https://steamhost.cn/app/3105720/Business_runner/?queue=1 Look at this trainwreck. VERY POSITIVE, no less. All of the reviews are more of less the same size, all of the reviewers have exactly 20 reviews for some reason. The latter is a strange feature.

https://steamhost.cn/app/2713880/Magic_Scroll/ Check out the price and the near-identical reviews. Even worse than usual. They didn't even try.

And I was so sure I was right when I created this thread back in the day. Quarrelled with a few people, all for nothing. I regret this now, it wasn't worth spoiling the air to that degree.

Well, this thread is here, so if anyone cares more than I do - they can do that. I'm a really bad diplomat and would prefer not to speak with any support, as simple as that. Either way, thank you for participating in the discussion here and on the MW2 forum. I actually found that I agree with most of your points.

Nah, I don't give a shit anymore. Maybe I'll do that next time, when a game I care about gets this treatment. For now, I value my time and mental health more.

Okay, I give the hell up. It could be a manual idiocy, it could be automatically suggested. I still have no idea why this happens. What I can say for sure is that none of us can make a definitive statement, including myself. The absurd stands untouched. Honestly, I also lean towards the version about all of these price bumps being publishers' fault. The Valve's automated suggestion system being faulty would be a convenient way to tie all the loose ends, but there's still no confirmation to this. I'll leave you guys alone, and no hard feeling - this is a convoluted issue.

https://steamhost.cn/steamcommunity_com/app/1938090/discussions/0/3424438414113007878/ It keeps happening, here's my thread, this time it's Modern Warfare 2. And it's even worse than ever before.
https://steamhost.cn/app/1938090/Call_of_Duty_Modern_Warfare_II/
Let me just copypaste my brushed-up thoughts real quick.
https://steamhost.cn/steamcommunity_com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2818997259
I mean, I saw inadequate prices before, but this one takes the cake. It's a good thing I was never that big a fan either way. Just wanted to point out how absurd it is. To bloat a price 30-50% is a regular occurrence. This is the first 70% in my memory. Considering that the game should cost no more than 60$, to begin with, it's a 100% for no apparent reason. And they're definitely in no position to just say "stop being poor" or other nonsense like that. I think it might be fixed soon.

Earnings in USA: 4000$ monthly, game price: 70$ (1.75% money from job)
Earnings in Poland 700$ monthly, game price: 82$ (12% money from job)
The average is about 2,572$ monthly in Israel - 120$ is 4.6% of monthly salary. Yeah, that income argument just doesn't work. Inflation here is also close to none (<1% normally), NIS is a stable currency. Just saying since many people like to throw that word around in vain to look sophisticated or something.

Frankly, this does look like a math error, probably connected to Steam's automatic pricing system. I've heard it from one dev that it's broken at the core, suggesting absolutely abnormal values by default, and that they had to manually input everything if they wanted to look sane. It's more of a speculation that anything, I mean, why didn't it happen to this series before then? Have they decided to slack off and rely on automation just now? I can't tell what's going on.

Originally posted by cSg|mc-Hotsauce:

As seen on the package page, it is way off. Valve suggested prices are really bad.

https://steamdb.info/sub/730695/

:qr:

Then again, opinions differ. These could be manual mistakes every time. I have no idea.

It's not Valve fault, if you know about SteamDB, there you can actually see what Valve recommended price should be in each region, so if you go right here https://steamdb.info/sub/730692/ you could see that based on its US price ($70 USD) Valve recommend to sell it for ₪264.95 ILS (~79 USD) in your country, not ₪395 ILS! Blame the publisher who manually changed it from ₪264.95 to ₪395

Just rounded up my thoughts from the forum thread I made. It won't last long, there's a colossal flood with droves of free damage control. Of a surprisingly gentle kind, I must note. And if you think I'm exaggerating: "currently Israeli price tag of 120 dollars is the most expensive price tag for this game in the whole planet". Yep, seems so. I don't think this is a kind of "special treatment", I'm not Twitter to jump to the worst conclusions. I think it's someone's incompetence.

I was asked if I tried talking to Valve and the publishers. I did.

Originally posted by Magerama:

https://steamhost.cn/steamcommunity_com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2235392377 This. I asked more or less the same questions about Cyberpunk 2077 price, which is also bloated. Voiced the same concerns. They refuse to say anything of value on the matter. Then, I asked CDPR... and they didn't answer at all. I'm definitely not expecting an answer from Bobby Kotick or Bethesda (there was the same thing with Prey).

Anyone can check our prices on Cyberpunk 2077 or Prey. They were pretty suspicious, jumping up 20-50% for no reason, and that whole price leaping thing keeps going for years, ignored by the majority. This is the first massive failure, is all. But I think it isn't an isolated case, it may be indicative. Speculations, yes, but based on several incidents. Only the ones I personally noticed. I wish I'd remember them all, but I think that one may look up almost any AAA game on steamdb and see for oneself.

https://steamhost.cn/app/1523170/Aladdin__Save_The_Princess/

Some complete trash with suspiciously similar reviews.

https://steamhost.cn/app/1808230/Oppcium/

The two first reviews are pretty damn similar in every aspect. And it's obvious trash.

Adds to the insanity of it all