand new.