Video Game Prices Really Bother Me

[Kazumi]

So. I'm sure that no matter how badly we want a game, we hate paying the large price tag on it. But what really bothers me even more, is how much places charge for games in countries other then the States. No matter what the dollar is compared to them. Look at this:

Standard First Party Wii Game: (The first number is the normal price, second is conversion from USD)

US (Gamestop.com)
$49.99

Canada (Gamestop.ca)
$59.99
$50.28 CAD

Australia (GAME.au)
$99.95
$54.04 AUD

I will give credit to buying games in the UK, because their prices are more or less legit and comparable with the US price. In Euros of course.

Anyway, I live in Canada and I get shafted almost 10 dollars on games. That really pisses me off. The games should cost about the same as in the US. Some days our dollar is even better then theirs.

I am however lucky that I don't live in Australia. They get shafted about 45 dollars. I can see developers adding on maybe FIVE dollars, instead of 45. Seriously.

So, does this make you really angry? And why?

 

[Dragmire]

hey! at least you get games on time, whilst were celebrating the release of a highly anticipated game, youre celebrating the release of its even more highly anticipated sequel.

 

[Pocket Asian]

I've always wondered why people living in Canada had to pay more when I was younger and I still don't have a definite answer. It does bug me, I guess. The way I see it, when shipping to North America, things that ship from Japan most likely get to the states first, and then the states distribute it to the rest of North America. The increase in the price is probably something to cover shipping fees.

But that's just how I see it, I live in the states, so I really can't say much since I never actually had to pay the extra couple of dollars.

 

[Master Kokiri 9]

I never really knew that until recently actually, mainly due to the fact that I'm an American probably.

But yeah, it seems very outragous to have to pay ten dollars more for a game than another country even though your country's currency is just as strong or even stronger than that of the country who gets it cheaper.

 

[Zeruda]

That's what you get for being Canadian. :> (just kidding)

mm... well, currencies fluctuate a lot, but currently (as in TODAY), the dollar values are almost exact. Off by like... a penny. So... I dunno, maybe it has to do with taxes? I don't know much about how the currency system works in CANADARRRRR, but here, various states have various prices for things according to tax. Some places don't have sales tax at all, so buying electronics in Delaware ends up being much cheaper than buying them somewhere like California. However, because of this, some places (Not GameStop, but that could change one day) compensate for prices of things by raising or lowering the price in that specific area according to tax.

But... I don't know how any of that works up north, so I'm just throwing a "maybe" out there. Don't look too far into it, I'm probably way off. :>

 

[Kazumi]

hey! at least you get games on time, whilst were celebrating the release of a highly anticipated game, youre celebrating the release of its even more highly anticipated sequel.

Ah yes, game releases are another discussion for another thread. And I am lucky that I get games earlier then say, Australia.

That's what you get for being Canadian. :> (just kidding)

mm... well, currencies fluctuate a lot, but currently (as in TODAY), the dollar values are almost exact. Off by like... a penny. So... I dunno, maybe it has to do with taxes? I don't know much about how the currency system works in CANADARRRRR, but here, various states have various prices for things according to tax. Some places don't have sales tax at all, so buying electronics in Delaware ends up being much cheaper than buying them somewhere like California. However, because of this, some places (Not GameStop, but that could change one day) compensate for prices of things by raising or lowering the price in that specific area according to tax.

But... I don't know how any of that works up north, so I'm just throwing a "maybe" out there. Don't look too far into it, I'm probably way off. :>

Here in Canada I have to pay GST (Government Sales Tax) on games, which is currently 5%, and I have to pay PST (Provincial Sales Tax) on games which is currently 7%. So in total 13% tax. I don't really know how different it is down there.

And I believe that someone said something about all games being shipped to the states first... I'm fairly certain that we also get shipments, and even them we still shouldn't be paying.

 

[Mute]

I've always wondered why prices were higher in Canada and Australia, especially Australia. I just passed it up as the fact that it goes to the US and Europe first, then got shipped to the others. Canada got a lesser increase because of how close they are to the US, while Australia had an insane price because I assume they get the PAL versions of games, and Europe is pretty far away.

While it's never angered me, being in the US and all, it has made me rather curious.

