In this article, frags raises the valid question of whether game pricing should be adjusted equitably towards the purchasing power of the people in any given region or country. I don’t have any exact figures on how much damage the local retail industry is taking in this age of Steam, but perhaps it’s time retailers started pricing games as entertainment, and not luxury products. On the insanity of the local pricing for Starcraft II, I have nothing good to say. Read the full article here.

Pricing has always been the eternal question in Malaysia and around our region. Well, at least for video games(PC or console games for that matter). It is one that has divided so many gamers into those that buy original and to those that continue to buy pirated game(or instead drop into the slew of free to play games available now). Although it can be argued that even pirates(you have to be fair here) could afford original game, just not that too often. This isn’t the main reason for piracy, just one that is often quoted. At least in Malaysia.

And this is a common argument amongst fellow Malaysians, and one that I’m finding myself starting to fall into recently. Fact is, our purchasing power is just not equal to Singaporeans. Publisher often lump us Malaysians together with Singaporeans which often means we’re getting local retail copies of games adjusted to the Singaporean cost of living. The Thais get further price drops, but we Malaysians get a minor discount, when you think about it, the cost of living and purchasing power parity of Malaysians with Singaporeans is just not the same or even fairly similar.

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