I don't know how much people know about this topic. Quite frankly, I wasn't even aware that such a thing as regional pricing existed until Steam added it, and I was baffled. Being from Colombia, this meant that I could finally afford some games without having to think about it, rethink it, and then consider if skipping a meal would be worth a 10-hour game.
You see, being from a third-world country implies that my currency is way, way less valuable than the US dollar. After COVID-19 hit, there was a time where I had to pay $4,000 COP for $1 USD.
I often found myself looking at a game I might want and not being able to afford it. Heck, when I bought Fallout 4, I paid $200,000 COP for it. For reference, the minimum wage here in Colombia is $908,526 COPmonthly. That is 22% of our minimum wage for one game. Whenever it's a $20 USD game, I have to fork over $74,000, which should be the price of a AAA game.
Don't get me wrong, I will forever be eternally grateful to Steam for allowing regional pricing to begin with. Ever since then, I've been allowed to purchase and play games so much more commonly. For once, I didn't have to actually skip a meal because I really wanted to play a game before I got spoiled, or finally be there for a newly-released game. Something I wasn't able to do until this same year, with Kena: Bridge of Spirits - I've been a gamer for well over 10 years and this was the first time I could boot a game on launch day.
This story is from the Issue 146 - Dec 2021 edition of GameOn Magazine.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the Issue 146 - Dec 2021 edition of GameOn Magazine.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
The Lost Legends of Redwall: Feasts & Friends
The Lost Legends of Redwall: Feasts & Friends is a cooking simulator based on the Redwall book series.
Men of War II
There was a time when games based on World War II were all the rage, with releases ranging from first-person shooters to stealth based espionage.
SAND LAND
As someone who doesn't watch a lot of anime or read a ton of manga, I was very surprised to find out that Akira Toriyama had done more than just Dragon Ball.
Survival: Fountain of Youth
Survival: Fountain of Youth is a uh, well, you can tell from the title. It’s a survival game developed by Odinsoft Inc. and published by Twin Sails Interactive and CE-Asia.
Little Kitty, Big City
I have anxiously been awaiting the release of Little Kitty, Big City since I first saw the announcement years ago, on the 13th of November 2021.
One Last Breath
Crikey, looks a lot like INSIDE, this, doesn’t it? I mean, a lot.
Neptunia Game Maker R:Evolution
As the resident Neptunia fan, I always look forward to the next game from Idea Factory.
Cabernet
I can’t entirely recall how I ended up coming across Cabernet, just that I knew one day that I wanted to give it a look.
Roots of Yggdrasil
Roots of Yggdrasil centres around the survivors of Ragnarök— the end and rebirth of the nine worlds, according to Norse mythology, brought on by an epic battle of the gods.
Sledders
If you have ever had the opportunity to ride a snowmobile, I have a game that allows you to recreate that experience and won’t require you to freeze your buttocks off.