Price Increase. Are us "Downunder Trainzers' getting scr_wed? Hope not!!!

Ok, so N3V have decided to sell everything in US green back dollar's!!! The new Model Railway 2017 (which I thinks going to be a great addition to Tane) is going to sell for $49.99US. I guess N3V's have the right to put whatever price they want on it!!!

Now on today's (17th Nov 2016) exchange rate, that means $49.99US is $70.42NZ. ($1US costs $1.41NZ 17th Nov). If TMR17 was $49.99Aus it would only be costing us Kiwi's $52.65NZ (on 17th Nov exchange rate).

Now "Ocker Blue" from across the Tasman is also facing a price hike as well. Instead of "Ocker Blue" only having to pay $49.99Aus, which I think is reasonable, he now has to pay $66.86Aus which is $49.99US. (on 17th Nov exchange rate).

I don't know, does this appear like a price hike by N3V to you??? - You decide!!! Without getting my calculator out, that equates to about a 34% increase to Aussies Trainzers & 37%+ (approx) increase to Kiwi's Trainzers. (that's assuming $49.99Aus would be a fair & reasonable price for TMR17)...

Obviously N3V think it's worth more. (& they maybe right). Only time will tell. I guess the Trainzers/general public will ultimately decide, by the number of units that sell...

Unfortunately, I can now see some Trainzers on a tight budget holding off buying TMR17, until N3V have a sale on it.

After talking to a couple of fellow Kiwi Trainzers about TMR17, they've said that they'll probably hold off buying it for a while, (probably until it's on sale). One said he'd be quite happy to pay around $50 - $55NZ for TMR17 (as he thinks that would be a reasonable price for Kiwi's). I tend to agree with him!!!

The other is a pensioner and is on a really tight budget, (survives only on the pension the Kiwi Gov't pays him fortnightly), so I'd say he'll wait until it's "on sale", no matter what "price point" TMR17 comes on the market at.

I'm sure it's going to be a really good addition to Tane, (or as a stand alone), but whether or not it's going to be worth paying the extra "premium" for those that are on a tight budget, only time will tell. Hopefully so...

Most of us understand that N3V needs the income to keep the doors open and pay the bills.

It's not really the extra money that bothers me personally. It's the feeling that some of the loyal longstanding Trainzers that have stayed loyal to N3V/Trainz thru thick & thin (good & bad times) and are on a tight budget, might feel that the price is now a little over the top for them & they aren't getting rewarded for their longstanding support...

If N3V want to avoid the possibility of some Trainzers possibly feeling a bit "cross" with the price hike, then they may wish to consider making the price of TMR17 more reasonable at say; $37.40US ($49.99Aus). (on today's exchange rate).

Even with the above comments, I'm genuinely hoping that TMR17 is a major success for N3V...

Just some of my thoughts. Whats your views?

Cheers, Mac...

I think it's a mistake and should be $39.99. At last I hope so if N3V actually intend to sell any.

There is another thread called New Trainz Online Store "Soft Opening" which has quite a few posts on the same thing and unfortunately seems to show that there are a number of people from a certain country that don't understand exchange rates. To sell an Australian product in USD for the reason they have said, is a little naïve in my opinion. The AUD is currently less than the USD but given that many investment analysts suggest that the Australian economy is quietly moving ahead and the US one is in for a correction or a possible recession, then perhaps the AUD may become worth more than the USD!! One Australian friend of mine, a long time Trainzer phoned me today to tell me about this he has made the decision to finish with Trainz because of it. It wil cost him money. Perhaps they should have made it in the currency of China instead as that is where the future is. The fact that products will likely cost us quite a bit more depending on the strength of the USD, even Australians will likely have to pay more as there is a conversion cost from AUD to USD that will be in every purchase. Have a look at your Visa statement after a trip overseas to see what I mean. Cheers and happy spending.

Well that rules me out of buying TMR, at US$49.95, at our "old" exchange rate of ~US$1.30 would have been expensive enough, but at ~$1.18 that's well over £40 for what is essentially a spin off version of a programme I already own. Would still have been a bit pricey on the AUS$ conversion but perhaps just within the okay whatever ceiling.

The pricing of USD$7 per route (less than aud $10) is what we feel is a fair market price. Potential buyers are free to determine if this price meets their purchase threshold or not. Our estimate is we are offering less than $1 per hour of entertainment which is cheap in anyone's language (or currency).

In response to the opening post I should also add that at $1usd it would only cost $1.35nzd - it's not the exchange rate that it is the problem your are seeing but rather the value. That piece I addressed above- we think this is great value.

if we continue to sell at prices that generate insufficient revenue, then all Trainz fans will continue to wait longer for updates and new content to appear.

Exchange rates can vary at the drop of a hat ... or on a Brexit vote ... or on a US Presidential election vote.

