Apparently, pockets have no bottoms in Oz

[fragger]

I was watching some news while having brekky this morning and there was a report about how a number of consumer watchdog groups in Australia are trying to persuade the federal government to launch a parliamentary inquiry to look into just why it is that Aussie consumers of games & entertainment media are paying so much more than their American counterparts for exactly the same products. There seems to be no justification whatsoever as to why DVDs, audio CDs and video games cost at least 50% more here than they do in the States (and most of the rest of the world), even when import duties and such are factored in. And there is no reason at all for electronic purchases/downloads to be dearer for us when there isn't even a physical good being shipped, yet pay more for those we also do.

The consensus of the consumer groups was that we're simply being ripped off (I could have told them that). When I say we pay at least 50%more, that's starting at the clean end of the rot. Prices can be hiked up to as much as 88% more than what our American cousins are paying.

Apple, Adobe and Microsoft are the worst offenders in this high-end gouge group (surprise surprise) charging Australian customers almost 90% more than they do their American ones. When you consider that as I write this the Aussie dollar is buying about US$1.05, there can be no logical reason for this whatsoever. I guess these companies simply view this country as an easy rip-off target.

What I do know is this: if we want this to change, the biggest hurdle we'll face will be getting our politicians to put their vitriolic mudslinging and taxpayer-funded junketing on hold long enough to come to the party and maybe start thinking about initiating the formation of a committee to look at the feasibility of having a discussion with a view towards beginning proceedings of what will be required to lay the groundwork for a possible future inquiry into the matter, if practicable. In other words, they might be able to get a ball rolling by around 2047 ::)

It all left such a sour taste in my mouth that I wasn't able to enjoy my cereal

[PZ]

Outrageous!  \:/

[JRD]

Gee... except for the 1:1.05 exchange ratio you could be easily talking about Brazil!!!!

Some products, however, can cost even more than what you described. Mostly when there is a physical, electronic device or media involved. Games and videogames being notoriously more expensive here than anywhere in US.

Take AC3 for instance... I paid RS$84,99 for my STEAM copy, which is US$41,86. A copy available at a local retail store costs RS$179,99, which is US$88,66.

My copy cost 47% of a retail copy purchased here.  ???

Why does a digital copy is more than twice the price of a game DVD? It can be a bit more expensive, ok, I can live with that since there are costs related to the midia, packaging, distribution and sales involved but how come it is so much more expensive?

The profit margin is already included in the digital copy too... so everything else are taxes? 

[Fiach]

Well, here we have tax on videogames and MMO subscriptions, so we get a price differential right there.

Our prices by and large are goverened by the UK, because the gaming shops here are UK based, so we import from there.

It is annoying to go to the Google Play Store and see an app for $2.99, then try to buy it and see the price becomes €2.99  :D

GOG.com is great (if you are into those games) as the prices are in dollars and you pay in dollars, so if your country has a good rate vs USD, games can be quite cheap, Steam charges the USD rate as the same price in €uros I think.

As regards the digi downloads, once high street game shops go (like GAME in britain), we are going to get royally screwed by the digi d/l companies, they provide no physical product, no second hand market and they wonder why people pirate.

Dont even get me started on DLC.... >:((

[nexor]

The other day I purchased MOH Warfighter for ZAR350.00 that's about US$39.00

[JRD]

STEAM charges in US dollars and just convert it to Euro if you are in Europe or in Reais if you are in Brazil. Actually, now STEAM display prices in Reais and they are just converted using an average exchange ratio, which is fair!!!

No unfair taxes or interest there!

[Fiach]

STEAM charges in US dollars and just convert it to Euro if you are in Europe or in Reais if you are in Brazil. Actually, now STEAM display prices in Reais and they are just converted using an average exchange ratio, which is fair!!!

No unfair taxes or interest there!

I'm not sure about that, because I remember a couple of years ago checking a price on Steam and it was in dollars, I was in Spain a week later and checked the price, it was the same amount in euros, it may be different now as I dont buy much on steam so I dont pay any attention to it as I only buy im the sales.

[JRD]

Before they display the prices in Reais I used to buy in US dollars and my credit card bill would show me the exchange. Now I see the prices straight in Reais and it is pretty much what it would be if I just convert the US dollar price into Reais.

[PZ]

The other day I purchased MOH Warfighter for ZAR350.00 that's about US$39.00

That's a good price; I paid $59

[Fiach]

That's a good price; I paid $59

It's €29 here, apparently not selling very well at all, if I wasnt so bogged down in Resi 6 I would get it, but Resi is kinda huge on replay value, I'll be playing it 'til xmas I think.

