How much does a game cost where you live?

[tklivory]

The discussion in the Extra Credits: Piracy [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/6.258307-Extra-Credits-Piracy] thread got me to thinking: I live in the United States and am generally asked to pay $60 for a new PS3/Xbox game. However, as many others pointed out in the aforementioned thread, it ain't that way for everybody.

So: please answer the following questions (or add comments as you wish if your country is already represented). Would love to hear from Escapists around the world in this one!

Please answer the following questions:

1) Country where you live
2) Local currency
3) Cost of Xbox 360 game in USD (use this currency converter[/i]) in your local market
4) Average monthly income (in your area, not you specifically!) in USD (so we can see the ratio between the cost of the game and income where you live) (NOTE: not your gaming budget, the actual monthly wage of the average worker where you live)


For instance, here are my answers:

1) United States
2) US Dollars
3) $60
4) $3000


Looking forward to seeing the variety of Escapists we got on here!

EDIT:
I'm not looking to debate piracy here (that's what that other thread is for!)

I'm really just looking for information becuase it just came up over and over in that thread, and I think it wouldn't hurt for gamers in the big game markets (US, hint hint) to get a wider perspective of other countries when it comes to real-life costs for this hobby of ours.

Plus I like learning about other parts of the world. This isn't stuff that gets reported on the evening news, ya know.

[small]Edited again for clarification[/small]

 

[Marter]

1) Canada
2) Canadian Dollars
3) $60
4) I have no idea.

 

[Cpt_Oblivious]

United Kingdom
Pound Sterling £ (GBP)
Around £30 - £40 on PC, £40 - £50 on Consoles.
No idea, sorry.

 

[PunkyMcGee]

US
US
60
and the fourth question, i don't know why income of my neighborhood is relevant to how i buy games. please explain

Edit Stupid auto-correct.

 

[GundamSentinel]

1. The Netherlands
2. Euro
3. About ?60 for a new console game, ?50 for a new PC game. That would be about $82 and $68 respectively.
4. Haven't a clue.

 

[Diablo2000]

Brasil
Real
50 to 200 depending on the media(CD, DVD, Blu-ray) and the date of release.
Less that R$1000

 

[Blackality]

1)Portugal
2)Euro
3)95.3 USD
4)around 1,361.91 USD

 

[Mr.France]

1) Brazil
2) Real (R$) - 1 dollar is a bit less than R$ 2,00
3) Usually R$ 220,00, around 100 dollars I think
4) R$ 80,00 (money my parents give me)
Yeah, I don't get to buy games very often...

 

[TAGM]

1) Britian
2) Pound
3) £50 (Which is about $65-75.)
4) I'd guess about £1500 - £5000.

 

[DefunctTheory]

1) USA
2) USD
3) $60 console (XBOX/PS3), $50 PC (Plus Wii)
4) My income : $1800 after taxes, Average: Estimated Soldier $2800 (Soldiers don't get shit), Estimated Civilian Income: bajalions of dollars (God Damn contracters, I'd curse you if I wans't trying to become one of you)

1)Portugal
2)Euro
3)95.3 USD
4)around 1,361.91 USD

Ouch.

 

[Pandaman1911]

1) United States
2) U.S. Dollar
3) 60$
4) Around $3,500

Unless it's something I've pre-ordered, I never buy new myself. The last few games *I* bought with *my* money were Fallout 3, ODST, Mass Effect 2, and Red Dead Redemption. Everything else I try to get used or my parents to buy for me, because I can still do that somehow.

 

[Whiptail]

1. Sweden
2. swedish crowns
3. 700 crowns (100$)
4. no idea around 2000$ I think

 

[tklivory]

US
US
60
and the fourth question, i don't know why income of my neighborhood is relevant to how i buy games. please explain

Edit Stupid auto-correct.

