Black Ops II $100 USD!? Seriously?

[Risingblade]

$100 for college books?

Damn, and i thought the UK had it bad at £30-£50 a book.

As for higher prices for the cod games, they have always been about £20 more than everything else. I guess because they can get away with it. Lots of people buy that game each year and NOTHING else game-wise. So they do not care.

30-50 a book? jesus math books here cost almost $200

 

[Dangit2019]

Holy crap O_O Those must be damn good books XD

Oh don't worry, they aren't...

 

[SoulSalmon]

You can't really compare AU and NZ prices to American currency when Americans have a minimum wage half that of Australians while having a currency close to equal.

Having a higher minimum wage is great for those working at McDonalds, yes. But there's much less difference in the wages for 'proper' jobs and I'm kind of sick of seeing this as a justification.
Plus the fact that we have less DISPOSABLE income after the fact because everything is so much more expensive.

Just quickly Googling "australian vs american cost of living" gives us this:

Consumer Prices in United States are 39.41% lower than in Australia
Consumer Prices Including Rent in United States are 41.86% lower than in Australia
Rent Prices in United States are 46.94% lower than in Australia
Restaurant Prices in United States are 42.80% lower than in Australia
Groceries Prices in United States are 37.56% lower than in Australia
Local Purchasing Power in United States is 24.16% higher than in Australia

And Googling for a wage comparison beyond "minimum wage" nets us this:

and this:

Not having a go at you personally, you raised a good point about the companies knowing what they can get away with. I'm just getting sick of this general consensus that we're all fucking millionaires or something because we make 'double the money' of everyone else.

 

[Tortilla the Hun]

Still a fucking rip off when you can get the same kind of experience from TF2. 'Cept with hats. Lots of hats o.o

I couldn't disagree with you more. Having played both, I can easily say the two experiences are vastly different. Unless, of course, you're referring to what they are at their very bases, in which case you most certainly should see that all TF2 is is just DOOM all dolled up.

On topic, I can't say I know much about exchange rates or the various economies around the world in relation to the rates in which the prices are inflated, but I guess it's why a can of soda will forever be cheaper at a high school than it'll ever be in a state fair: it's easier to milk more money from people with larger disposable incomes than it is for those who don't.

EDIT:

*snip*

[spoiler =Thank you so very much for this information.][/spoiler]

 

[distortedreality]

It's best to avoid Steam for new games because there are better alternatives, *cough*nzgameshop*cough.* Some games, like Black Ops 2, have crazy out-of-the-ordinary-prices though. Assassin's Creed 3 is $70 USD which is somewhat understandable but Black Ops 2 is $100 USD.

It REALLY depends on who the publisher is.

For example, Activision always over charge on Steam, and it's always by a ridiculous amount. Whereas I got Hitman Absolution Professional Edition (which included Steam copies of Hitman 1,2 and Blood Money) for at least $15 cheaper than the cheapest physical copy I could find.

 

[Nouw]

It's best to avoid Steam for new games because there are better alternatives, *cough*nzgameshop*cough.* Some games, like Black Ops 2, have crazy out-of-the-ordinary-prices though. Assassin's Creed 3 is $70 USD which is somewhat understandable but Black Ops 2 is $100 USD.

It REALLY depends on who the publisher is.

For example, Activision always over charge on Steam, and it's always by a ridiculous amount. Whereas I got Hitman Absolution Professional Edition (which included Steam copies of Hitman 1,2 and Blood Money) for at least $15 cheaper than the cheapest physical copy I could find.

Hmm, never knew that. Cheers! I will remember to be selective, and I will spread this knowledge to my friends.

 

[chozo_hybrid]

Wait, $100, U.S.? I just saw XCOM: EU on there just yesterday for like 40-something.

Xcom was on special, but yes, it says $100 USD.

You sure you aren't on Australian steam or something? Because I see it for $60. Steam is bugging out right now because I am in the use and have seen pricing in Euros.

I don't think there is an Australian Steam. Everything on the site (From New Zealand) is in USD. And it's a $99.99USD.

Yeah, it shows everything for me in US dollars as well in New Zealand and my friends from the US and I have compared prices on their service and they are the same.

If you like Black Ops fine, but why would you buy it on PC when Activision spits in the face of PC gamers all year round with such tripe?

OT: here in Aussie land it says $90

Still a fucking rip off when you can get the same kind of experience from TF2. 'Cept with hats. Lots of hats o.o

Not a CoD player, I was just really surprised to see this is all.

Not having a go at you personally, you raised a good point about the companies knowing what they can get away with. I'm just getting sick of this general consensus that we're all fucking millionaires or something because we make 'double the money' of everyone else.

Thanks for showing all that, because it is what a lot of people online seem to think, which is annoying >_<

It's best to avoid Steam for new games because there are better alternatives, *cough*nzgameshop*cough.* Some games, like Black Ops 2, have crazy out-of-the-ordinary-prices though. Assassin's Creed 3 is $70 USD which is somewhat understandable but Black Ops 2 is $100 USD.

It REALLY depends on who the publisher is.

For example, Activision always over charge on Steam, and it's always by a ridiculous amount. Whereas I got Hitman Absolution Professional Edition (which included Steam copies of Hitman 1,2 and Blood Money) for at least $15 cheaper than the cheapest physical copy I could find.

Thanks for that piece of insight Like Nouw, I will spread the word to my friends all around.

 

[SpAc3man]

Fellow Kiwi here. Steam is generally terrible for new release games for us. Almost always higher priced that physical copies.

Call of Duty is a particularly bad offender. Prices stay high and normally never drop below brick and mortar pricing from places like JB-HiFi.