[fragger]

RRP for MOH Warfighter here is AUS$98. I'll probably be paying about that for FC3 :D

[PZ]

Dang fragger, you'd have to replay the game 3 times as much as nex just to break even!

[Jim di Griz]

...the biggest hurdle we'll face will be getting our politicians to put their vitriolic mudslinging and taxpayer-funded junketing on hold long enough to come to the party and maybe start thinking about initiating the formation of a committee to look at the feasibility of having a discussion with a view towards beginning proceedings of what will be required to lay the groundwork for a possible future inquiry into the matter, if practicable. In other words, they might be able to get a ball rolling by around 2047 ::)

sorry, that was so brilliantly put  :)

It is good that the consumers are talking about it publicly though - which is pretty much the only thing politicians will respond to in the end, if only for fear of having their nice little jobs taken away from them otherwise.

[Art Blade]

We may have average prices here but as soon as you guys see blood, severed limbs or swastikas, we get a sanitised (aka censored) version unless the game is banned right away (see Postal). So I have to resort to importing games in order to get the real original uncut and uncensored games like you guys do. That is what makes those games about 10-20% more expensive for me.

[PZ]

We may have average prices here but as soon as you guys see blood, severed limbs or swastikas, we get a sanitised (aka censored) version unless the game is banned right away (see Postal). So I have to resort to importing games in order to get the real original uncut and uncensored games like you guys do. That is what makes those games about 10-20% more expensive for me.

You boys should be receiving a discount due to the lack of accurate game content  :-()

[Art Blade]

tell me about it :-D

[Fiach]

but as soon as you guys see blood, severed limbs or swastikas, we get a sanitised (aka censored) version unless the game is banned right away (see Postal).

You'll probably have to import this then?

http://www.g4tv.com/games/xbox-360/65395/furious-4/articles/74690/brothers-in-arms-furious-4-preview-e3-2011/


TL:DR version

Brothers in Arms: Furious 4 - E3 2011 - Nazi Gameplay

[Art Blade]

Looks like a ban candidate to me or at least something you wouldn't recognise after having sanitised it. Some titles are not even considered for the German market so the software companies don't have to undergo the reprogramming process ("localised" German version, maintain at least two types of patches as in a special German and a Rest Of The World patch) only to make our censors less unhappy. "Glorification of violence" leads to a ban (see Postal), violent details such as blood and gore (dismemberments, severed bouncing limbs, gushing blood, wounds, even rag doll effects) will be erased or replaced. Nazi symbols are only tolerated in works of art (i.e. paintings, films) while video games are not considered art which is why those symbols will be replaced.

So, yes  :-D

[nexor]

Dang fragger, you'd have to replay the game 3 times as much as nex just to break even!

:lol

[Art Blade]

 :)

[fragger]

This seemed like as good a place as any to post this diatribe...

Honestly, sometimes I have to wonder about the alleged intelligence of the human race.

Definition of race:

(/rās/) - Verb - Compete with another or others to see who is fastest at covering a set course or achieving an objective.

I just watched several million dollars' worth of taxpayers' money literally go up in smoke in the form of New Year's Eve fireworks over Sydney Harbour.

Several months ago, our State Government announced that a scheme to fund free eyeglasses for old-age pensioners would be scrapped because they (the government) could no longer afford it. The cost to taxpayers? Four million dollars.

The cost to taxpayers for this year's New Year's Eve fireworks (a whole 12 minutes' worth)? Five million dollars.

Good to see that our illustrious State Government has its priorities in order.

[Art Blade]

That's just fine, because those old-age pensioners who didn't get free eyeglasses are still blind so they didn't see that money go up in smoke in form of fireworks, anyway.

[fragger]

 :-D I guess that's one way of looking at it - or not.

[Art Blade]

 :-()

[Jim di Griz]

Yes, I've often wondered at the costs of these funded fireworks displays, usually because the biggest usually seem to be during times of funding cuts.

I suppose it's the old Roman Colluseum trick of keeping the masses sweet with regular, big shows. Over here it's the same and if you travel up north where less government funding goes, there are huge, gleaming new football stadiums surrouded by dilapidated housing and communities. It's all based on the same idea.

I'd have thought that would have been a slap in the face for those living around such, but people do indeed seem less inclined now to protest or even be bothered with noticing such obvious discrepancies anymore.