America, Stop Complaining.

Recommended Videos
Xpwn3ntial

Xpwn3ntial

Avid Reader
Dec 22, 2008
8,023
0
0
Chesterfield Snapdragon McFisticuffs said:
I've been browsing the net for a while now and it seems that many American's have their panties in a bunch regarding a $60 price-tag for most games. When PC games are raised to this price the uproar can be heard all the way over here in New Zealand. Never mind that the PC is the best experience for almost all games and should theoretically cost MORE than the console versions for that. But I digress!
In New Zealand games retail for around $110. AAA releases retail for more than that(Arkham Asylum was $120, Modern Warfare 2 was something around $140-$150) and so on. You can find deals that will usually get the better titles cheaper(I got MW2 for $120) but my point still stands - games are ridiculously expensive.
I did a little more research because we cannot simply look at the nominal prices of games, we have to look at average incomes. So i pulled a few articles up on the net and I found the median average household income of US residents and NZ residents. Seeing as the RRP of NZ games is twice that of US games, I figured for it to be fair that the average incomes should be somewhere around double that in New Zealand. I was wrong. The average American income is something around $46 000, while the average NZ income is more like $62 556. This means that it is around 1.35x higher in New Zealand, nowhere near enough to justify the gargantuan prices on our games. As an added kick in the nads, playing in New Zealand on peer-to-peer is an absolute nightmare as the host is almost always based in none other than the USA, meaning my MW2 matches are about 2 bars every game, which basically renders the knife useless because of the lag. When I finally host a game everybody else leaves because they are all stuck on 1-2 bars.
To add discussion to this thread I'd like to hear from people from other countries(Canada,UK etc) to talk about prices of video games/average wage in their countries to see if it's not just NZ being shafted.
Click to expand...
While I know you are irritated, if it's not one thing, it's another with those American guys.
 
Numb1lp

Numb1lp

New member
Jan 21, 2009
968
0
0
Uhh, not all Americans complain about stuff like this. I'm sure there are people in every country who complain about stupid things.
 
M

murphy7801

New member
Apr 12, 2009
1,246
0
0
Numb1lp said:
Uhh, not all Americans complain about stuff like this. I'm sure there are people in every country who complain about stupid things.
Click to expand...
Its a some what of a fine art in the UK that and talking about the weather.
 
Lord Beautiful

Lord Beautiful

New member
Aug 13, 2008
5,939
0
0
I suggest that we Americans have every right to complain, but that countries with higher prices have every right to complain, and more.
 
CancerDog

CancerDog

New member
Aug 3, 2008
76
0
0
Live in Canada, work at a video game retailer. On average all Canadian prices are +$10 over American prices. This price trend happened after the dollar went down earlier in 09, but even as the dollar has come back up, the publishing companies behind the games think they're comedians and are still charging us $69.99 for most new games. There are of course exceptions to this, MW2 is 64.99, Uncharted 2 and Ratchet/Clank are 59.99. Those are the only games I can think of off the top of my head, but considering that the first company to increase the price (Activision) has started bringing it down, soon most other companies logically would also, but I personally don't think its going to happen.

(This is in British Columbia)
 
Fumbles

Fumbles

New member
Apr 15, 2009
256
0
0
Gxas said:
We can complain about whatever we want!

*Sticks tongue out*
Click to expand...
One song comes to mind

AMERICA...FUCK YEAH

Anyways atleast we get all games, and not censored bastards. Looking at you Australia
 
jojoemon

jojoemon

New member
May 20, 2008
186
0
0
Not all Americans complain about relativly trivial stuff like game prices. Just like, I'm sure, not all New Zelanders go out of their way to bash Americans in order to indirectly complain about their own ridiculous game prices.
 
