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Australia's Game Pricing

lackofcheeselackofcheese
edited June 2008 in Everything Else
Living in Australia has many bad points, and one of the biggest is how ****ing expensive anything is in consumer electronics.
Quite sadly, games are one of these things that are horribly overpriced.
I grabbed the current exchange rate from xe.com, 1.00 AUD = 0.947134 USD. The US economic situation at the moment means the AUD buys more USD than it normally does.
Typical Australian pricing: Expensive AU Store. Cheaper AU Store (Online).
Short summary of typical prices, in AUD (from the cheaper online store, mind you):-
PC: $80- $110
Xbox 360: $90 - $110
PS3: $90 - $110
Wii: $80- $100
DS: $60 - $70
PSP: $60 - $70

It's really nice to be able to buy from Steam as their pricing is international, but for many other games it's even worthwhile to go to the effort of international shipping...


Also, I bought a DS not too long ago, and have already played a few good games, but there are a few good ones I need to get:-
  • The World Ends With You
  • Advance Wars: Days of Ruin
  • Professor Layton and the Curious Village
  • Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow
  • Phoenix Wright: Trials and Tribulations
  • Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney
I checked Amazon, but they only sell the newer ones, though their marketplace thing doesn't seem too bad. However, even then, for a couple of the items I wanted to buy directly from them, it came up with
*** We're sorry. This item can't be shipped to your selected destination. You may either change the shipping address or delete the item from your order by changing its quantity to 0 and clicking the update button below. ( See geographical restrictions.) ***
Also, pretty much anything from the marketplace, at least for games, won't ship internationally. Worse still, it doesn't seem to allow anything other than Priority International Courier for what I was trying to buy, which almost negates the amount saved by purchasing in that manner.

Consequently, I guess that leaves me with eBay to look at. I've never used eBay before, so it's worrying, but I've kinda had enough of these prices...
I'm only just reading up on the prevalence of fake DS games, so I guess I need to be careful. I know that I shouldn't buy from all those Asian places, especially Hong Kong. If I can't be bothered with eBay, I'll probably end up just using downloaded DS games with homebrew...

If someone has any ideas on how I can get games at a decent price (i.e. U.S. prices), without excessive risk, please tell me.
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Comments

  • TyashkiTyashki
    It's really nice to be able to buy from Steam as their pricing is international
    This doesn't even work with all games, some games are blocked in the International Steam Store, and an Australian buying Call of Duty 4 will still pay $90.
  • lackofcheeselackofcheese
    edited June 2008
    It's really nice to be able to buy from Steam as their pricing is international
    This doesn't even work with all games, some games are blocked in the International Steam Store, and an Australian buying Call of Duty 4 will still pay $90.
    Heh, yeah, it looks so hilariously out of place in the list of prices...

    So, since you're Australian, do you have any tips?
    For the most part, I've been a jobless pirate, so I rarely spent enough to be particularly outraged. I'm tutoring at university now though, and now I'm very much beginning to be.
    I bought a computer last year, but at the very least we have stores with somewhat decent prices for computer parts (e.g. MSY, Umart, in QLD); games are a lot worse...
    Post edited by lackofcheese on
  • HMTKSteveHMTKSteve
    Canada has the same problem. I remember reading some news stories last year about Canadians crossing the border to buy cars because the dealers in country would not lower the price in CAD to reflect the change in exchange rates.
  • TyashkiTyashki
    While it seems better for Canadians because you can just cross the border, it's also not because you're RIGHT THERE. It sounds more insulting.
  • lackofcheeselackofcheese
    edited June 2008
    I'd take the insult with the ability to get a cheaper price any day.
    Post edited by lackofcheese on
  • TyashkiTyashki
    True, I'm looking to buy a Digital SLR camera, and the same camera kit that is nearly $1500 here is $850 on Amazon. I'm a bit skeptical of buying something like that online, but for the price its damn tempting (If I can even get it).
  • KilarneyKilarney
    edited June 2008
    What kind of taxes are included in the price of a game in Australia. You have to remember that U.S. prices do not include any taxes. Sales tax if usually added onto the base price. (Depending on what state you live in.)
    Post edited by Kilarney on
  • lackofcheeselackofcheese
    We just have GST. 10%.
    That obviously does not account for the ~50%+ price difference though.
  • TyashkiTyashki
    edited June 2008
    10% GST is usually included in the price. It's not quite at the level of the apparent 50% markup compared to the US. Obviously everything has to be shipped here, but so much of this stuff comes from China, and we're so close to them!

    EDIT: Beaten!
    Post edited by Tyashki on
  • lackofcheeselackofcheese
    edited June 2008
    No matter where it's shipped from, if you consider that
    1) Typically the retailers would have stuff shipped in bulk, hence the cost per item would be vastly lower for them.
    2) Even with expensive international shipping, it is often still significantly cheaper to buy from overseas...
    the prices here are obviously a load of BS
    Post edited by lackofcheese on
  • TyashkiTyashki
    A relic from the days when we weren't so aware of how cheaper everything was overseas.
  • lackofcheeselackofcheese
    Some searching found me a good site for games, prices seem pretty much equal to Amazon's; plus shipping should be quicker since it's closer:-
    http://www.play-asia.com/
    The research I've done so far says that even though it's in Hong Kong, this is a reliable site.
  • KilarneyKilarney
    Play Asia is very reliable.
  • lackofcheeselackofcheese
    Hmm, Phoenix Wright: Trials and Tribulations is hard to get now that it's a bit old.
    However, I've read that the Japanese Gyakuten Saiban 3 came with full English.
    As such, is there any problem if I order this?
  • KilarneyKilarney
    I looked again at the prices you listed. I can honestly say that I wouldn't play videogames at those prices. Of course I'm not a big fan of videogames. I just have a few DS titles. But I wouldn't even have a DS if games were $60-$70.
  • AprecheApreche
    I looked again at the prices you listed. I can honestly say that I wouldn't play videogames at those prices. Of course I'm not a big fan of videogames. I just have a few DS titles. But I wouldn't even have a DS if games were $60-$70.
    I agree. In that situation I would stick to the PC, and probably play mostly old, free, or cheap games.
  • lackofcheeselackofcheese
    edited June 2008
    I looked again at the prices you listed. I can honestly say that I wouldn't play videogames at those prices. Of course I'm not a big fan of videogames. I just have a few DS titles. But I wouldn't even have a DS if games were $60-$70.
    Take 5% off those prices since they're in AUD, but yeah, that doesn't change much :P.
    I spent a long time as a 99% pirate, and that worked well. That percentage will be dropping, but certainly not to zero ;)
    For DS, and perhaps PC games, I'll probably be ordering from play-asia a lot in future.
    I have a Wii that I don't use very much (but it's OK since my parents got it for my brother and I :P), and unless the region protection is easy to break (i.e. the Freeloader thing works well) I may be stuck with Australian pricing on that.
    Post edited by lackofcheese on
  • TyashkiTyashki
    I may end up getting a PS3 since it has no region locking AFAIK.
  • Kate MonsterKate Monster
    Sorry to be so ignorant, but why are the prices so much higher in other countries?
  • TyashkiTyashki
    edited June 2008
    Thats a very good question!

    I really don't know exactly why. It could be that the US is such a huge market that it can afford the lower prices. Or it is just a matter of what they can get away with.
    Post edited by Tyashki on
  • HMTKSteveHMTKSteve
    Thats a very good question!

    I really don't know exactly why. It could be that the US is such a huge market that it can afford the lower prices. Or it is just a matter of what they can get away with.
    Part of it is that the falling dollar has not been taken into account when companies price things for the market outside of the USA. In the last 5 years the exchange rate between CAD and USD has gone from a high of 1USD=1.40CAD to a low of 1USD=0.95CAD.
  • lackofcheeselackofcheese
    edited June 2008
    Well, I placed an order via play-asia, with the following games:-
    • Advance Wars: Days of Ruin
    • Professor Layton and the Curious Village
    • Gyakuten Saiban 3
    • Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney
    • Contra 4
    It was $169.90 US total, or $181.10 AU, with the shipping included.

