Poll: Games prices in Australia

[thedoclc]

First off, lemme just be clear on this again, the market is not Serbia. It's not one country in the middle of fucking nowhere. It's a really big part of the market, though I don't want to blurt out a percentage point as that'll just steer the discussion onto "lol x%, you're way off".

However, if I were buying software over the internet, and I could buy it dirt cheap in Serbia, how long do you think it would take me to get a proxy server in Serbia? Offering a cheap alternative to Serbians would open up a means by which consumers paying the higher price could dodge that high price.

Ehm, if using a proxy is such a viable option, how come Aussies are buying their games for 120$ on Steam if they could lie about where they're from and get the game cheaper? Why aren't they dodging that price when it's more expensive for them?

You do realise that the system you're saying couldn't work already works? In fact, it's what this thread is kinda about in the first place - Aussies paying one price, Americans paying another. But Serbians (and all the other countries in the same bundle) paying a third price is... impossible? Creates loopholes? How exactly? I really don't get where you're coming from on this one.

Some folks already beat the system by using American servers and funds in USD. They are already exploiting the loophole I mentioned. The incentive is simple; they can buy it a lot cheaper, and transferring funds between accounts once you open the new account at a bank takes just a few keystrokes (I'm doing it all the time between Banamex and Citi.) Open up an even bigger price difference, and you just increase the incentive for people to defraud you by claiming to be in a different region. As a publisher, I would rather charge an Australian more, but not be too unhappy if some of them purchase the game claiming to be in the US and pay American prices. It's a loss of economic profit based on price discrimination, which still sucks. If I opened up a "developing nations" pricing plan so I could sell to small markets in Mexico, Serbia, etc., where many people don't have gaming machines, gaming consoles are a luxury item, and computers tend to cost more, then I could watch my American and European -and- Australian consumers pretend to be from those regions and lose a hell of a lot more than just the economic profit I made from price discrimination.

 

[Vrach]

Some folks already beat the system by using American servers and funds in USD. They are already exploiting the loophole I mentioned. The incentive is simple; they can buy it a lot cheaper, and transferring funds between accounts once you open the new account at a bank takes just a few keystrokes (I'm doing it all the time between Banamex and Citi.) Open up an even bigger price difference, and you just increase the incentive for people to defraud you by claiming to be in a different region. As a publisher, I would rather charge an Australian more, but not be too unhappy if some of them purchase the game claiming to be in the US and pay American prices. It's a loss of economic profit based on price discrimination, which still sucks. If I opened up a "developing nations" pricing plan so I could sell to small markets in Mexico, Serbia, etc., where many people don't have gaming machines, gaming consoles are a luxury item, and computers tend to cost more, then I could watch my American and European -and- Australian consumers pretend to be from those regions and lose a hell of a lot more than just the economic profit I made from price discrimination.

So basically the gist of what you're saying is "it's ok as long as we do our best to fuck someone over, but if we can actually do something useful, nuts to that, someone might screw us over". I'm still not buying the fact it'd be a net loss - there are plenty of gamers both here and across the other regions and they'd be happy to pay for a normal price on a game (and having a normal game price would actually get ISPs to do more than tell you "try another torrent in a few days", leading to more of a stranglehold on piracy).

I think the few people that bother with "defrauding" the system (I honestly don't see the point in it outside for a few games, why not just outright pirate it? If you're gonna cheat the system, go all the way) would be way outnumbered by the amount of people dropping the piracy and buying legit games.

But honestly, we've been going at it too long and are just not getting through to each other, so am calling quits on this argument, feels like a waste of time.

 

[thedoclc]

*snip*

So basically the gist of what you're saying is "it's ok as long as we do our best to fuck someone over, but if we can actually do something useful, nuts to that, someone might screw us over".

*snip*

But honestly, we've been going at it too long and are just not getting through to each other, so am calling quits on this argument, feels like a waste of time.

Please look up the term "straw man." Thanks.

It's called price discrimination, which has an unsavory sound, but in economics just means charging different classes of clients whatever you have to to maximize your profits. It's what any business with sense does. Sometimes the consumer winds up benefiting; it's the same principle as when a restaurant charge less for "early birds," making a smaller margin on clients who come into a restaurant at a time when it is slow in order to get those customers. You think they should price discriminate (downwards) to get customers in those markets. I think it's probably not a good idea from their point of view. The companies apparently -also- don't think it's a good idea. They're out to make profit; if they thought price discrimination in favor of consumers in developing nations would make them more money, they'd be at it already.

Yeah, we're going to just have to agree to disagree.

 

[ilspooner]

Poor us. I really don't get why the games come out way later, and then we have to pay tons more. Oh well, I normally wait for a bit for the prices to drop.

 

[JaysonM]

I honestly would pay 120 bucks for a game, but I wouldn't be happy about it...

I would pirate the game if it was solely single player... because I think 120 bucks is way to steep for any video game... unless they had reasons to justify it (High server costs)

 

[veloper]

Way too steep. No sale.

You aussies are getting ripped off. It's not taxes, because the highest taxes are in Europe and we pay 20% more than americans.
Somewhere in the middle is are aussie distributers raking in an extra $60 per game for zero effort.

Don't do business with them. Grey import everything, if you insist on being legit. It will be alot cheaper.

 

[Sark]

Why is everyone so stupid?

The exchange rate between Australia and the USA is currently in our favour. 1AUD>1USD. This does not translate to game prices for quite a few reasons, I'll give you a fun one.

Australian's get paid more money for the same work that Americans. Our minimum wage is significantly higher, thus, the value of an American dollar is higher.

