And the milking of EU continues

[Pann]

While true, pounds sterling still only exchange for about 2/3 as many dollars as they did prior to 2008ish.

None of which is our problem and fluctuating exchange rates are one of the costs of doing international business.

[GarGar]

None of which is our problem and fluctuating exchange rates are one of the costs of doing international business.

The other side of the coin is, fluctuating exchange rates are one of the costs of people in the UK buying international products.

[Pann]

The other side of the coin is, fluctuating exchange rates are one of the costs of people in the UK buying international products.

Not really but I would imagine that there will be less of them after this.

[GarGar]

Not really

Erm, how do you figure? If I want to sell a product for $10, everyone is going to have to pay $10 to get it. If you only have Pounds, you first have to buy Dollars. If the exchange rate changes, one year it may cost you 5 Pounds to buy $10, but the next year it might cost you 6 Pounds. I'm still charging $10, but to you it would seem the price has gone up because you have to pay more.

[Cien]

UK only, because their currency is continually dropping in value, slightly faster then the rest of the world's currency value. /nod

Someone needs to look at some exchange rates x'D

[Thrashmetal]

You're still in better situation than Europeans outside € zone.
We pay the most because € is like 4 times more value, gbp is like 5-6 times.
It would be cheaper to play on US server or buy US codes if that is even possible.

[Cien]

Cards have always cost more, it makes sense for it to cost more, it's the same with everything here (Eire), buying online does save you money.



You got lucky, it's always been more expensive to buy cards compared to digital GT.

I can buy my gamecards with my staff discount, wooo. 60 days = £16.20, yey

[Deleted]

For everyone comparing EU prices to US prices, you need to bear in mind sales taxes. US sales taxes are generally lower than the EU equivalent (VAT), therefore EU prices will need to be higher for Blizzard to get the same net income. Also as blizzard is a US company it's base currency will be dollars therefore the EU will generally have a slightly higher comparable cost as we will bear the exchange rate risk.

£1 per month is hardly a deal breaking increase as far as I am concerned, I find it hard to believe that it would be for anyone but perhaps that it's projection bias on my part. What difference is that £1 really going to make?

At the end of the day it's just business, not really anything to get too worked up about.

[Cannibalus]

They are kinda milking it in a stupid way... or maybe i'm bad at economy who knows? Probably GBPs are heavier so they have to hire bigger guys to carry all those bags of money across the ocean while swimming hmm...

[GarGar]

At the end of the day it's just business, not really anything to get too worked up about.

Yeah really. Too many people take these kinds of things personally, like Blizz is only doing this to personally insult every UK player out there.. or something. Cmon folks..

[Pann]

Erm, how do you figure? If I want to sell a product for $10, everyone is going to have to pay $10 to get it. If you only have Pounds, you first have to buy Dollars. If the exchange rate changes, one year it may cost you 5 Pounds to buy $10, but the next year it might cost you 6 Pounds. I'm still charging $10, but to you it would seem the price has gone up because you have to pay more.

Because that is not how the world works. How much you are making is of no concern to the customer if you wish to trade internationally you should account and plan for fluctuating exchange rates the customer does not care that suddenly you are $1 out of pocket because you have failed to anticipate exchange rates.

[Deleted]

Because that is not how the world works. How much you are making is of no concern to the customer if you wish to trade internationally you should account and plan for fluctuating exchange rates the customer does not care that suddenly you are $1 out of pocket because you have failed to anticipate exchange rates.

Err... That's exactly the point. Why do you think the UK price has remained the same for so many years despite the fluctuating exchange rate to the dollar? Exchange rate risk was built into the price.

No one can anticipate exchange rate movements over an extremely long periods of time, it was inevitable there would be a rebalancing eventually.

In any event exchange rates are one of the many factors that would have effected the price increase.

[GarGar]

Because that is not how the world works. How much you are making is of no concern to the customer if you wish to trade internationally you should account and plan for fluctuating exchange rates the customer does not care that suddenly you are $1 out of pocket because you have failed to anticipate exchange rates.

Uuuhhmmm, are you sure you know what you're talking about? Because I've bought plenty of international products. They charge in GBP if from the UK, or EUR if from Europe. They don't care how many Dollars I have to spend to buy enough GBP or EUR to pay them. The producer sets the price, and it's up to the customer to pay it if they want the product. I'm not sure what "real world" you live in if you think it works differently.

[Bitethe]

1eur a month makes me sick to my stomach im so angry fuck blizzard, this is outrageous i just can't believe this is happening to me...

^this thread

Infracted.

[Pann]

Err... That's exactly the point. Why do you think the UK price has remained the same for so many years despite the fluctuating exchange rate to the dollar? Exchange rate risk was built into the price.

No one can anticipate exchange rate movements over an extremely long periods of time, it was inevitable there would be a rebalancing eventually.

In any event exchange rates are one of the many factors that would have effected the price increase.

The exchange rate is roughly the same as it was when WOW launched not to mention for several years prior to the financial crash the GBP was much stronger compared to the dollar peaking at over $2 per £1, I notice Blizzard did nothing and were quite happy to rake in almost $20 per month from their UK customers.

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Uuuhhmmm, are you sure you know what you're talking about? Because I've bought plenty of international products. They charge in GBP if from the UK, or EUR if from Europe. They don't care how many Dollars I have to spend to buy enough GBP or EUR to pay them. The producer sets the price, and it's up to the customer to pay it if they want the product. I'm not sure what "real world" you live in if you think it works differently.

I have no idea what you are talking about. We are not talking about buying a product from overseas ATVI are incorporated in the UK and Ireland they are not importing anything. They set the price in the UK and file accounts in the UK it has nothing to do with exchange rates.

[Xentronium]

Shopping around shows quite a difference in price.

http://www.g2play.net/category/150/world-of-warcraft/

A shame that EU can't use those U.S. ones.

[Kharum]

In Brazil we pay less then half of the US. 1 month costs 15,00 R$, which is equivalent to $6,61.

Anyway, if they are adjusting the prices I fear they will raise here as well, since the real is currently devaluated.

[Deleted]

The exchange rate is roughly the same as it was when WOW launched not to mention for several years prior to the financial crash the GBP was much stronger compared to the dollar peaking at over $2 per £1, I notice Blizzard did nothing and were quite happy to rake in almost $20 per month from their UK customers.

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Like I said, exchange rate risk was built into the price. The strength of the pound seems to have largely protected us from any prices changes over the years, but alas, all good things come to an end. As I also said, exchange rates are but one of many factors.

[Deleted]

"1 pound more, OHMYGOD this is outrageous. Blizzard is money hungry company, that decided to milk its players by increasing subscription cost by WHOLE 1 pound!!!1!1!"
Chill the fuck out, it's only 1 pound, not like it changes anything.
Of course whiners who live in these forums 24/7 will cry over this nonstop, but hey, what's new.

[Deleted]

For me, it's more the awful timing than anything and the deal of uninterrupted subscription for the same pricing.

"Hey guys, y'know that new content you're giving us money for? We also want you to pay a little more for it if you're not going to let us autodip into your account every month for the next 2 years."