253: Gamers of the Third World

Michael Thomsen

New member
Jan 4, 2010
20
0
0
Gamers of the Third World

The games industry refers to the "Western" and "Eastern" markets, which roughly breaks down to U.S. and Japan respectively, but the rest of the world is often overlooked. Michael Thomsen reminds us how the Third World plays games.

Read Full Article
 

carpathic

New member
Oct 5, 2009
1,287
0
0
A fascinating reminder about how other people in the world view the same events as I do, through a completely different filter.

I am old enough to remember the awesomeness of Wheel of Fortune on an 8086, so I get the attraction games can hold for everyone.
 

tzimize

New member
Mar 1, 2010
2,391
0
0
Inspiring read. It is interesting to gain a small insight into gaming in environments so different to my own, and fascinating although not too surprising to see that a lot of games really are universal.
 

Juan Regular

New member
Jun 3, 2008
472
0
0
Great article.
You never really pay attention to things like that when you're pissed off about how you didn't get the newest game on day one.
 

Eliam_Dar

New member
Nov 25, 2009
1,517
0
0
well, I live in Argentina, not exactly a third world country, but not as developed as the rest of the western world. Pricing is the main problem here, after a game has gone through customs and everything I have to pay an average of USD 80 for a new game, and about USD 500 for a PS3. Steam has reduced the price for my PC games dramatically, which is great.
 

Brandon237

New member
Mar 10, 2010
2,959
0
0
I'm in SA which is a "second world" country, for lack of a better phrase. Even many poor people do have or participate in gaming. I see it all the time, so this article doesn't strike too much with me.
 

ENKC

New member
May 3, 2010
620
0
0
Eliam_Dar said:
well, I live in Argentina, not exactly a third world country, but not as developed as the rest of the western world. Pricing is the main problem here, after a game has gone through customs and everything I have to pay an average of USD 80 for a new game, and about USD 500 for a PS3. Steam has reduced the price for my PC games dramatically, which is great.
Congratulations. You have better prices than Australia.

And gaming will inevitably become widespread in rapidly growing countries such as China and India with their burgeoning middle classes.
 

mikekearn

Erudite Loquaciousness
Aug 27, 2008
88
0
0
I've read before about how gaming has infiltrated and filtered down to the poorest nations, where having enough money to eat food and have clothing can be considered a successful life. It astounds me how impacted people are by flashing colors and ringing noises, despite living conditions that are abysmal at best. Living in the USA, I don't often see things from that perspective, and I know it shouldn't, but it always does come as a surprise. Some people think that gaming is something that should only be for the rich, the powerful, but the same was said about music and books before technology advanced enough to bring them to everyone. Gaming may not yet hold the same lofty ideals as those other mediums possess, but time marches ever forward, and it seems inevitable that the day will come when anyone across the globe can partake together in the latest and greatest.
 

Flionk

New member
Nov 5, 2007
54
0
0
A lot of American gamers tend to forget that video games are a hobby, and hobbies in general are luxuries only available to people with significant disposable income. I like the comparison of arcades to art galleries - the modern video game enthusiast really is quite similar to art collectors of previous eras, one need look no further than this very website to determine that. We take the availability of games for granted, many gamers arrogantly act as though non-gamers are inferior, and the industry is discussed with such gravitas you'd think it was the most important thing in the world. It's nice to get this sort of humbling reality check now and again.
 

Arcticflame

New member
Nov 7, 2006
1,063
0
0
Good article, but I didnt quite understand this.

Console gaming will never go away.. It will continue to host the medium's most spectacular and technically sophisticated works.
Huh? No it doesn't? Am I missing something here?

I suppose he could be saying that it will host multi-platform titles the same as PC does, but I don't really see where consoles specifically host exclusively technically proficient titles.
 

Darkstar370

New member
Nov 5, 2009
117
0
0
I live in the former Eastern Block (Slovakia). Even after 20 years, consoles are still rare and almost everyone plays their games on a PC.