 

[Dryk]

The prices shot up due to $100 due to a collapse of the dollar around the start of the previous generation. N64 games cost $70 here, Xbox, PS2 and Gamecube games cost $100. It made perfect sense to us without outside reference levels being readily available so we just got used to it. Now increasing numbers of people are realising that since the dollar is stronger we're getting screwed and getting angry about it.

 

[purf]

Whoa. You have interesting prices. Black Ops 2, in my Steam, is ?60 which is $US 77 which is $AUS 74.

And Black Ops 1 is also (still) ?60 which makes it the most expensive game I'ver ever bought. lesigh.

 

[chinangel]

Which version of the game is it? Also does anything else come with it? I don't know anythif about steam i am a console user .

OT: The most i payed for a game was 100 canadian dollars plus tax , so about $115. The game was suikoden 3 (ps2) , last year , in a videogame store . I got to that store a lot , and iv'e been eyeing that game for about 4 years . I have a lot of disposable income . So the price didn't bother me . One thi i regret, that same store had the entire .Hack series for 240$ , and i didn't buy it , been kicking myself ever since .

bit of a classic gamer?

OT: eh...it's a COD game. I wouldn't pay 110 for that.

 

[Bluntman1138]

You can't really compare AU and NZ prices to American currency when Americans have a minimum wage half that of Australians while having a currency close to equal.

It sucks, but the reason prices are so high is because you guys have more money and are willing to pay more for 'frivolous' things like video games. Activision (and/or Valve) must think that they can yank more money out of the people down under by charging more.

If you have no idea what you are talking about, then it is best to not comment.

AU prices for games are high because of the tax system. Coupled with AU's laws against M rated games, and impose even greater taxes for games that have an M rating. AU's parlament's plan to stop kids from getting M rated games, is to just make sure M rated games are to expensive to buy, period.

 

[dfphetteplace]

$100 for college books?

Damn, and i thought the UK had it bad at £30-£50 a book.

As for higher prices for the cod games, they have always been about £20 more than everything else. I guess because they can get away with it. Lots of people buy that game each year and NOTHING else game-wise. So they do not care.

I bought my wife's books for nursing school, they were several hundred each.

 

[chadachada123]

You can't really compare AU and NZ prices to American currency when Americans have a minimum wage half that of Australians while having a currency close to equal.

It sucks, but the reason prices are so high is because you guys have more money and are willing to pay more for 'frivolous' things like video games. Activision (and/or Valve) must think that they can yank more money out of the people down under by charging more.

If you have no idea what you are talking about, then it is best to not comment.

AU prices for games are high because of the tax system. Coupled with AU's laws against M rated games, and impose even greater taxes for games that have an M rating. AU's parlament's plan to stop kids from getting M rated games, is to just make sure M rated games are to expensive to buy, period.

Pot calling the kettle black?

I believe you are incorrect, that taxing is only a small part of the issue, since even E-equivalent-rated games for the Wii still cost exorbitant amounts of money in AU.

Are 15+ games taxed more? No idea, but it's irrelevant when simple Wii games cost a bazillion dollars too.

The least you could do is provide some sort of evidence to your claims.

 

[RhombusHatesYou]

If you have no idea what you are talking about, then it is best to not comment.

Then why did you?

Everything you said except for the fact that Australia currently has no rating above MA15+ for video games was wrong.

 

[RADIALTHRONE1]

For me (in America) Steam says Black Ops 2 is $60

 

[Arakasi]

I still don't understand why people in Australia aren't ALL using ozgameshop.com
Not that I am advertising or anything but it's like the book depository of game shops, free shipping and UK prices in Austraalia.
I will always regret the day I bought Dead Island for $108.
Black Ops 2 on there is like $70 for consoles and $60 for PC, keep in mind that these are the physical editions.
In short, fuck steam.

 

[Magicman10893]

The most expensive game I've ever bought is a tie between Dead or Alive 5 and Mass Effect 3 limited editions at $80 each. Dead or Alive probably my favorite game series from my childhood. My dad and I spent hours playing DOA1 and DOA2. I miss those days and thought that regardless of the quality of the game or the bonuses included, they deserved more money for the happiness they brought me over the years.

Mass Effect has become my Star Wars. I know they're not the most perfect games ever. I know Mass Effect 2 has become streamlined, and I don't care. Sure, they have disappointed me from time to time, but the characters, the world, and the feel are astounding to me.

 

[Yopaz]

You sure you aren't on Australian steam or something? Because I see it for $60. Steam is bugging out right now because I am in the use and have seen pricing in Euros.

I don't think there is an Australian Steam. Everything on the site (From New Zealand) is in USD. And it's a $99.99USD.

Steam changes prices depending on which country you are in. In Europe we have prices in euros which is usually just USD converted with a 1:1 conversion to euros. However I recently found out that prices in UK are usually lower than they are here even though the currency is the same. In order to have a digital distribution service you need to have clearance to use it and thus there are different rules to pricing in different countries. There might not be a specific Australian Steam store, but there are specific prices on Steam for Australian customers.

OT: Call of Duty games always cost more on Steam than most other new releases, not sure why, but probaly because people actually pay for them anyway.

Edit: most expensive game would have to be Pokemon Stadium. I think I paid around $150 for that.

 

[Th37thTrump3t]

You sure you aren't on Australian steam or something? Because I see it for $60. Steam is bugging out right now because I am in the use and have seen pricing in Euros.

I don't think there is an Australian Steam. Everything on the site (From New Zealand) is in USD. And it's a $99.99USD.

Well it is my understanding (I could very well be wrong) that NZ has some crazy anti-videogame laws that make it a pain in the fucking ass (and wallet) for game devs to publish games there. So devs have to price the games accordingly.