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Topic: Price at games

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Rusty_Nail

Something i been wondering for a long time is why games are so expensive in Europe, but so cheap in North America? in Denmark we have to pay 80-88$ for a recently released game but you in North America have to pay 50-60$ for a recently released game, why are the prices so different?

Edited on by Rusty_Nail

Rusty_Nail

Bankai

Rusty_Nail wrote:

Something i been wondering for a long time is why are games so expensive in Europe, but so cheap in North America? in Denmark we have to pay 80$ for a new game but you in North America have to pay 60$ for a new game, why are the prices so different?

I could explain the business details behind it, but it'd run to a few thousand words.

What I can say is this: They are not gouging you for money. These things cost more money for you because they cost more money to get into the country. Australia has a similar problem, but it's not the fault of anyone in particular, it's just the nature of international trade.

Just be glad you don't live in Brazil or South Africa. You'd be paying the equivilent of 2-3 times what you pay currently for a new game.

If it's really upsetting you, move to Japan where you can easily find top-line, reasonably new release games for between $5 and $15. That's the cheapest region in the world on the whole.

Edited on by Bankai

Rusty_Nail

WaltzElf wrote:

Rusty_Nail wrote:

Something i been wondering for a long time is why are games so expensive in Europe, but so cheap in North America? in Denmark we have to pay 80$ for a new game but you in North America have to pay 60$ for a new game, why are the prices so different?

If it's really upsetting you, move to Japan where you can easily find top-line, reasonably new release games for between $5 and $15. That's the cheapest region in the world on the whole.

But in Japan they are not getting all the good games like Europe, and certainly North America, if i should move because of that, i would move to the US.

Edited on by Rusty_Nail

Rusty_Nail

Bankai

Rusty_Nail wrote:

WaltzElf wrote:

Rusty_Nail wrote:

Something i been wondering for a long time is why are games so expensive in Europe, but so cheap in North America? in Denmark we have to pay 80$ for a new game but you in North America have to pay 60$ for a new game, why are the prices so different?

If it's really upsetting you, move to Japan where you can easily find top-line, reasonably new release games for between $5 and $15. That's the cheapest region in the world on the whole.

But in Japan they are not getting all the good games like Europe, and certainly not North America, if i should move because of that, i would move to the US.

I don't think you quite realise how incredible the Japanese gaming scene is - or how many really great games never get seen outside of Japan.

Either way, I was only joking, anyway. You would have to be insane to move to a different country just to have access to cheaper games <_<

Rusty_Nail

WaltzElf wrote:

Rusty_Nail wrote:

WaltzElf wrote:

Rusty_Nail wrote:

Something i been wondering for a long time is why are games so expensive in Europe, but so cheap in North America? in Denmark we have to pay 80$ for a new game but you in North America have to pay 60$ for a new game, why are the prices so different?

If it's really upsetting you, move to Japan where you can easily find top-line, reasonably new release games for between $5 and $15. That's the cheapest region in the world on the whole.

But in Japan they are not getting all the good games like Europe, and certainly not North America, if i should move because of that, i would move to the US.

I don't think you quite realise how incredible the Japanese gaming scene is - or how many really great games never get seen outside of Japan.

Either way, I was only joking, anyway. You would have to be insane to move to a different country just to have access to cheaper games <_<

But there are also too many american games that is not going to Japan, the reason that the Xbox 360 is selling so bad in Japan is because they don't get all the great games for that system like other countries.

Rusty_Nail

Aviator

A hell of alot of games are made in Japan though, and they have some pretty good stuff, I don't think there missing out.

QUEEN OF SASS

It's like, I just love a cowboy
You know
I'm just like, I just, I know, it's bad
But I'm just like
Can I just like, hang off the back of your horse
And can you go a little faster?!

Rusty_Nail

But every time a epic title come out they get it last, for example GTA IV first got to Japan 30th October 2008 and the DLC isn't even released in Japan,

New Super Mario Bros. Wii is even a Japanese game and Japan got it last

Rusty_Nail

Aviator

And Australia was a movie set in Australia, made by an Australian, shot in Australia. And America got it first, you point being?

QUEEN OF SASS

It's like, I just love a cowboy
You know
I'm just like, I just, I know, it's bad
But I'm just like
Can I just like, hang off the back of your horse
And can you go a little faster?!

Bankai

Honestly, Mr Nail, if you haven't been to Japan you'll just have to take my word for it: Japan is not missing out on games. At all.

For every one Western game that doesn't get released over there, they get around 20 Japanese games that never get released over here, and those games are often awesome.

Rusty_Nail

WaltzElf wrote:

Honestly, Mr Nail, if you haven't been to Japan you'll just have to take my word for it: Japan is not missing out on games. At all.

For every one Western game that doesn't get released over there, they get around 20 Japanese games that never get released over here, and those games are often awesome.

I know they have some games we don't have, but personally i'm not fan of most Japanese games, besides we also have a lot of epic titles they never get, like Dead Space: Extraction, The Conduit, Red Steel 2, and No More Heroes 2 didn't got to Japan and i'm pretty excited about these games

Edited on by Rusty_Nail

Rusty_Nail

theblackdragon

WaltzElf wrote:

If it's really upsetting you, move to Japan where you can easily find top-line, reasonably new release games for between $5 and $15. That's the cheapest region in the world on the whole.

what stores were you shopping at while you were there? or were you hitting bargain bins someplace and didn't quite realize it? i paid full American price (actually, i'd say at least $10-20 more) for the couple of Japanese games i'd bought during the times i was in Japan myself (one was a PSX game, the others were DS games). one i got from a store in a mall, the other from a local game shop, and both weren't just-released games, but they were still in print at the time and they were brand new in their packaging. unless things have drastically changed recently, the Japanese are paying just as much (if not more) than us Americans.

