Why does Minecraft Pocket Edition cost more on Windows Phone than on Android and iOS?

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Windows Central Question

Why does Minecraft Pocket Edition cost more on Windows Phone than on Android and iOS

A simple question really.

Microsoft bought Mojang, so presumably it can exert some influence over pricing.
Microsoft presumably wants people to want to buy and use Windows Phone.

So why does it currently charge ?5.39 for Minecraft PE on the UK Windows Phone store, but only ?4.99 on the Google Play store, and I think on iTunes?

Ordinarily the answer will be because of the user base, and quantities of each that they are likely to ship, and I'd understand that, if this software weren't now owned by Microsoft, and surely they want to promote their own platform!

I'm not suggesting for one moment that this 40p is going to be a deciding factor for which ecosystem of phone somebody buys into, but it just seems, well, odd. It feels like they think (and are probably right) that users of Windows Phone are so desperate to have some apps on their phones that they are willing to pay just that little bit more for them. Or put another way, they are taking the right royal proverbial.

So what gives? Microsoft is worth a lot of money and clearly they must have some good business sense, but this one has baffled me ever since MS purchased Mojang.
 

xandros9

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Maybe it's just a currency exchange thing?

In the US at least, it costs $6.99 USD across the board. $6.99 at the App Store, Google Play, for Windows Phone...

Although the Windows 10 Edition is $9.99. Albeit, it's more PC oriented I feel.
 

Syncaidius

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Re: Why does Minecraft Pocket Edition cost more on Windows Phone than on Android and iOS

Recently it's felt like Microsoft would rather kill the Windows Phone platform and wipe all of its user base, but obviously that isn't true since they're still working on Win Mobile 10.

As for the price difference of Minecraft PE, it could be anything from development costs, currency exchange, different tax handling, greed or the loathed consumer demand.

Honestly, I don't think we'll ever know for sure why it costs more.:eek:rly:
 

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