This doesn't just apply to video games. We pay a larger amount of money for the same goods and services. We make a larger amount of money.

Now, to exploit this, import games from overseas. Pay the same price as what an American pays, get paid more money from your job. If you do this, you win.

 

[smithy_2045]

If you're willing to wait for it to ship, buy from the UK. Still significantly cheaper than buying it locally, and it'll still work on your Australian PAL console.

 

[irequirefood]

This is why I don't buy the game on release unless I am a big supporter of the developers/really, really want the game. It really sucks having to pay more, but at least for PS3 games I can order from the US, as long as I don't want to get DLC for it.

 

[Cazza]

I was just bitching about that a few hours today when I saw the exchange rate. Also petrol. It's probably done because they can get away with it. People complain but not everyone then shop online for games.

 

[Woodsey]

i saw a ps3 verion of GTA4 in Game a few days ago.

$100.
Still.

Holy shit, that's like £60!

I thought Activision were being ridiculous leaving MW2 at £40 even after Blops has been released which is also £40.

OT: Surely it's to do with inflation or something?

 

[mew1234321]

So an important point to note the Australian dollar and the US dollar are almost 1 for 1.
That said most games here are expensive, Fable 3 is $120 AUD yet a quick search online shows in the US it is $60. Given exchange rate wise this means if I was to fly to the US I could pay about half what I pay here I was curious. Would you guys who live in the US still buy games if they cost twice as much?

Many countries around the world get charged exuberant amounts and Australia is one of them. They charge that much simply because they can. I would recommend importing region free copies or buying them from the UK.

What really annoys us Australian gamers (and some other countries) is when someone cries about a game being $60. I mean... wow. It's like an Emo complaining their life is too hard when there is an African aids-ridden starved corpse next door.

Yeah, that's exactly how I feel.

Everytime someone goes, 'AWW COME ON MAN! I JUST PAID $65 FOR THIS NEW GAME, THAT'S LIKE, $5 MORE.' I just stop in my tracks and weep.

Then I go firebomb the closest EB Games. It's good for the soul.

25 and counting.

 

[Timmibal]

Why is everyone so stupid?

The exchange rate between Australia and the USA is currently in our favour. 1AUD>1USD. This does not translate to game prices for quite a few reasons, I'll give you a fun one.

Australian's get paid more money for the same work that Americans. Our minimum wage is significantly higher, thus, the value of an American dollar is higher.

This doesn't just apply to video games. We pay a larger amount of money for the same goods and services. We make a larger amount of money.

Now, to exploit this, import games from overseas. Pay the same price as what an American pays, get paid more money from your job. If you do this, you win.

So I can blame the trade unions for my games being more expensive?

As much as I'd love to do that. I think there must be a little more to it than a simple case of inflation.

Also, the price disparity doesn't stretch to luxuries dude. Go to the states and have a look. There's very little difference. Games, Booze, and smokes are the only exception. The latter two are due to an absence of obscene government excise... Makes me wonder about the true nature of pricing on the former.

Edit: Also, importing only works for PCs, or if you have modded your console (Breaching your TOS and justifying your ban from online services). I cannot vouch for the veracity of claims, but I have heard stories of customs actually turning away foreign region consoles at port.

Region locking, DRM, Bans for modifying hardware... And you still expect me to think filesharers are the bad guys?

 

[Judgedread]

I'd really suggest Steam mate, their prices are (afaik) universal. But yeah, that pretty much sucks, unless you standard is somehow twice the one in US, which I kinda doubt... seriously don't get why else they'd ramp up the prices that much for Aussies, outside the usual "because we can".

Actually the prices on steam are not universal and will charge us Australians about 40% more for games when we to buy them. It's a huge rip off...

 

[likalaruku]

Do Australians generally make enough money compared to Americans to make that look like a decent price? How much do they pay for games in the UK? How much cheaper ar PC games in Australia & the UK compared to console games?

If the answer to the first question is "no," then is shipping a purchace from America or Canada cheaper? There's always buying used games, but the developers don't get a cent of that money.

Wait, I'm going to answer this myself.

Okey, Red Dead Redemption on Amazon.com.

UK: £24.99-£49.99 new. (AUD $40.37-$80.77).
AU: There is no Amazon.au
CA: CDN$ 59.83. (AUD $59.52).
AM: $39.99-$59.99. (AUD $40.48-$60.74).

http://www.game.com.au/search?search=red%20dead list the AU price as $68.00-$109.95.

(Is pissed that there is no PC release). Okey so yeah, you're paying more than people in the UK, so your country is getting the raw end of the deal.

 

[SirDeadly]

I was comparing the prices of stores and off EBay today. It's often $40 cheaper to buy a new game from EBay, including postage and handling...

 

[NoNameMcgee]

Most games are not worth $50 let alone $120...

 

[likalaruku]

Most games are not worth $50 let alone $120...

He's got a point there.

 

[Timmibal]

Do Australians generally make enough money compared to Americans to make that look like a decent price? How much do they pay for games in the UK?

I can't think of an income bracket in this country outside of 'stupidly fucking super rich executive doing coke off a school girl's arse' where paying $100+ for vidya makes sense.

So in short, no.

If the answer to the first question is "no," then is shipping a purchace from America cheaper? There's always buying used games, but the developers don't get a cent of that money.

$70 on the outside, including shipping? Hell yes it is. But, region restrictions prevent it for consoles. So that shoots that in the arse. Your best bet is to find region free releases out of hong kong. And people wonder why non-chain game stores are dropping like flies.

Most games are not worth $50 let alone $120...

Especially when the 3 big releases this month have basically expected their players to be free beta testers.