Comment Re:Why Steam? Why? (Score 0) 160
Sometimes I wonder why companies, especially companies selling digital goods, don't just set the price in one particular currency then let it somewhat auto-fluctuate in the other currencies according to the market. Wouldn't that be simpler for them?
Sorry, that's illegal in many countries with fucked currencies.
Most seller of luxury goods in Russia aren't selling at all. The ruble is toilet paper now, and you can't legally sell in dollars (though there's a very long tradition of doing so anyhow). You'll get 2x as many rubles for a dollar on the street as the official exchange rate, as people with limited access to the international market are paying a premium to GTFO. The only other choice Steam has is to stop selling to Russia at all.
Google's market cap is higher that then Russian stock market right now.
Politically speaking, Russia's currency lost value because they invaded a nearby nation and they are under sanctions.
Not at all. Not eve a little. I doubt sanctions have ever accomplished anything. This is entirely OPEC: Saudi Arabia is destroying Iran. Iran can't survive at these oil prices, and the Saudi rulers want the current Iranian leadership gone. It's not quite so simple as an extension of the Shia-Sunni conflict, but that's the heart of it. Had this happened 5 years ago, it's likely ISIS wouldn't have happened, but sadly they can survive now without Iranian funding.