 

[Scythe-of-Chaos]

dude, god of war collectors edition, god of war III and dante's inferno ALL are 60.00, i mena come on, i bought a 300.00 ps3 i want cheaper games! (revalation: what if zelda wii is uber expensive?)

 

[jugglaj91]

I have wondered about this as well, even when I was a kid. I would see a magazine that would say 9.99 US ans 14.99 Canada. I always wondered why myself. As I don't look into things like that it does interest me as I do know the US dollar isn't worth nearly as much as it used to, say 15 years ago. The US dollar has been dropping from what I have seen so it must be somewhere along the line of shipping or taxes as far as I can tell.

 

[Y2K3]

I always thought it was crazy, myself. I mean, Canada is right next to the States, and especially with currencies the way they are now. However, given that, I heard recently on the news that while the currencies are the same at present, it takes a while for the prices of things to adjust. I'm not really sure the reason behind this lag, but if that were the case, this whole thing would make sense to me. I mean, I don't like it (as many other apparently don't , as it seems many Canadians try to get as many American things as possible during times like these due to it being so cheap), but it could always be worse. I mean, there are things within parts of Canada (eg, my province) that cost a lot more than in other parts (eg, Ontario), and you can even get these differences within provinces.

So, in short, I don't like these differences, but if the dollars stay on par, then after a while, perhaps these differences will decrease.

 

[athenian200]

I think I agree with Y2K3.

I remember when I was younger, way back in the 1990's. I would always look on the barcode of books, and read something like "US $9.00, CAN $13.00" I asked why things cost more in Canada, and I found out that it was roughly the same price if you factored in the exchange rate.

These days, it doesn't make much sense, but I think things are still priced that way out of tradition. In other words, it hasn't "clicked" in the heads of businessmen that the US currency is no longer THAT superior to the Canadian currency, because it was that way for so long. I think a lot of people are still expecting that the US will climb out of this, and things will return to the way they were before the dollar fell.

I personally think that when things settle down, the dollar will be a little more valuable than the peso. I think we'll get out of it intact, but that we'll never be on top again. The Euro will become the currency of choice, if the trends of the present continue into the future.

 

[Smitie]

I always hated the fact that games in Europe are way more expensive than in the US. For some reason people there think 1 american dollar is the same as 1 euro...which is obviously not the case.

The worst example I can think of is good old Twilight Princess. The game is over 3 years old, but if I want to buy it new in a gamestore I still have to pay 54,99 euro which is 72,83 american dollar. And they still have the guts to say 'only 54,99 euro!"...like it is a cheap deal >_>

Anyways, the games nowadays are cheaper than in the N64 era. Back in the day you had to pay over 130 Dutch guilder for OoT, which is roughly 60 euro. I think the main reason why games in Europe are more expensive is because of the European Union itself. Weird tax laws and extra costs to translate games and manuals (but they don't translate games in Dutch...only in languages I can't read like French, Spanish and German) are directly added to the price. And next to that we are idiotic enough to buy the games without complaining even though we know the same game is a lot cheaper in another country. At least we don't have it as bad as the Australians...sheesz 100 american dollar for a game is just evil :O

 

[Raven]

I don't mind the difference in cost between Canada and America, I just want to know why we get ours later than America! So ya it could be in part to shipping that ours cost more, I'm sure that our free health care boosts up our taxes quite a bit too lol but that's beside the point, just a thought but it may have something to do with who many game stores are located in the country and how many copies of the game are shipped to each country, I think they may have that regulated or standardized by now, which means prices wouldn't change unless the demand for the game itself changes, and it has less to do with taxes and shipping, but that is just theory.

 

[Sparky]

Yeah, the Australian prices are now ridiculous. A few years ago, when the Australian dollar was 50-60c American it would of been acceptable.
But now that we're hovering around 90c American to our Australian dollar, it's somewhat absurd we still have to pay $40-50 more than America.

 

[Raven]

Maybe America get's their products cheaper because their minimum wage is so low, I know here in Nova Scotia minimum wage is $9 and I think the US makes about $7.30 in 2009 but it would differ by a dollar or two between states. I also hear their cost of living isn't so great. so to balance out the economy products are generally cheaper. I don't envy those low prices when I think about all the people in the states who can't afford to pay bills and support themselves on such a low income. But then again what do I know I'm not even from America, maybe someone could enlighten me? Maybe the low costs completely fix the low income problems..