Gaming Mario Kart Wii - prices

[stok3d]

I think it's a sign of the overly materialistic world we live in when people start complaining about a few dollars difference in the price of a game. These price differences exist for many, many products between nations. In all honesty, how many originals do you own, anyways? I've six originals and around sixty backups. So, when a game like SMG or SSBB comes along, I have no problem shelling out $55 for it at EB Games or Walmart. It's $45 in Japan? Oh, well. There's still 60 backups in my binder at home that would've cost 3k-plus to buy in-store, so who am I to complain? Mind you, many of those sixty backups aren't worth the media they're written on, but that's another topic all together.

If anything, we should be glad we live in countries where sometimes, the biggest decision we have to make in a day is where to get our Wii game the cheapest.

 

[Bob Evil]

I think it's a sign of the overly materialistic world we live in when people start complaining about a few dollars difference in the price of a game. These price differences exist for many, many products. In all honesty, how many originals do you own anyways? I own six originals and aroung sixty backups. So, when a game like SMG or SSBB comes along, I have no problem shelling out $55 for it at EB Games or Walmart. It's $45 in Japan? Oh, well. There's still 60 backups in my binder at home that would've cost 3k-plus to buy in-store, so who am I to complain?

If anything, we should be glad we live in countries where sometimes, the biggest decision we have to make in a day is where to get our Wii game the cheapest.

You've missed the point ... the main point being "lower prices would lower levels of piracy".

Plus, it's hard for you to sound credible, seeing as you are from one of the cheaper countries, which is also a country less affected by 'release lag' ... You don't have the problems we in Europe, South Africa & Oceania have when it comes to getting games.

 

[science]

17 cents for me

 

[stok3d]

I think it's a sign of the overly materialistic world we live in when people start complaining about a few dollars difference in the price of a game. These price differences exist for many, many products. In all honesty, how many originals do you own anyways? I own six originals and aroung sixty backups. So, when a game like SMG or SSBB comes along, I have no problem shelling out $55 for it at EB Games or Walmart. It's $45 in Japan? Oh, well. There's still 60 backups in my binder at home that would've cost 3k-plus to buy in-store, so who am I to complain?

If anything, we should be glad we live in countries where sometimes, the biggest decision we have to make in a day is where to get our Wii game the cheapest.

You've missed the point ... the main point being "lower prices would lower levels of piracy".

Define lower.

I can't see how lowering prices is going to make a significant dent in any kind of piracy. If it's piracy in the testing and modding scene, it wouldn't make a measurable difference. If a game is trash (and there are a lot of them), people have just as big of a problem paying 20 or 25 dollars for it as they do paying 50 or 60. Now, if we're talking about piracy over in Vietnam, where piracy stands at an amazing 90%, what good will lowering the price a few dollars do?

Any company can 'claim' xx billion dollars lost to piracy, as the music industry often likes to do. But those numbers are skewed, and here's why: Of all those 'pirates', how many would have actually bought the game if it was a little 'cheaper'? Not many, I'm willing to bet. There's $60, there's $30, whatever. The only one constant is $0 and and most modern day 'pirates' would take 0$ over 60 or even 30 anyday.

Piracy is an accepted cost of doing business and companies know it's not going away any time soon and as such, it's factored into prices. So when we're talking about billions of dollars in sales, it's a pretty big gamble to slash your prices in the hope that enough people stop pirating your product in order for you to maintain your profit margins.

Game companies aren't benevolent saints who want to lower prices for the game thirsty masses. If they can increase their profit margin by cutting costs, they will.

 

[fLaMePrO]

As usual, Australia pays the most

Sucks to be us

 

[Awdofgum]

If all of Nintendo's games cost the same around the world,
then i'd have to pay more

Yay for cheaper prices in US

 

[Reduxed]

this cost more than smash..

 

[Bob Evil]

As per usual, it's a case of "I'm alright, Jack. Don't know what you're complaining about." from the people who have the best of the deal.

You get the games first, you pay the lower prices, so you can't see why we have a problem with 'the system'.

At least awdofgum is honest, and worries about paying more, so thinks things shouldn't change ... you can respect honesty like that ... its people who say 'the system' doesn't need to change, for whatever unreasonable point, because they can't just admit that a level playing field for all would actually be slightly worse for them.

If you are a working parent, who plays games, and who's kids play games ... let's face it, most kids play games now ... and you'd prefer to have them playing originals, but you simply can't justify the price, it's hard.

I make a damn good living doing what I do ... I am well paid, working in the entertainment industry, but I can't justify the price of many releases ... some I can, as they have a decent lifespan, due to replay or multiplayer, for instance, but some, I can't ... so, these I either fork out the inflated prices for, or I get as a pirate copy.

The games industry are nickel and diming themselves out of pocket by keeping prices as high as they are, in certain regions.

Pricing is a factor in piracy ... the regions with the largest amounts of piracy are the regions with the highest games prices.

The U.S. has some of the lowest piracy rates in the world ... due, in part, to low prices ... whereas Australia, for example, has possible the highest piracy rate among the Western nations, due almost entirely to ridiculously high games prices.

Brazil is another great example ... they pay what is probably the highest prices for games ... so high that they are a luxury for the affluent or the compulsive game fan ... so, they resort to piracy, in high numbers.

Drop the prices a little, and more originals will be bought ... yes, you will always get the 'something for nothing' people, but basically, for whatever reason, be it snobbery, collecting, a sense of responsibility towards the laws, or a sense of loyalty to a favored developer or publisher, most people want to own original games.

A small price drop equals higher sales. It's common business sense .... You make just as much money selling 1,000 copies at £30 each, than you do selling 750 copies at £40 each, even factoring in production costs, as factories give you a better price on larger orders ... bulk = discount.