theSovietConnection

theSovietConnection

Survivor, VDNKh Station
Jan 14, 2009
2,418
0
0
Chesterfield Snapdragon McFisticuffs said:
I've been browsing the net for a while now and it seems that many American's have their panties in a bunch regarding a $60 price-tag for most games. When PC games are raised to this price the uproar can be heard all the way over here in New Zealand. Never mind that the PC is the best experience for almost all games and should theoretically cost MORE than the console versions for that. But I digress!
In New Zealand games retail for around $110. AAA releases retail for more than that(Arkham Asylum was $120, Modern Warfare 2 was something around $140-$150) and so on. You can find deals that will usually get the better titles cheaper(I got MW2 for $120) but my point still stands - games are ridiculously expensive.
I did a little more research because we cannot simply look at the nominal prices of games, we have to look at average incomes. So i pulled a few articles up on the net and I found the median average household income of US residents and NZ residents. Seeing as the RRP of NZ games is twice that of US games, I figured for it to be fair that the average incomes should be somewhere around double that in New Zealand. I was wrong. The average American income is something around $46 000, while the average NZ income is more like $62 556. This means that it is around 1.35x higher in New Zealand, nowhere near enough to justify the gargantuan prices on our games. As an added kick in the nads, playing in New Zealand on peer-to-peer is an absolute nightmare as the host is almost always based in none other than the USA, meaning my MW2 matches are about 2 bars every game, which basically renders the knife useless because of the lag. When I finally host a game everybody else leaves because they are all stuck on 1-2 bars.
To add discussion to this thread I'd like to hear from people from other countries(Canada,UK etc) to talk about prices of video games/average wage in their countries to see if it's not just NZ being shafted.
Click to expand...
Actually (sorry if this has been addressed already, haven't got much time to check), it's more to do with exchange rates. Last I checked, so it may have changed by now, $66 US converts to around $99 New Zealand, so you really are paying the same universal price, just with the weaker New Zealand dollar, it seems to be a lot higher. Having said that, it is rather shocking to visit a games shop and see the $100 price tag (went to Australia and New Zealand about 3 years ago, absolutely beautiful country).
 
Naeo

Naeo

New member
Dec 31, 2008
968
0
0
You've also got to look at exchange rates. One American dollar is not equivalent to one Australian/New Zealand/etc dollar, but even still, games cost more over there.
 
IronicBeet

IronicBeet

New member
Jun 27, 2009
392
0
0
New games cost about $80 here in C-to-the-Anada. Not that steep, but I'd still like a bit of a price-lowering.
 
Mcface

Mcface

New member
Aug 30, 2009
2,266
0
0
Yeah, well we don't live in a near fascist society who will ban everything that will "HARM THE CHILDREN MATE!"

So when greedy folks try to make more money for the sake of making more money, people have a problem.
 
M

murphy7801

New member
Apr 12, 2009
1,246
0
0
Darth Pope said:
murphy7801 said:
Darth Pope said:
murphy7801 said:
Darth Pope said:
But complaining it the foundation of American culture!
Click to expand...
Really ? Though more case of you didn't like tea
Click to expand...
You've obviously never been to the American south.
Click to expand...
Now do you mean south America the continent or the south of the USA ?
Click to expand...
South of the USA.
Click to expand...
Well no but do they live in country with heavy rain fall, low temperatures, grey skies and small amounts of sun light. It makes you complain more.
 
magnuslion

magnuslion

New member
Jun 16, 2009
898
0
0
short answer "Bite Me"

Long answer: your genralized statement does not include all economic factors that play a part of the role, IE tax rates, cost of living, average wages, job market, and various other economic determinatives.
and if that confuses you, reffer to the short answer.
 
T

TheRogueX

New member
Mar 15, 2009
9
0
0
The problem I have with prices exists only with MW2. Activision is selling it for $60, no matter the platform. This is wrong. There is a REASON games cost $60 on consoles and $50 on PC.... it's called LICENSING. They have to pay licensing fees for the consoles that aren't necessary on the PC.

Basically, with MW2, Activision is just being greedy and charging that extra $10 just to boost their profits. It's not like the PC version has anything extra to warrant the price boost.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom