What this guy said. Customs does not account for $10+ per book, especially if it SHIPS FROM WITHIN CANADA.AC10 said:
Australia Asks About High Game Prices
- Thread starter Andy Chalk
- Start date
ok... THIS IS NOT A TROLL, just an offer.. to all gaming community of Australia, forget buying games, play Tribes:Ascend, for free, or 40 bucks to unlock load of stuff!~ not kidding, AAA experience, at an Indi-humble-bundle price! Shazbot away!~
Pretty much end of thread at post 6. There really isn't a simpler explanation then this. It is the same reason North Americans and possibly European consumers are still paying the full retail price for digital downloads. No one wants to take on the hassle of cutting out the brick and mortar stores, or those that ship physical copies. So the price is artificially inflated by 10-20 bucks in most cases to please the distribution channels and take advantage of the consumer.Woodsey said:
Especially when it come from countries that have bears! Mother fucking BEARS!!! And mountain lions!!! And you guys have rattle snakes for chrissakes. I can crush snakes and spiders and if they bite me there's antivenom. Try to fight a bear, you're gonna have a bad time.Shinkicker444 said:
It's not just videogames, it's everything. As far as I can tell, CDs and DVDs are also ridiculously overpriced here. Internet is freaking expensive. I'm also a Games Workshop fan, and while I dearly love the company, it irks me that I have to pay equal to two or three times the same price as anywhere else for the same thing. While that may have made sense with traditional exchange rates, the fact that the Australian dollar is doing so well nowadays it just doesn't seem right.
I've often said that Australian will put up with a bad situation indefinitely, and while they will complain bitterly about it, they will never actually do anything to change it. That being said, the retail industry here is starting to tank noticeably, so maybe the incredible has happened and we're starting to see some change. Though that might be wishful thinking.
I've often said that Australian will put up with a bad situation indefinitely, and while they will complain bitterly about it, they will never actually do anything to change it. That being said, the retail industry here is starting to tank noticeably, so maybe the incredible has happened and we're starting to see some change. Though that might be wishful thinking.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!Andy Chalk said:
*coughs*
Well, yes, this is an issue that comes up quite a lot, when I talk to my Aussie friends. Games are already expensive in Europe, but I think prices are still at relatively acceptable levels... which is not something I can say for Australia.
If I had to make a new edited edition for one of my games because Australia had to censor the fuck out of it I would charge way more too.
In fact they would be lucky that I would even make a special Australian edition in the first place. Fuck censorship and countries that let it occur.
In fact they would be lucky that I would even make a special Australian edition in the first place. Fuck censorship and countries that let it occur.
Come on this isn't so hard to figure out.
Why are physical copies of games more expensive? Because of the smaller volume shipped in, and the shipping costs. IE you ship 2 million units from China to Australia, versus shipping 15 million units from Mexico to the United States. (Any locations can be substituted, but it's likely neither of the countries listed has production plants.)
Exact same thing goes for computer hardware and consoles.
Now digital downloads? Well that ones more complicated, but in the end just as simple. Why do Americans pay $60 for a digital copy of Diablo 3? The costs for delivering the content to the consumer are noticeably cheaper... But if the consumer is used to paying the $60 for retail copies, and digital downloads are still 'new'ish. Of course they're going to gouge you. So when an Australian gamer has been paying 80-100 dollars for a new game, and has gotten used to it. Do you really think a publisher will charge less simply because it's cheaper for them to make?
In the end all publishers want the product to be cheaper to make. Unfortunately it's not to pass savings down to the consumer, but rather to significantly boost profit margins.
Why are physical copies of games more expensive? Because of the smaller volume shipped in, and the shipping costs. IE you ship 2 million units from China to Australia, versus shipping 15 million units from Mexico to the United States. (Any locations can be substituted, but it's likely neither of the countries listed has production plants.)
Exact same thing goes for computer hardware and consoles.
Now digital downloads? Well that ones more complicated, but in the end just as simple. Why do Americans pay $60 for a digital copy of Diablo 3? The costs for delivering the content to the consumer are noticeably cheaper... But if the consumer is used to paying the $60 for retail copies, and digital downloads are still 'new'ish. Of course they're going to gouge you. So when an Australian gamer has been paying 80-100 dollars for a new game, and has gotten used to it. Do you really think a publisher will charge less simply because it's cheaper for them to make?
In the end all publishers want the product to be cheaper to make. Unfortunately it's not to pass savings down to the consumer, but rather to significantly boost profit margins.
That pic the OP linked so reminded me of the people and situation in V for Vendetta.
"Achieving a Just and Secure Society"
On Topic: I really do hope you guys over in Aussieland get this shit stopped, greedy ass corporations (and most definitely the politicians) are surely the cause of this.
"Achieving a Just and Secure Society"
On Topic: I really do hope you guys over in Aussieland get this shit stopped, greedy ass corporations (and most definitely the politicians) are surely the cause of this.
Australian politics may be full of sexism and censorship, but I have to give respect to any government that actually raises an objection when a business becomes too greedy. In America if we tried that, we'd get millions of rednecks crying "socialism". We need that kind of regulation to take place over here.
Games are not the only thing under investigation. Adobe Photoshop costs around $1,000 dollars more if your buying it in Australia (can't remember exact amount).
Edit: Also, the Digital Distribution price is almost always the same as the Physical price (with the exeption of Steam). I payed less for Diablo 3 at JB Hifi than Blizzard was charging form their online store.
Edit: Also, the Digital Distribution price is almost always the same as the Physical price (with the exeption of Steam). I payed less for Diablo 3 at JB Hifi than Blizzard was charging form their online store.
Let it occur? We've been fighting for a better ratings system for our games for years. It's not the country that's at fault, we just have a slow moving political system.godofallu said:
Captcha: now look here
We've got bears*, sure they're cute, cuddly, may have narcolepsy and a drug problem but by god Jim we have them!Buretsu said:
*I know, they aren't really bears.
Also, that spiders name is Bob, he works in accounting.
Yeah the adobe price is insane.AhumbleKnight said:
http://www.lifehacker.com.au/2012/02/adobe-to-reduce-price-gap-for-australian-users/
That article lists PS costing US$700 vs AU$1500 and last I checked a month or two back the Mastersuite collection was US$2500 vs AU$3800, that's for the digital download. But Adobe does seem to be doing something about it. I think adobe overcharges for PS regardless, but anyway whatev.
JB has been pretty good with pricing recently.
Why are publishers scared of ticking off places like EB or GS anyway? If they did go mostly full digital, and those stores went under wouldn't places such as Walmart(?), Big W, and other superstores still sell the consoles (and non-digital games) anyway? I'm sure there are good reasons, so its mostly a rhetorical question, but it isn't the death of physical sales if EB/GS/etc did go belly up.
As someone said in the facebook comments, New Zealand does have it far worse, I used to live over there and when I moved to australia I actually found games to be way cheaper, for example, from eb games, skyrim in new zealand brand new costs $128..no, thats not a special edition..same thing in australia from the same shop costs about $53.
