ISO/HP price increase by 10% (iOS)

supergarv

I just noticed that in my ios app (Europe/Germany) the price for logans went from 19.99€ to 21.99€; Stark salary from 99.99€ to 109.99€.

ISO prices to by the same.

Thats 120$ bucks after currency exchange, a 10% increase across the board. Is this intentional, did I niss an announcement here?

I occasionally spent really money on the game to support it, but this feels like a bit too much.

Arix90

Country specific price changes arent controlled by the game uk prices increased a few months back from 15 pounds to 20 gbp for 2900 hp make me buy alot less apple is responsible Youll find increase in all apps and all in app purchases same %

Daiches

Same here. 10€ is a huge increase. And without warning too! I was postponing buy in case they would run a sale in this release heavy period and now I get screwed.

Bowgentle

I don't think this is Apple doing stuff.
All other games I play have not raised prices on in game purchases.
An official response would be nice.

DeNappa

This is due to Apple. See for example this MacRumors article.

Due to foreign exchange rate changes, prices for apps and in-app purchases (excluding auto-renewable subscriptions) will increase in Denmark, Mexico, and all territories that use the Euro currency in the next 7 days.

Daiches

DeNappa said:

This is due to Apple. See for example this MacRumors article.

Due to foreign exchange rate changes, prices for apps and in-app purchases (excluding auto-renewable subscriptions) will increase in Denmark, Mexico, and all territories that use the Euro currency in the next 7 days.

Every single price increase in this game has had a seperate post on this forum. Yet a big 10% hike goes unannounced? Why are Euro's even paying 20% more than Americans? 

Bowgentle

Ah.
Thank you.
That's pretty weird considering the exchange rate of Euro vs USD has been pretty stable, but OK.

JVReal

Oh man, and I was about to buy some HP too, not anymore...

(/s)

DaveR4470

Yeah, I think a lot of people don't actually know how the Apple iOS payments system works.

One of the benefits (and to some it really is a benefit) of selling through the App Store is that Apple more or less insulates you (to an extent) from currency fluctuations and foreign reporting requirements.  I, Developer, have a deal with Apple that pays me $0.99 less Apple's haircut for every unit I sell, worldwide.  I get paid in US dollars, and don't have to worry about foreign currencies at all.  Apple -- a global company, of course -- sells the product in foreign countries in their local currencies, pricing the product to minimize the currency risk (of paying someone in US dollars and collecting in a foreign currency that may not be worth as much as you originally thought).  Which is why Apple reprices foreign currency prices of US-based apps (like MPQ) relatively frequently -- they're adjusting for the shift in the currency movement to make sure they don't lose money.  Apple also takes care of the reporting/VAT/etc. stuff from the sale.  (They may also take care of the foreign tax reporting -- I'm not sure how the platform is set up precisely.)

Also, I think this is a pan-app change -- Apple isn't changing prices on individual apps; they're changing the exchange rate they use to translate US$0.99 into whatever currency you're using.  So every US-owned app that costs $0.99 winds up with the same price change.

Mpqdr72

Europe and other countries have always payed more so Americans can enjoy lower prices, then you can paint it in any colours you like. This increase and other similar is primarily to avoid any increases for Americans, exchange rates is part of this but not the whole truth.

Quebbster

Mpqdr72 said:

Europe and other countries have always payed more so Americans can enjoy lower prices, then you can paint it in any colours you like. This increase and other similar is primarily to avoid any increases for Americans, exchange rates is part of this but not the whole truth.

I assume the developers gets paid in US dollars, so they need to make sure enough dollars are Rolling in. But if there was a price increase in the US it would presumably also hit the rest of the World while a currency adjustment would only hit players outside the US.

AXP_isme

Even if the EUR/USD rate has remained relatively stable what you're seeing is probably driven by the forward market. Most companies, and I don't imagine Apple is any exception here, hedge their projected exposures in the forward market so if that starts to shift (because of upcoming German elections perhaps) then the cost of Apple's hedge changes. If they can then they pass that cost on to the consumer. 
Apple have such a monopoly here that the price you pay is dictated directly from them, by which I mean there are no other price points out there in the market that you can use to benchmark the cost. Non USD transactions are probably just priced at the forward cost of their last big hedge plus some spread as profit for Apple. 

supergarv

Thanks for the feedback; I wasn't really aware of the specifics of this. I guess in the end it'll hit developers like DemiUrge, if less people spend money because it now feels to pricey. They basically could choose a lower tier for the ISO/HP costs to catch up the price increase, but I guess that would affect american prices then too.

MpqTron

UK Sterling prices haven't changed on Andriod

Quebbster

AXP_isme said:

Even if the EUR/USD rate has remained relatively stable what you're seeing is probably driven by the forward market. Most companies, and I don't imagine Apple is any exception here, hedge their projected exposures in the forward market so if that starts to shift (because of upcoming German elections perhaps) then the cost of Apple's hedge changes. If they can then they pass that cost on to the consumer. 
Apple have such a monopoly here that the price you pay is dictated directly from them, by which I mean there are no other price points out there in the market that you can use to benchmark the cost. Non USD transactions are probably just priced at the forward cost of their last big hedge plus some spread as profit for Apple. 

The French presidential elections are just around the corner too, it's kind of a huge deal.

Borstock

Mpqdr72 said:

Europe and other countries have always payed more so Americans can enjoy lower prices, then you can paint it in any colours you like. This increase and other similar is primarily to avoid any increases for Americans, exchange rates is part of this but not the whole truth.

There are some pharmaceutical companies that would laugh at this comment.

Quebbster

Borstock said:

Mpqdr72 said:

Europe and other countries have always payed more so Americans can enjoy lower prices, then you can paint it in any colours you like. This increase and other similar is primarily to avoid any increases for Americans, exchange rates is part of this but not the whole truth.

There are some pharmaceutical companies that would laugh at this comment.

That's because the US Health care system is completely and totally deranged, at least by European standards.

I say this as a European Health care professional by the way.

Borstock

Quebbster said:

Borstock said:

Mpqdr72 said:

Europe and other countries have always payed more so Americans can enjoy lower prices, then you can paint it in any colours you like. This increase and other similar is primarily to avoid any increases for Americans, exchange rates is part of this but not the whole truth.

There are some pharmaceutical companies that would laugh at this comment.

That's because the US Health care system is completely and totally deranged, at least by European standards.

You'll get no argument from me.

BigRussian

They upped Canadian Android currency to $133.99 per stark a couple months ago - no notice.. but it was months after they had done the same thing to Canadian Apple store. Almost a year if I remember correctly.

Sucks... but the last time they had a sale, they were on sale for the lower price of $119.99 with the 26,000 HP.