3 ms·

Instead of price discrimination based on location, do it by time. Start at $69.99, in English only. Then add language localizations in order of decreasing mea

Instead of price discrimination based on location, do it by time. Start at $69.99, in English only. Then add language localizations in order of decreasing mean disposable income for native speakers. Gradually drop the price by $5 per quarter, but also randomly put it on sale for 25% off for 36 hours at a time, to catch the folks who wishlisted the game and are watching the price. Rich folks buy at $70 and play it right away. Poor folks wait 3.5 years and then get it for $5 .

lrem 7y ago
That's Steam sales, modulo the localisations.
ses1984 7y ago
Other people speak English too. Why would "poor folks" in other markets wait?
- logfromblammo 7y ago
  They don't have to, but it's probably because they don't have enough in their entertainment budget to buy at the higher price. They could always pirate now, and then buy a catch-up license at a price they could better afford at a later time.
eridius 7y ago
Why should people in underprivileged markets have to wait years before they can play the game?
- deleted 7y ago
  [deleted]
- logfromblammo 7y ago
  Why should a development studio have to wait years before they can pay off the costs of production? The only people who have some inherent right to enjoy their product are the ones who created it. Samuel Clemens directed that the Autobiography of Mark Twain be published 100 years after his death, which was 2010. Why did we have to wait for that? Because of intellectual property laws. Poorer people have to wait, because the developers have high rent and daily expenses, and price discrimination helps the supplier capture enough of the trade value of their good that they can pay those expenses. A software program is unlikely to have repeat buyers. It's not like corn or toilet paper, where you use one up and buy another. So, if you hypothetically line up every potential buyer by the price they are willing to pay, you can capture the maximum value of trade by walking down the line and selling one copy to each person at their price. Once you sell one copy to everyone in line, you're done. But buyers keep their price secret, or lie about it, and paying your walking salesperson would eat up all that extra money. So instead, you put your price up on a big board, decrease it over time, and when it drops below a buyer's price, they just step up to the counter and purchase. Paying more allows a customer to buy earlier. Waiting in line longer allows a customer to pay less. How is this unfair? And if it is unfair, how is that the supplier's fault, rather than being inherent in the copyright system?
bartwe 7y ago
That is basically already the reality of Steam with the discounts, albeit it timed, in addition to regional pricing.

lrem 7y ago

That's Steam sales, modulo the localisations.

ses1984 7y ago

Other people speak English too. Why would "poor folks" in other markets wait?

logfromblammo 7y ago
They don't have to, but it's probably because they don't have enough in their entertainment budget to buy at the higher price. They could always pirate now, and then buy a catch-up license at a price they could better afford at a later time.

eridius 7y ago

Why should people in underprivileged markets have to wait years before they can play the game?

deleted 7y ago
[deleted]
logfromblammo 7y ago
Why should a development studio have to wait years before they can pay off the costs of production? The only people who have some inherent right to enjoy their product are the ones who created it. Samuel Clemens directed that the Autobiography of Mark Twain be published 100 years after his death, which was 2010. Why did we have to wait for that? Because of intellectual property laws. Poorer people have to wait, because the developers have high rent and daily expenses, and price discrimination helps the supplier capture enough of the trade value of their good that they can pay those expenses. A software program is unlikely to have repeat buyers. It's not like corn or toilet paper, where you use one up and buy another. So, if you hypothetically line up every potential buyer by the price they are willing to pay, you can capture the maximum value of trade by walking down the line and selling one copy to each person at their price. Once you sell one copy to everyone in line, you're done. But buyers keep their price secret, or lie about it, and paying your walking salesperson would eat up all that extra money. So instead, you put your price up on a big board, decrease it over time, and when it drops below a buyer's price, they just step up to the counter and purchase. Paying more allows a customer to buy earlier. Waiting in line longer allows a customer to pay less. How is this unfair? And if it is unfair, how is that the supplier's fault, rather than being inherent in the copyright system?

bartwe 7y ago

That is basically already the reality of Steam with the discounts, albeit it timed, in addition to regional pricing.