    This is probably nothing special by U.S. standards, but you would only be able to get 3 games for that amount of money at AU prices.
    Alternatively, to buy those 5 games would probably cost approximately $250 AU with reasonably good deals.

    It should be less than a week before they arrive, but I have The Prince of Nothing to read in the meantime anyways. Man, I'm happy this semester of uni is over. Some of those tests were evil :S
    Post edited by lackofcheese on
  • DkongDkong
    edited June 2008
    For DS games, I'd go with Play Asia as other people have suggested. They sell japanese and english language games. They're a lot more overpriced than say, Gamestop or Amazon, but it's a LOT better tan $60-70. I've bought tons of games from them (probably upwards to $400), and the only bad thing is that it takes so damn long to ship. But Hong Kong to the USA isn't a short trip, so I'm ok with it.

    If they don't ship to Australia for some reason, I'd strongly recommend getting a R4 or CycloDS and just get ROMs for all the games you wanna play. I mean really, I'm not a big fan of pirating, but $60-70 is bullshit. As for where you can buy them that will ship to Australia, Real Hot Stuff should be fine, it looks like they have international shipping.
    Post edited by Dkong on
  • lackofcheeselackofcheese
    edited June 2008
    Yeah, I've already placed an order with Play Asia, and Hong Kong is really quite close to Australia, so I'm satisfied (A lot of Australian people on teh internets say it takes less than a week to ship).
    It would be nice if Amazon serviced Australia decently, but as I said before, they have some restrictions on which games they ship, and their poor shipping prices would probably cancel out the price advantage.

    I still want a CycloDS to emulate NES and SNES games though, I reckon.
    Post edited by lackofcheese on
  • thaneofcawdorthaneofcawdor
    My answer to the high prices we pay for games in this country is to:

    1. Buy only downloadable games priced in US$, and
    2. Only buy from retail when they have clearance sales.

    As to the reason why games cost twice as much here, there was a time that an AUD only bought half a USD. I guess they just forgot to update their pricing formulas...
  • AlanAlan
    Thats a very good question!

    I really don't know exactly why. It could be that the US is such a huge market that it can afford the lower prices. Or it is just a matter of what they can get away with.
    You got to figure to If they are selling for the price before the change in the dollar with the money get get back in the exchange they make much more. The more ignorant people wouldn't mind paying the price they always paid for something so my guess is they are using that to their advantage while they can.
  • ReolReol
    Theres a simple explanation for the prices

    Scenario: Board Room Meeting Discissing Video Game Pricing

    Guy 1: Hey guys, the dollar is dropping vs the AUD
    Guy 2: Why not just keep our prices the same=MORE PROFIT
    Guy 1: Great idea, why bother changing prices, too much work anyways
  • OmnutiaOmnutia
    Correction:
    Guy 1: Hey guys, the dollar is dropping against the AUD
    Guy 2: And so...
    Guy 1: We make more money!
    Guy 3: We could lower prices to help customers in this time of economic downturn.
    All else: Shut up Tanaka.

    I used to work at a used game shop, you might want to find one near you, I still think studios need to stop putting so much money into making games.
  • AbZAbZ
    I bought a ds from ebay, and it was shipped from America (I saved $50) . For ds games I recommend you buy a flash cart because paying up to $60 for a ds game is just a plain ripoff.
  • HMTKSteveHMTKSteve
    OR:

    Guy1: Look the USD is tanking!
    Guy2: Should we lower our AUD prices?
    Guy1: Are you crazy? I bought these things months ago when the exchange rate was against us.
    Guy2: And?
    Guy1: If I lower the price now I lose out. That book that sells for USD20 cost me AUD20 to buy and I sell it for AUD30. If I drop my prices down based on the exchange rate changes I can only sell it for AUD20. Which means I have a net loss when you factor in delivery and overhead costs.
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