 

[MADKATZ99]

at 100 dollerydoo's per wii game, its a joke

... I cant really complain, I have only bought two.


It is a pretty big problem.. If I was to buy MKwii when it comes out, I'd have to work 12 and a half hours to pay for it. plus $1.50 a litre fuel costs getting there, its even more!!!

Its not suprising people get their wii's chipped at all. If our wii games were 50 bucks i'd consider buying it for sure.

Why's it like that for? Is it nintendo screwing us around or the games industry in general? I remember games like DK64 and banjo tooie actually being slighty more than $100 at the time.. which I thought was high, but I didnt really mind paying it because those games deserve every cent. Sad we cant say the same about the majority of wii games...

 

[tomqman]

17 cents for me

lol

 

[Talaria]

As usual, Australia pays the most

Sucks to be us

Actually it sucks to be us.....NZ....

We pay a few dollars more than the Australians. It will be $110 when it is released over here for a comparrison that is about
US$85.47

 

[kristijan08]

yeah australias always get the shaft. i cant see why there can be such huge discrepancies in game prices... doesnt matter; im sticking it to the big guy through other means lol

 

[Matekking]

For Hungary its 77.94 USD changed with google from HUF...

 

[rhyguy]

As usual, Australia pays the most

Sucks to be us

Actually it sucks to be us.....NZ....

We pay a few dollars more than the Australians. It will be $110 when it is released over here for a comparrison that is about
US$85.47

thats how much ps3/360 games are around here

 

[stok3d]

I think it's a sign of the overly materialistic world we live in when people start complaining about a few dollars difference in the price of a game. These price differences exist for many, many products. In all honesty, how many originals do you own anyways? I own six originals and aroung sixty backups. So, when a game like SMG or SSBB comes along, I have no problem shelling out $55 for it at EB Games or Walmart. It's $45 in Japan? Oh, well. There's still 60 backups in my binder at home that would've cost 3k-plus to buy in-store, so who am I to complain?

If anything, we should be glad we live in countries where sometimes, the biggest decision we have to make in a day is where to get our Wii game the cheapest.

You've missed the point ... the main point being "lower prices would lower levels of piracy".

Plus, it's hard for you to sound credible, seeing as you are from one of the cheaper countries, which is also a country less affected by 'release lag' ... You don't have the problems we in Europe, South Africa & Oceania have when it comes to getting games.

Cheaper country? Credibility? What on Earth does that have to do with this? Oh, I get it. You don't think I have a right to speak on the issue because here in the land of the mighty Beaver, we pay less for games and get some marquee titles a little earlier than you...I'm sure that doesn't stop you from leeching said game ahead of Britains release date and playing the hell out of it on your PAL system though, does it? Hmm, Japan got Brawl weeks before us. The EU is getting MK-W weeks before us. But you won't see me complaining, because I accept that I'm not Nintendo and I don't decide who gets what games first and when. I'm just glad that yes, up here in the Great White North, there's plenty of beaver to go around for everyone.

 

[stok3d]

As per usual, it's a case of "I'm alright, Jack. Don't know what you're complaining about." from the people who have the best of the deal.

You get the games first, you pay the lower prices, so you can't see why we have a problem with 'the system'.

At least awdofgum is honest, and worries about paying more, so thinks things shouldn't change ... you can respect honesty like that ... its people who say 'the system' doesn't need to change, for whatever unreasonable point, because they can't just admit that a level playing field for all would actually be slightly worse for them.

If you are a working parent, who plays games, and who's kids play games ... let's face it, most kids play games now ... and you'd prefer to have them playing originals, but you simply can't justify the price, it's hard.

I make a damn good living doing what I do ... I am well paid, working in the entertainment industry, but I can't justify the price of many releases ... some I can, as they have a decent lifespan, due to replay or multiplayer, for instance, but some, I can't ... so, these I either fork out the inflated prices for, or I get as a pirate copy.

The games industry are nickel and diming themselves out of pocket by keeping prices as high as they are, in certain regions.

Pricing is a factor in piracy ... the regions with the largest amounts of piracy are the regions with the highest games prices.

The U.S. has some of the lowest piracy rates in the world ... due, in part, to low prices ... whereas Australia, for example, has possible the highest piracy rate among the Western nations, due almost entirely to ridiculously high games prices.

Brazil is another great example ... they pay what is probably the highest prices for games ... so high that they are a luxury for the affluent or the compulsive game fan ... so, they resort to piracy, in high numbers.

Drop the prices a little, and more originals will be bought ... yes, you will always get the 'something for nothing' people, but basically, for whatever reason, be it snobbery, collecting, a sense of responsibility towards the laws, or a sense of loyalty to a favored developer or publisher, most people want to own original games.

A small price drop equals higher sales. It's common business sense .... You make just as much money selling 1,000 copies at £30 each, than you do selling 750 copies at £40 each, even factoring in production costs, as factories give you a better price on larger orders ... bulk = discount.

Hey, bob, I know where you're coming from with this. I have two young kids myself, and I'm sure we can both agree children are very expensive. (but well worth it )

In every European country, meaning all countries that are a part of the EU (so Great britain is in it as well as other 26 countries) the import tax is at 4% and then you have to add depending on countries the VAT that varies from 15 to 25%.

This is the exact truth. I dont think GBR is a kind of socialist country. For example if you want to import a pair of shoes in France you will pay as import taxes 4%, whereas if you live in China and you want to import a pair of shoes then you will have to pay ~68% import taxes. And so on.

Also, let's not forget about market sizes and strength of currencies when talking about price discrepancies, because they too play a large part.