Perhaps the best solution is to check how your local currency is tracking against the $US and buy when the rate is more favourable. That is exactly what I will be doing.

To be fair, when all Auran/N3V prices were in $AU, customers from the US had the same problem. In April 2011, for example, the $AU was worth more than the $US. I was in the USA at that time and reaped the benefits. But regardless of which currency you choose, someone will suffer financially.

As Tony has already pointed out in another thread, the $US is the most traded currency in the world and most of the online store customers come from the US with Australia ranking 3rd, 4th or 5th depending on the product being bought.

When a KMart was closing, and having a 75% off liquidation sale, a lady said: "$19.99 for a toaster oven, I can probably get it cheaper at Walmart" (And drive 20 miles back and forth to both stores, burning all that gasoline, and wasting precious personal time) ... I said to her: "And that (buying at Walmart ideology) is exactly why KMart is closing this (and many other) stores, and the Company is slowly going out of business, as it's longtime customers are bankrupting KMart, for a small matter of a difference of few pennies" !

Tony_Hilliam said:

The pricing of USD$7 per route (less than aud $10) is what we feel is a fair market price. Potential buyers are free to determine if this price meets their purchase threshold or not. Our estimate is we are offering less than $1 per hour of entertainment which is cheap in anyone's language (or currency). In response to the opening post I should also add that at $1usd it would only cost $1.35nzd - it's not the exchange rate that it is the problem your are seeing but rather the value. That piece I addressed above- we think this is great value. If we continue to sell at prices that generate insufficient revenue, then all Trainz fans will continue to wait longer for updates and new content to appear.

Click to expand...

Not to sure where you get the $1.35NZD from Tony. The exchange rate in NZ today (17th Nov 2016) was $1.41NZ buys $1USD. ($1.4089NZ to be exact).

If Tony/N3V think that the pricing for TMR17 is right at $49.99US, then fair enough. The proof of the pudding is going to be in how many people purchase TMR17 at that price. Hopefully a large number of people, so N3V can pay their outgoings & keep the doors open.

I'm a little curious as to how you calculated the "$1 per hour of entertainment" for Trainz user tho... I would agree with you Tony that Trainz is a pretty inexpensive "hobby" compared to some hobby's. (Ocean fishing costs me thousands per year)... Chasing wild women, even more. :hehe:

Hopefully when TMR17 is launched, the feedback in the forum will be really positive & everyone/most think that they have got great value for money. At the end of the day, it will be the consumers that will determine whether they feel they have got a great product for a fair & reasonable price...

Looking forward to hopefully reading a lot of positive feedback after launch.

Cheers, Mac...

pware; Perhaps the best solution is to check how your local currency is tracking against the $US and buy when the rate is more favourable. That is exactly what I will be doing.

I think I was in diapers the last time the Kiwi dollar gained parity with the US dollar. Cheers...

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I must admit, it's a bit on the pricey side, even though it's U.S. Dollars. I too wish that it was Australian Dollars instead of U.S. Dollars, as it being priced in Australian Dollars usually results in it being cheaper for me. I will also note that pay day for me is Black Friday, and I hope that pre-order will still be available at that time. If you don't already know, Black Friday is the Friday after Thanksgiving (Thanksgiving will be November 24th), and that is when people start buying Christmas stuff (Christmas trees, lights, etc.) in earnest, so it's one of the busier days of the year.

Isn't it a ratio ... where if something is priced in AUD ... Your US credit card is billed a different amount, in the USD equivalent amount ... and versa visa ?

I think it makes no difference ... it all work out in the end purchase

Tony_Hilliam said:

The pricing of USD$7 per route (less than aud $10) is what we feel is a fair market price. Potential buyers are free to determine if this price meets their purchase threshold or not. Our estimate is we are offering less than $1 per hour of entertainment which is cheap in anyone's language (or currency).

In response to the opening post I should also add that at $1usd it would only cost $1.35nzd - it's not the exchange rate that it is the problem your are seeing but rather the value. That piece I addressed above- we think this is great value.

if we continue to sell at prices that generate insufficient revenue, then all Trainz fans will continue to wait longer for updates and new content to appear.

Click to expand...

So now people are complaining about the pricing!? Unbelievable! Only in the trainz forum!!!

Well said, Tony!!!

Ish

Until there is one world currency we all receive in our pay packets and use to buy everything, we're stuck with exchange rates. If your money is worth half of the selling currency, you'll have to pay twice the quoted price, that's how it works. Don't like the number, change the rate and you can get a better number.

