Great Steam Sales

[bobby 55]

The news here is split between the UK riots, the crash of the markets, and our Prime Minister's selling of the Carbon Tax. I think I'll stop watching the news, that won't help, but it might stave off depression a little longer.

[nerdenstein]

Even hearing about that one down under?
It's all a bit shit too be honest. My mum was a police officer 30 year ago the last time we had riots of this size in the UK. The only difference between then and now, is back then, the riots actually meant something. Now, they're being used as an excuse for violence and looting. It's shit and a bit scary to be honest.

[bobby 55]

Even hearing about that one down under?
It's all a bit shit too be honest. My mum was a police officer 30 year ago the last time we had riots of this size in the UK. The only difference between then and now, is back then, the riots actually meant something. Now, they're being used as an excuse for violence and looting. It's shit and a bit scary to be honest.

Brixton was 30 years ago? I can kinda recall that, 'Blooday Sunday' or was it Saturday? The locals interviewed say the same as you, that it's thuggery not a protest. Jeez, stay safe you guys over there.

[Xesum]

The riots in Manchester have been terrible.

Everything's broken, glass everywhere, pillaged shops lie in rubble and waste, unwanted goods lay on the ground, damaged from stampeding crowds.

Police patrol the streets in their riot gear with letters on the backs of their helmets which nobody understands.

Fortunately my favourite food establishment "Barburrito" is alright.

[bobby 55]

The riots in Manchester have been terrible.

Everything's broken, glass everywhere, pillaged shops lie in rubble and waste, unwanted goods lay on the ground, damaged from stampeding crowds.

Police patrol the streets in their riot gear with letters on the backs of their helmets which nobody understands.

Fortunately my favourite food establishment "Barburrito" is alright.

Christ! What did I say about not watching the news? I did just now, it looks like a freaking war zone in parts there.

[nerdenstein]

At least the media are accepting it's not a protest.
They were initially calling it that and it irritated me.
None of these people causing this violence give two shits about any sort of protest. It is a freaking warzone and, sure the police are wearing riot gear for their own protection but they are being too fucking soft. Refusing to use water cannons and the like, the police are being defeated by sheer numbers.
I don't blame the police though. They're just not allowed to use a lot of force. The reason these riots started in London was because a someone was shot by the police. Initially I think it was because he was black and a alot of people called it racism but the reason the police shot him was because he fired first. So really, the policeman was right to put him down to avoid other casualties. But now, that policeman is being investigated and will most likely have charges put against him.

Something to that nature anyway, that's what I've gathered from the news.

[Duke Floss]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_of_Mark_Duggan

as far as I've read - he was unarmed, and the gun "recovered" at the scene is reported to not have been fired. Further more the bullet that hit the police officer was also reported to be a police issued round.

[nerdenstein]

Oh, so he didn't shoot first? I musta missed that bit on the news. The police must have had a reason for shooting first though, else they wouldn't have done it. And he had a gun.
Either way, that should have just blown over as an isolated incident, sure I can understand a group of people protesting because a guy was shot but none of these riots are anything to do with that. 300 people swarmed through my local city centre and smashed the place up last night; I live about 3 hours away from London. I'm failing to see the connection between a protest against a man being shot, looting shops and uncontrolled amounts of violence. 5 Police stations burnt to the ground and three people dead last night because they tried to protect their shop.

[Duke Floss]

I definitely don't support the looting and rioting - but I am still not sure I'd trust they had a good reason for shooting someone dead.

As for the riots - these aren't the first (or even second) in the last few decades over there, and the lower class are understandably angry at the rights and programs being stripped away from them. Not to mention it's one of the most heavily surveilled nations, the recent media tapping private phones scandal, and the growing gap between the lower and higher classes.

Again - I'm not saying it's right, but when discontentment is bred into the lower class it is completely understandable the reaction that is likely to happen. This is sadly just another glimpse of history repeating itself.

I just hope that my friends over there are safe.

[shadowblade34]

Well, I didn't se much in Croydon these last few days, aside from a smashed up PC World and a couple of fire engines driving past the Croydon Mosque. That said, I live in Purley specifically, not in the main part of Croydon where these people are situated.

[Jaedar]

http://www.steamprices.com/eu/topripoffs

This was pretty interesting. No idea they did this.

[Jonas]

God fucking damnit. I know there are reasons for these pricing differences, I'm sure some of them may even be good, but this shit just isn't acceptable in digital distribution!

[gamer0004]

It's called price discrimination. Based on consumer's preferences, different consumers pay a different price so as to 'transfer' consumer surplus (which is equal to welfare) to producer surplus (that is, profit). European customers are used to higher prices, hence are willing to pay higher prices and thus have to pay higher prices because Valve can discriminate between European and American consumers.
Besides that, there is the issue of inflation versus exchange rates. They are not the same. The Euro has steadily increased in value since its introduction (up until the trouble with Greece and other South-European countries). Let's say it is now worth twice as much Pounds as it was when it was first introduced. Inflation was similar in Great-Britain and the Eurozone. This would mean that while wages in Great-Britain remained roughly the same compared to European wages (that is, purchasing power of wages in Europe and Great-Britain remained the same), games would suddenly become twice as expensive (meaning that one now has to work twice as long in Great-Britain to buy the same game). This would result in games being relatively expensive, as the prices of games would rise much more than the prices of other (non-imported) goods. The result would be that consumers would spend a smaller part of their income on games, which are now relatively expensive, and would rather spend it on a beer in the local pub. This would be bad for publishers, as selling one extra copy doesn't actually cost them anything (marginal cost is zero, at least in case of digital distribution). Publishers have market power because they sell differentiated products (Modern Warfare is different from Battlefield 3, which is very different from Braid &c.). Therefore they maximize profits when Marginal revenue (the extra revenue of selling one extra unit) is equal to marginal cost (which is zero), that is: by selling as many copies as long as the price drop (for ALL units) required to sell more copies is offset by the extra revenue of the extra sold copies. Doubling the price of games would probably result in a lower revenue because peolpe find them too expensive and the amount of units sold drops by more than 50%.

[bobby 55]

I don't see an Australian flag. A report yesterday stated Australians spent a fair percentage less, I'll try and get the actual figure, on games in the last 12 months. Funny how that coincides with us paying $90 for most new releases on Steam now, compared to say $60 six or so months ago. Perhaps the hand that feeds them is getting sick and tired of getting bitten.

[Hassat Hunter]

This is new for people?

I never buy from Steam for this exact reason. 100% guaranteed cheaper price in the local shop, whatever game...