Edited on by theblackdragon

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Yasume

Just don't buy new games.

Instead buy games that you missed out 5-10 years ago and pay €5 - €15,- for them. Wait 5-10 years and get the games that you didn't buy in 2010 because they were too expensive.

I'm doing this for 2 years now and I love it.

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Magi

I usually wait a few months and pick them up used. If they were mega-popular games then the $60 buck games are normally around 40-ish or less. If they weren't that popular then they're closer to $15 on average. Occasionally, various local retailers have a "buy 2 get 1 free deal" or something like that and I tend to stock up on games that are on my list. RARELY do I ever buy new.

Magi

Bankai

theblackdragon wrote:

WaltzElf wrote:

If it's really upsetting you, move to Japan where you can easily find top-line, reasonably new release games for between $5 and $15. That's the cheapest region in the world on the whole.

what stores were you shopping at while you were there? or were you hitting bargain bins someplace and didn't quite realize it? i paid full American price (actually, i'd say at least $10-20 more) for the couple of Japanese games i'd bought during the times i was in Japan myself (one was a PSX game, the others were DS games). one i got from a store in a mall, the other from a local game shop, and both weren't just-released games, but they were still in print at the time and they were brand new in their packaging. unless things have drastically changed recently, the Japanese are paying just as much (if not more) than us Americans.

If you wander around Akihabera, and then pay full price for games, you're not shopping very well in Japan. Unless the game has been JUST launched, you'll find it discounted, somewhere. When I was there, Final Fantasy XIII was still a new release. I saw it on sale at one store for 4000 yen (~$40).

Also found some hella-cheap second hand games in Tokyo video shops.

Edited on by Bankai

Rusty_Nail

WaltzElf wrote:

theblackdragon wrote:

WaltzElf wrote:

If it's really upsetting you, move to Japan where you can easily find top-line, reasonably new release games for between $5 and $15. That's the cheapest region in the world on the whole.

what stores were you shopping at while you were there? or were you hitting bargain bins someplace and didn't quite realize it? i paid full American price (actually, i'd say at least $10-20 more) for the couple of Japanese games i'd bought during the times i was in Japan myself (one was a PSX game, the others were DS games). one i got from a store in a mall, the other from a local game shop, and both weren't just-released games, but they were still in print at the time and they were brand new in their packaging. unless things have drastically changed recently, the Japanese are paying just as much (if not more) than us Americans.

If you wander around Akihabera, and then pay full price for games, you're not shopping very well in Japan. Unless the game has been JUST launched, you'll find it discounted, somewhere. When I was there, Final Fantasy XIII was still a new release. I saw it on sale at one store for 4000 yen (~$40).

Also found some hella-cheap second hand games in Tokyo video shops.

It's not about where you can find it cheapest it is about what the highest price is and in US is the highest price is 60 dollars, and isn't it also 60$ in Japan?

Rusty_Nail

Bankai

Rusty_Nail wrote:

WaltzElf wrote:

theblackdragon wrote:

WaltzElf wrote:

If it's really upsetting you, move to Japan where you can easily find top-line, reasonably new release games for between $5 and $15. That's the cheapest region in the world on the whole.

what stores were you shopping at while you were there? or were you hitting bargain bins someplace and didn't quite realize it? i paid full American price (actually, i'd say at least $10-20 more) for the couple of Japanese games i'd bought during the times i was in Japan myself (one was a PSX game, the others were DS games). one i got from a store in a mall, the other from a local game shop, and both weren't just-released games, but they were still in print at the time and they were brand new in their packaging. unless things have drastically changed recently, the Japanese are paying just as much (if not more) than us Americans.

If you wander around Akihabera, and then pay full price for games, you're not shopping very well in Japan. Unless the game has been JUST launched, you'll find it discounted, somewhere. When I was there, Final Fantasy XIII was still a new release. I saw it on sale at one store for 4000 yen (~$40).

Also found some hella-cheap second hand games in Tokyo video shops.

It's not about where you can find it cheapest it is about what the highest price is and in US is the highest price is 60 dollars, and isn't it also 60$ in Japan?

Even new release games can be found cheaper than the RRP should be

Japan's retail culture is ultra-competitive, and retailers are willing to do what we call "loss-leading" - selling an A-grade product at a loss to try and draw customers in to buy additional products, which they do make a profit from.

Part of the reason games are more expensive in niche markets is because the retailers can't afford to, and don't need to, slash thier own margins to remain competitive.

This applies to the US, too - the US is quite a bit cheaper than other territories because of what happens at the retail level.

Rusty_Nail

Anyway, i doubts about the wage is high in Japan? doesn't americans have more money to buy games for than Japanese people?

Edited on by Rusty_Nail

Rusty_Nail

Bankai

Average Japanese household income is a little lower, yes, but that doesn't have any bearing on the price of games, at all. Look at Brazil - the average income there is much lower than America (and Japan), but the cost of games is 2-4 times as high.

Rusty_Nail

No, i wasn't thinking that, i was thinking if you wanna move to another country just because of games are US the best country because you get more money to buy for than Japan

Rusty_Nail

Bankai

Rusty_Nail wrote:

No, i wasn't thinking that, i was thinking if you wanna move to another country just because of games are US the best country because you get more money to buy for than Japan

Sigh. I've travelled to both countries, and I can say without a shadow of a doubt that Japan has the superior games culture. There's no equivilent to Akihabera in the US, the arcade scene isn't remotely as developed or interesting, and the American culture hasn't embraced gaming nearly as much as Japan has.

It's also cheaper to buy games in Japan, overall, thanks to the highly competitive retail environment they have over there. If you really are going to move somewhere for the gaming culture, Japan is the place to be. Just make sure you get a good job (though that applies to America as well, to be honest.)

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