I remember, back in the 90's, that every single game that I've had was pirated. No exceptions. Mainly because they were horribly expensive or not sold at all. Piracy was rampant then and even today it is still high.

Today I can easily and relatively cheaply buy games with Steam. There are also shops dedicated to games now.
 

Silva

New member
Apr 13, 2009
1,122
0
0
Frankly, it's a relief to finally see an article that gains some perspective on this, Mr Thomsen.

I know that some writers on The Escapist could do with a reality check regarding how much harder it is to buy a game if you're not in the first world. The support I see in these articles for expensive services, paying for virtual and unreal products, leasing server space instead of buying a physical copy of a game, and DLC in general needs to slow the Hell down if not outright stop.

I think the magazine is caught between being very pro-consumer and not realising how much the consumer actually goes through regarding games and their expensiveness as a luxury item which has a super-large profit margin - it costs far less to create a game than you make out of it, especially with the big releases. So consumers are getting rorted on a regular basis. Let's hope that writers are reading closely.

ENKC said:
Congratulations. You have better prices than Australia.
Wrong, at least in the case of his example. 500USD translates roughly to 557.55AUD, and a PS3 will cost from $499 (same price as his) to $650 here according to this site:

http://www.myshopping.com.au/PR--88814_Sony_Playstation_3_Console

I like to complain about our game prices too, but at least they're not worse than Argentina's in this case. Maybe they are overall, but it would take a serious study to say for sure.
 

Keyser_Soze

New member
Sep 2, 2009
77
0
0
I feel that the article is somewhat out of date. While access to games is pretty uneven - mainly urban vs rural, there is a pretty large Gaming community in India.

Besides this I really don't have to hunt around or buy pirated copies of Games, consoles, games and the various paraphernalia are pretty much readily available. I think I just had to wait about a month or so before something like Mass Effect 2 hit the stores (A game with which I was deeply disappointed btw).

I suspect the situation is much more true in China with its armies of Game addicts, treatment camps and social pressure groups trying to put a lid on their childrens' excessive playing.

Africa may be another story, but beyond that I dont see even other south Asian nations being "left out" of the Gaming world. Its just that for whatever reason they are never considered in the west.
 

ENKC

New member
May 3, 2010
620
0
0
Silva said:
Frankly, it's a relief to finally see an article that gains some perspective on this, Mr Thomsen.

I know that some writers on The Escapist could do with a reality check regarding how much harder it is to buy a game if you're not in the first world. The support I see in these articles for expensive services, paying for virtual and unreal products, leasing server space instead of buying a physical copy of a game, and DLC in general needs to slow the Hell down if not outright stop.

I think the magazine is caught between being very pro-consumer and not realising how much the consumer actually goes through regarding games and their expensiveness as a luxury item which has a super-large profit margin - it costs far less to create a game than you make out of it, especially with the big releases. So consumers are getting rorted on a regular basis. Let's hope that writers are reading closely.

ENKC said:
Congratulations. You have better prices than Australia.
Wrong, at least in the case of his example. 500USD translates roughly to 557.55AUD, and a PS3 will cost from $499 (same price as his) to $650 here according to this site:

http://www.myshopping.com.au/PR--88814_Sony_Playstation_3_Console

I like to complain about our game prices too, but at least they're not worse than Argentina's in this case. Maybe they are overall, but it would take a serious study to say for sure.
'Wrong' is a strong word. I was referring to the part of his post wherein he pays $80 USD on average for games. New release 360/PS3 games here go for up to $120 AUD, which is in the vicinity of $110 USD.

I, personally, would never pay these prices. And as much of a boon as Steam is, even then they charge Australians up to $30 USD more for the same games as the US store. Presumably they do this because they can, but it defeats a major potential advantage of a digital distribution platform (ie standard pricing worldwide).
 