As I said, this was sparked by the Piracy discussion, and one of the reasons oft-used by those who pirate games is because they can't afford to buy them. So, I was curious what the ratio of game cost to average monthly income was for other countries, since obviously in the US $60 is a small part of $3000, but in (say) Romania, where games can cost the equivalent of $100 USD, games can literally be up to a full third of the monthly income of the average worker. Also, see Yahtzee's oft-repeated rants about price hikes in Australia over his UK counterparts.

Thus the question. Thanks!

 

[Sonic Doctor]

1.)US
2.)US Dollar
3.)30 to 60 depending if it is a big name title, something less known, or has come down in price quickly.
4.)Don't know.

It all doesn't matter though. If a person can't buy a game to play it, they can't buy to play it. Life sucks sometimes because you can't get to do all the things you want to do, that's life. Price and poverty are not valid reasons to pirate. Extra Credits gave the only valid reason, that the game doesn't exist for sale anywhere. Gaming is a privilege not a right.

 

[Sinnott147]

1) Australia
2) Australian Dollars
3) $120
4) Too high to count

 

[tklivory]

1.)US
2.)US Dollar
3.)30 to 60 depending if it is a big name title, something less known, or has come down in price quickly.
4.)Don't know.

It all doesn't matter though. If a person can't buy a game to play it, they can't buy to play it. Life sucks sometimes because you can't get to do all the things you want to do, that's life. Price and poverty are not valid reasons to pirate. Extra Credits gave the only valid reason, that the game doesn't exist for sale anywhere. Gaming is a privilege not a right.

I'm not debating piracy here (that's what that other thread is for!) I'm really just looking for information becuase it just came up over and over in that thread, and I think it wouldn't hurt for gamers in the big game markets (US, hint hint) to get a wider perspective of other countries when it comes to real-life costs for this hobby of ours.

Plus I like learning about other parts of the world.

NOTE: also adding this to the OP

 

[PunkyMcGee]

US
US
60
and the fourth question, i don't know why income of my neighborhood is relevant to how i buy games. please explain

Edit Stupid auto-correct.

As I said, this was sparked by the Piracy discussion, and one of the reasons oft-used by those who pirate games is because they can't afford to buy them. So, I was curious what the ratio of game cost to average monthly income was for other countries, since obviously in the US $60 is a small part of $3000, but in (say) Romania, where games can cost the equivalent of $100 USD, games can literally be up to a full third of the monthly income of the average worker. Also, see Yahtzee's oft-repeated rants about price hikes in Australia over his UK counterparts.

Thus the question. Thanks!

oh i see where your going, but i still think game budget is a personal issue (also i don't tend to post on the video comments so i didn't know)

 

[tklivory]

US
US
60
and the fourth question, i don't know why income of my neighborhood is relevant to how i buy games. please explain

Edit Stupid auto-correct.

As I said, this was sparked by the Piracy discussion, and one of the reasons oft-used by those who pirate games is because they can't afford to buy them. So, I was curious what the ratio of game cost to average monthly income was for other countries, since obviously in the US $60 is a small part of $3000, but in (say) Romania, where games can cost the equivalent of $100 USD, games can literally be up to a full third of the monthly income of the average worker. Also, see Yahtzee's oft-repeated rants about price hikes in Australia over his UK counterparts.

Thus the question. Thanks!

oh i see where your going, but i still think game budget is a personal issue (also i don't tend to post on the video comments so i didn't know)

Well, of course you don't have to answer anything. That would be rude on my part to demand information you don't want to part with. If you think it's a personal question, then ignore it! I was just looking for an average income figure, particularly in countries outside the U.S. (since that would be what I'm most ignorant about)

 

[dragonslayer32]

1) Britian
2) Pound
3) £50 (Which is about $65-75.)
4) I'd guess about £1500 - £5000.

Where do you buy your games from? It is usually £40 max for me...

OT - UK
Pound
£40 = $63.97
I really don't know my area income, considering I live in an area full of students...