Witcher 2 Price Goes Up Down Under

[Lupus_Infernus]

I don't get it, are the distributors stupid? Importing it from the UK is like AU$50 from game.com including postage for the Premium Edition. So for cheaper, you get a better, more complete product.

And so to compete, they increase the price locally? And then they wonder why so many Australians forego retailers and buy online. So the govt response is to consider adding the goods and services tax to online sales...

Brain dead incompetents.

And where are these distributors based? If locally, then the strength of the Australian dollar should make it better for them.

 

[Zenode]

Still a better price than you get at retail which hits as much as $110AUD for a new PS3 game or $100 for PC and Xbox 360.

I actually find this quite a cheap price, considering BRINK is $90AUD on steam at the moment.

AND YOU'RE SAYING $70 IS EXPENSIVE.

 

[Hellz_Barz]

People mention how games cost more in Australia all the time, so I looked up an interesting tid bit of info about the land down under:

'In 2010, the Federal Minimum Wage was raised to $15 per hour or $569.90 per week.'

Stop your belly aching you kangaroo riding heathens!

EDIT: Okay, heathen is a strong word, I apologize.

It's not just games though, everything is over priced here.

 

[RhombusHatesYou]

EDIT: Although you could argue that the distributors could be 'price norming' (eg. $15USD=$30AUD... when our dollar wansn't 1-1), and this is my belief - despite the fact that our dollars are even.

Which is undue cuntiness on the part of distributors.

The reason distributors are gouging Australian consumers is "because Fuck You, What Else Ar You Going To Do?". They weren't really expecting the answer of "import it, that's what I'm gonna do, McFucko."... and then the owner of Harvey-Norman goes on the news and cries about how it's unfair to Australian businesses.

Fuck'em. Time to burn their house of cards down.

 

[Garrett Richey]

... while it's not the most conveniently-located continent on the planet, I would think that digital distribution would make that almost entirely a non-factor. So what's the deal?

It says in this very article that it's about distribution deals with retailers. Retailers can't overcharge us as easily if we can just order the game online at a significant discount. So when distribution rights for Australia were obtained it included the stipulation that GOG.com couldn't undercut the distribution prices (you can bet that that $69.99 will be between $80 and $110 at retail).

With that said, have to give credit to GOG.com for the way they're treating it. Offering the difference in credit is really more than could be expected of them. Also they have the best preorder policy I've ever seen. Preorder now but don't pay until you can download, and on top of that you don't have to actually make the purchase until May 31.

 

[Jake Martinez]

So considering the both the Australian government and the local distributors are being mighty cocks, is it justified to torrent this game and send 50 bucks to the developer or publisher?

I mean, really, this is amazing - both government and private industry are conspiring to keep me from getting the product that I want.

Edit: The really shitty thing from my perspective is that I'm American and living down here, so I feel like "WHY DO I HAVE TO OBEY YOUR COMMUNIST LAWS???" Maybe a little overwrought, but the sentiment is still the same...

 

[seditary]

This is probably the best look we've gotten at Aus. distribution that I've seen in years. I've always wondered why prices were so high down there. Government? Retailers? Publishers?

This deal points directly at distributors.

As I understand it:

You need a distributor to get you onto the shelves at retail outlets. You can't possibly call each and every Wal-Mart, Target, K-Mart, Sears, Gamestop, etc. This is particularly true if your company is based in one country and you're trying to sell in another. The distributor han handle contacting all the stores, getting you shelf space, and getting the product to the stores.

There must only be one or two distributors down there, and they must take a HUGE cut. Additionally, they will only deal with you if you agree to not undercut them online. You CAN sell games for $60 down there, but only if you're willing to forgo retail. A digital-only indie can do that. A AAA game can't.

Note that all of this is my own take on this, based on what we're reading. Other interpretations are possible.

Very interesting.

Its being distributed in our area by Namco-Bandai, they decided on the price for the physical copies then noticed GOG selling it for a bunch less, told em they're screwing shit up and GOG had to change the price to not compete with itself.

Basically.

 

[ElectroJosh]

As a New Zealander this is bad news because it means we get the same version as Australia. When Australia outright bans a game, however, we tend to get the full version. I think I'll get this one off steam now - its cheaper and won't have the censorship issues by the look of things.

 

[mercr452]

Does anyone have an example of a AAA game that was only distributed online?

Right now current pc games are pegged at 39.99 to 49.99 dollars for regular versions. I guesstimate 10%-20%? is for distribution costs? I'm still wondering we need publishers as we get more digital.

I know that the fremium online games don't use publishers and distributors. That seems to be working for them.

 

[Gindil]

I'm extremely interested in this, since it's a direct look at some of the problems that online distribution should undercut.

I'm currently looking for the names of the publishers of content in Aussieland.

Not only this, but I believe with the US assistance [http://www.zdnet.com.au/us-offered-nz-help-on-copyright-wikileaks-339314215.htm] on just NZ's copyright law, it would be a lot more interesting to see if there's negotiations there that perhaps need to be looked at even more.

I'm not positive on everything for Australia, but it's quite ridiculous that Steam games are so expensive ($70) along with this price getting jacked up so much.

 

[Rigs83]

Witcher 2 Price Goes Up Down Under

More good news for Witcher fans in Australia: not only will The Witcher 2 be censored in your country but you're going to have to pay more for it, too.

We found out yesterday, to nobody's great surprise, that toned down [http://www.amazon.com/Witcher-2-Assassins-Kings-Pc/dp/B003VJNPPE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1304696025&sr=8-1] for the Australian market, in that you won't be able to choose sex as a quest reward. [On the upside, you'll apparently still be able to have lots of sex just for fun.] Today we discovered another little tidbit of happiness: the game is going to cost more than originally expected, too.

GOG revealed earlier today that because of "licensing reasons," the price of The Witcher 2 available through GOG Facebook [http://www.gog.com] page, its pricing policy was in violation of legal agreements with other Australian distributors, forcing it to kick up the cost.

Fortunately, the guys at GOG are a stand-up bunch and they're doing what they can to soften the blow. It's too late now to preorder at the original price but its "Fair Price Package" is being extended to Australian customers, giving them a $26 U.S. credit to use on the site. That could easily add up to another four or five games and possibly more if you happen to catch a sale.

I don't know why Australia always seems to get the short end of the stick in these deals. You can only blame a dysfunctional rating system for so much, after all, and while it's not the most conveniently-located continent on the planet, I would think that digital distribution would make that almost entirely a non-factor. So what's the deal?

The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings comes out worldwide on May 17, exclusively for the PC.


Permalink

There may be hope for Australia [http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2011/05/10/er-australia-gog-drops-geo-ip-check/] yet in getting the real version of the Witcher 2