The main reason of the regional pricing are the big retailers, who do not want to compete with digital stores, so they force the publishers to set the prices on online stores that high.
Australians get ripped off at retail stores too so steam prices need to be that high or they couldnt do that.
While this does not apply to indie games, steam and co. will set regional rpcings themself so they do not need to bother with exchange rates at all. Thats why impusle is often the cheapest store for indie games.

...that you can unlock within hours of release by finding the non-unique access code on any given forum. ;)

It's one possible solution but might have problems with similar named, but different games, such as all the Madballs DLC (as a rough example). I have a few other options to test along with it, but the current priority, now that I have some free time over the weekend) is to get the gog promos automated. That's almost done, just need to double check the database stuff and work on removing sales once they're finished.

Sigh ... how the hell did a thread on ubisoft DRM, become a steam pricing discussion.

THE STEAM IS ALL-PRESENT.

It's a natural phenomena found on GOG, any discussion about games, if left long enough, will always wind up discussing the negatives of Valve's "service".

GoGwin's law?

Win.
I'll just note I didn't have any major problems with the DRM while playing AC2 - although I couldn't access the game during the first day I bought it.

There's speculation that Steam UK is dropping AC2 and SHV due to Ubi's DRM. Check This Article. How's that for irony; "Your DRM is too brutal for our DRM system"

That speculation is false. Valve haven't been selling new Ubisoft games in the UK since before that DRM (they stopped at around the same time the Avatar game was released -- and that uses Tages).
If anything, this is either a decision over profits and Valve not getting as much as they wanted, or another distributor (either digital or brick and mortar) arranging some kind of "exclusive" distribution in the UK.
Oh and: A PC games industry insider told us this morning: "It's the latest in the Ubisoft DRM blow-up. Steam doesn't want to lose its reputation for customer service, and these games have angered its user-base.
FUCKING LOL! Valve lost their (good) reputation for customer service *years* ago.

I almost spit my Mountain Dew all over my LCD when I read that one myself.

Ever since I bought (and had to return it) Pool of Radiance (2001) from Ubi (for the younger ones, this game was perhaps the most bug ridden game ever published, I couldn't even install it), I don't purchase anything from them. As a side note, same thing for Valve/Steam, when I bought Half Life 2. At the time the game box stated that Steam install was optional (but it was required). I had to "purchase" an "alternative" version of the game to play it. Since I'm not a big FPS fan I can live without Ubisoft and Valve.

Hey don't be so harsh on valve customer service, they're usually too busy IGNORING you to actively cause you trouble!

enjoy:
http://jedibeeftrix.wordpress.com/2010/03/20/drm-in-pc-games-%E2%80%93-how-to-get-it-right-and-what-ubisoft-did-instead/

Nice article. You might also want to check out the Tweakguides article one the same topic.
http://www.tweakguides.com/Piracy_1.html
As stated in both articles, the real biggie is to stop day zero piracy. I'd have no problem with install limits/online activation if the publishers/developers agreed to patch them out say, six months to a year later.