Eliam_Dar

New member
Nov 25, 2009
1,517
0
0
ENKC said:
'Wrong' is a strong word. I was referring to the part of his post wherein he pays $80 USD on average for games. New release 360/PS3 games here go for up to $120 AUD, which is in the vicinity of $110 USD.

I, personally, would never pay these prices. And as much of a boon as Steam is, even then they charge Australians up to $30 USD more for the same games as the US store. Presumably they do this because they can, but it defeats a major potential advantage of a digital distribution platform (ie standard pricing worldwide).
that's weird I pay US prices on steam
 

ENKC

New member
May 3, 2010
620
0
0
Eliam_Dar said:
ENKC said:
'Wrong' is a strong word. I was referring to the part of his post wherein he pays $80 USD on average for games. New release 360/PS3 games here go for up to $120 AUD, which is in the vicinity of $110 USD.

I, personally, would never pay these prices. And as much of a boon as Steam is, even then they charge Australians up to $30 USD more for the same games as the US store. Presumably they do this because they can, but it defeats a major potential advantage of a digital distribution platform (ie standard pricing worldwide).
that's weird I pay US prices on steam
Are you in Australia? You'll find that whilst the currency you pay in is USD, some prices are different.

Borderlands is $79.99 USD on Australian Steam
Borderlands is $29.99 USD on American Steam

Try explaining how that's anything other than price gouging (not you, the world generally).
 

Eliam_Dar

New member
Nov 25, 2009
1,517
0
0
ENKC said:
Eliam_Dar said:
ENKC said:
'Wrong' is a strong word. I was referring to the part of his post wherein he pays $80 USD on average for games. New release 360/PS3 games here go for up to $120 AUD, which is in the vicinity of $110 USD.

I, personally, would never pay these prices. And as much of a boon as Steam is, even then they charge Australians up to $30 USD more for the same games as the US store. Presumably they do this because they can, but it defeats a major potential advantage of a digital distribution platform (ie standard pricing worldwide).
that's weird I pay US prices on steam
Are you in Australia? You'll find that whilst the currency you pay in is USD, some prices are different.

Borderlands is $79.99 USD on Australian Steam
Borderlands is $29.99 USD on American Steam

Try explaining how that's anything other than price gouging (not you, the world generally).
mmm, it seems I cut too much of the previos comments, I meant that me, being in Argentina, pay the US prices on the steam store. It sounded weird to me that you have to pay such a big difference. Though I agree on one point, it is extremely unfair.

I am curious though, how much do you pay for, lets say a dualshock 3? I am paying USD 65 for each one
 

ENKC

New member
May 3, 2010
620
0
0
Eliam_Dar said:
ENKC said:
Eliam_Dar said:
ENKC said:
'Wrong' is a strong word. I was referring to the part of his post wherein he pays $80 USD on average for games. New release 360/PS3 games here go for up to $120 AUD, which is in the vicinity of $110 USD.

I, personally, would never pay these prices. And as much of a boon as Steam is, even then they charge Australians up to $30 USD more for the same games as the US store. Presumably they do this because they can, but it defeats a major potential advantage of a digital distribution platform (ie standard pricing worldwide).
that's weird I pay US prices on steam
Are you in Australia? You'll find that whilst the currency you pay in is USD, some prices are different.

Borderlands is $79.99 USD on Australian Steam
Borderlands is $29.99 USD on American Steam

Try explaining how that's anything other than price gouging (not you, the world generally).
mmm, it seems I cut too much of the previos comments, I meant that me, being in Argentina, pay the US prices on the steam store. It sounded weird to me that you have to pay such a big difference. Though I agree on one point, it is extremely unfair.

I am curious though, how much do you pay for, lets say a dualshock 3? I am paying USD 65 for each one
A DualShock 3 had an RRP of $99.95 in Australia on launch. You'd still pay up to $90 for it at retail. And our dollar is worth roughly $0.90 USD.