G'day, well it has been a long and sometimes bumpy ride but this B/S with going to USD is the straw that broke the camels back. I have purchased nearly all of the DLC units and virtually all of the trainz series but I am now tired of it all, the never ending fixing especially when you get a newer version and now this new pricing policy, i'm out of here and have already removed everything to do with trainz from my computers. Now for some real me time, enjoy your trainz but i'm gone and won't be here or anywhere near trainz ever.
Regards, your never-ending well wisher.
Hari Bol
Bhakta Barrie

Can someone please provide one or two instances where you are actually paying more than previously, now that the prices are now shown in the AUSD equivalent USD ?

I think it is in error that people are stating that they are paying more ... You are just paying in USD equivalent, which is on a different scale ... but in actuality you are paying the same as previous store prices that were shown in AUSD

It is the same difference ... This is silly ... Break out your calculators and prove that you are paying more for a FCT or DLC

Think ... And research ... before you post nonsense !

Old Store 1 year FCT prices in AUSD
34.99 Australian Dollar equals
25.96 US Dollar

New store 1 year FCT prices in USD
26.99 US Dollar equals
36.41 Australian Dollar

So there is a $1.42 AUSD difference
And a $1.03 USD difference

Oh my ... a Huge price increase ... I think I'll quit Trainz, throw a hissy fit, and "hoif" my PC out the window !

Cocoa powder last year was $3.99 ... now it is $4.39 ... That's it ... I'm giving up cocoa, and slaughtering the milking cow !

cascaderailroad said:

Can someone please provide one or two instances where you are actually paying more than previously, now that the prices are now shown in the AUSD equivalent USD ?

I think it is in error that people are stating that they are paying more ... You are just paying in USD equivalent, which is on a different scale ... but in actuality you are paying the same as previous store prices that were shown in AUSD

It is the same difference ... This is silly ... Break out your calculators and prove that you are paying more for a FCT or DLC

Think ... And research ... before you post nonsense !

Old Store 1 year FCT prices in AUSD
34.99 Australian Dollar equals
25.96 US Dollar

New store 1 year FCT prices in USD
26.99 US Dollar equals
36.41 Australian Dollar

So there is a $1.42 AUSD difference
And a $1.03 USD difference

Oh my ... a Huge price increase ... I think I'll quit Trainz, throw a hissy fit, and "hoif" my PC out the window

Click to expand...

Well put, Cas -- kudos to you, sir!!!

Imagine if I get upset everytime my grocery store price increases ... I go hungry --- pack of strawberries cost $2.99 last week, and this week $5.99 .. And, I have to buy it for my twin girls ages 8s for thier school lunch!

Ish

When gasoline prices jumped from $1.79 to $1.99 ... I quit my job, stopped driving, as a Boycott ... No one even noticed my absence ... my boss never even called my home to ask if I was in an accident, or where I was (10 years later ... I'm still waiting for his teleophone call ... I don't think he loves me) people just had more, and more, kids, and bought 6 zillion more cars, and burned trillions of gallons of gasoline ... while I sat here and played Trainz

burned trillions of gallons of gasoline ... while I sat here and played Trainz

Click to expand...

Gasoline powered PC?

In seriousness though, I can understand some people either misunderstanding the process of switching to USD or the current minor discrepancy in pricing.

If we had launched this on the old store at $69.99 I doubt anyone would have raised an eyebrow that the price in USD would be $52.44 - a full USD$2.50 more than the current RRP (aud$3.33 more).

I did a quick check on xe.com and it's intersting to see the fluctuations that have been occurring without mention for years on the old store.

When TANE was launched on Kickstarter AUD$69.99 was USD$62.99
When TANE went live in May 2015 AUD$69.99 was USD$54.59
When TANE SP1 was released in Jan 2016 AUD$69.99 was USD$47.50

As always, consumers get to make a choice with their wallets...

Putting aside all the other things that could put me off to Trainz (I'm not going to talk about DRM or subscription systems here), I don't mind a modest price hike. Quite frankly, cost versus value I get makes pretty much everything else pale in comparison. I'd rather spent 60 whatever-dollars and get 5000 hours out of Trainz than spend probably more for a ballgame or a night out at Dave & Buster's, for just a few hours. Heck, Trainz is less than dinner at a good restaurant, and it sure lasts a lot longer!

For so long trainz has been an Aussie product and good value for money in Aussie dollars and have been quit happy to invest in a Aussie product. Not so happy to support an Aussie company by paying US dollars or prices losing some of the aussieness.

I know how you feel ... I was so disillusioned when I went to Outback Steakhouse in Philly, and went to pay them in Australian currency, and they said: "WTH is this, Monopoly money" ? The only people with Australian accents at Outback, were me, and my son, and we were doing a really bad job of acting out Australian accents ... "How do you want your steak" ? ... "Rawhhh, Criakie, Ouie, Sheelah, Faustah's Lahga, Coopah's, Tooies" ... then we got kicked out !

https://www.google.com/search?q=ant...UICSgC&biw=1044&bih=532#imgrc=oU2X2YHz_3VJEM: