The European Commission may finally end the need for regional pricing, if their proposal for the Digital Single Market is enacted.
Under the Digital Single Market, Steam and PlayStation network would offer one price across the board to all countries in the EU. Retailers would also no longer limit services in one country or the other.
While the proposal appears to be a good one for everyone involved on the surface, it may not lead to the wider distribution of games in Europe that the commission seeks. First of all, dealing with ratings agencies like PEGI is significantly more expensive than ESRB. Being compelled to offer the same services, such as say servers, all across Europe may actually make bringing some games to the region impractical.
Of course, the proposal may also not be enough to change the price disparity Europeans experience in their digital storefronts compared to their American counterparts. In other words, the Digital Single Market proposal has to be paired with changes in other aspects of making and distributing games to guarantee it has the intended effect.
The commission did have this to say to the press:
The Digital Single Market initiative seeks to provide an unfettered European market for digital goods and services across all its 28 member states.
Simplified and modern rules for online and digital cross-border purchases will encourage more businesses to sell online across borders and further develop digital markets such as games.
The commission revealed plans to draft this Digital Single Market as far back as March.
Would you trust the commission to be able to enforce and enable this for games? Or is the Digital Single Market likely to harm more than help? Share your thoughts with us in the comments.
