Well this really sucks!

I didn't realise this, but steam charges more for games if your IP address is outsite the US.

Previously game retailers have used the crappy excuse of expensive shipping, taxes, currency conversion fees etc etc to hike the price of games here in Aus, and I thought by buying games via download I'd be saving money, but no - it seems steam is on the bandwagon with the rest of the retailers, gouging us aussies and nz'ers!

Assholes!

Try this .. go to http://store.steampowered.com/?cc=us and go find BC2 and check the price. THEN open steam and see what it tries to charge you for the same game, since you're connecting from Aus/NZ

The aussie one is 69.99 and the US one is 29.99

With the current exchange rate of $1AUS : ~0.91USc, it should be ~$32.50, NOT 69.99!!

EDIT: More info

steam (aus) are selling Mafia II (for example) for 79.99 US

cdwow are selling it for 44.95AUS with free shipping ( http://www.cdwow.com.au/games/mafia-ii-pc/dp/4759443#bc=f3d3 )

come on guys - don't buy anything else from steam until they make it fairer, otherwise they'll continue to screw us because they think we either don't mind or are too dumb to realise we're being screwed.

Yep. I bought Borderlands through JB Hi Fi because Steam was more expensive.

Screw em.

its all games...

a new release here in eb or jb may cost $100 but in the USA its under $50

yep - i used to buy lots of games from cdwow - they had good prices and free shipping but when steam was new i thought for a while there i WAS getting the cheaper prices by purchasing through steam ..

but now they region lock sales and they know where you're located and gouge accordingly

a further insult is, if they know im in Aus and charge me a different price because of it, then why charge me in US$ and make me pay a conversion fee, when I'm not even getting the same price as consumers in the US

guess i'll just go back to buying online from CDwow

just got to shop for the best price at the time & be happy for what you get but it would be nice to get it for what the US do imagine how many game we could have & not finished yet

I buy games when ever I can retail, all of the games I have ever bought off steam are the ones on special

no surprises here.
Ea and 2k games are notorious for the pricing.
Do your research, hunt around for the best price. There is a tonne of places all with advantages and disadvantages. Decide if you need the game right now or can wait for it to download or arrive from overseas.