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International Console Costs – SA Pockets Feel the Burn

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So I was asked to do a follow up of yesterdays International Game Prices – Fair or Foul. After a little research and crunching some numbers, I finally came up with some figures. All I can say is that overall (in US dollars)… it looks like we’re still paying alot higher than some of the other countries out there.

We can however boast being able to pay less for the DS than the Ozzies. But that’s only by a mere 40 US dollars.

Country PS3 – 80Gb Wii Xbox 360 – 60Gb PSP DS
USA $399.99 $249.99 $299.99 $119.99 $169.99
South Africa $601.66 $412.24 $460.74 $315.13 $230.57
Australia $546.86 $312.90 $312.16 $233.93 $234.67
UK $429.26 $262.37 $246.62 $302.23 $211.43

Overall it seems that the States is the best place in which to buy a console with South Africa being the worst. Again though, just as in the game costs, Australia surprises with its high prices.

currency conversions according to: Yahoo

Last Updated: May 26, 2009

19 Comments

  1. easy

    May 26, 2009 at 12:09

    “40 US dollars”

    you mean $4.00

    Reply

  2. Faheem Abrahams

    May 26, 2009 at 12:27

    :blush: yeah I’m sorry about that one… was pretty late when I wrote the article and sadly my coffee reserves were out. Got some more though :w00t:

    Reply

  3. Strife Lives

    May 26, 2009 at 13:09

    Stupid,just like yesterdays comparisons because of one reason.the Aussies get ripped off,but they all get paid more than us across the board.It doesnt cost as much for them cuz theres simply more money over there.So thats the big point.in the U.S of A they say based on average income per household,to buy and pay off a new car with the amount of money in the household was 8 months.can any of you pay a car off in that time with your liquid cash? It was a C class Mercedes C 200k they based it on.

    Reply

  4. Faheem Abrahams

    May 26, 2009 at 13:30

    wow that’s hectic: the aussies aren’t feeling their high prices because of having more money… so they make more than us but pay less? not sure of your point. our situation sucks as a result of various conditions that really have no place on a gaming website but facts are facts and I’m not really that into stats but i do find world trade and eco’s pretty interesting. :ermm:

    Reply

  5. easy

    May 26, 2009 at 13:33

    if i wanted too 😉

    i suspect that your stats are somewhat out of date, seeing as american banks actually collapsed due to bad debt (bail out packages saved them).
    but i hear what you saying. demographics definitely vary from country to country and makes price comparisons irrelevant to due to the amount of factors that need to be taken into consideration.

    Reply

  6. Faheem Abrahams

    May 26, 2009 at 13:37

    respect! 😉

    Reply

  7. Strife Lives

    May 26, 2009 at 14:16

    Umm. .yes it makes sense.and yup,those stats are out of date by a 2 years or so. But,point is.if you pay R2000 for something here,but its R1800 there.and an average teacher earns R10000 here and R15000 there as an example.thats the point Im making.Thats the whole point of it.Eg, in the U.S,social grant is $1000 ,but its R450 here. Our cost of living here is much higher because we get paid alot less across the board. Average earning of policman in some states in the U.S is $60 000 dollars,in S.A. . . . .its way way lower. So. . .we still get ripped off,because based on what we earn,we should pay similar prices to Asia,but we pay EU prices.

    Reply

  8. Strife Lives

    May 26, 2009 at 14:27

    To top that all off,Ster Kinekor straight up rip us off.I spoke to people at AWX,and I preordered KZ2 for R550,then they said the price went up to R879,they said Ster Kinekor had told them to charge that amount.note,this was a week before launch,they already had stock of the game in the store room.see,its the distributers of the consoles that screw us over.I paid R1000 for my PSP in the U.S last year,it costed R1800 here.after the economic knock we took the thing went up to R2800. Go check the price of it now, hasnt come down that much. . . . .,especially since the rand is a bit stronger now.

    Reply

  9. al360rulz

    May 26, 2009 at 14:37

    yip yip yip
    as i said yesterday its all the distributors they are like MR Burns on simpsons evil :devil: !! i tell u
    they would take the clothes off your childs back if they could hence i have no faith in them anymore as i have seen there prices and the markup they put on i was absolutely disgusted and appalled at what they do and then they want to make us think they angels :angel:
    for as long as they rip us off i will not promote them anymore!!! :angry:

    Reply

  10. Lupus

    May 26, 2009 at 14:44

    Is there anyway we could approach the distributors and tell them about this? I mean we need to start nipping it in the butt. I do say if we stop buying them and picketing them they should start dropping prices, we show our support by our wallets, whose with me 😀

    Reply

  11. Lupus

    May 26, 2009 at 14:57

    Okay I am trying again on their website

    http://www.hellopeter.com/microsoft-pricing-%5B283576%5D

    Reply

  12. al360rulz

    May 26, 2009 at 15:07

    well 15 of us have already started about a month ago we refuse to buy local until they start treating their customers better 🙂 bring it on !!!

    Reply

  13. Faheem Abrahams

    May 26, 2009 at 15:51

    well i reckon it just takes effort to have to go around them but big up to you guys anyway. maybe there’s another route? JIHAD anyone? :devil:

    Reply

  14. Strife Lives

    May 26, 2009 at 15:55

    its absolutly bs! Its a flatout 60 bucks for the guys stateside,but an AAA game could hit R950 for us. Yet,EA always keep their titles R550-R580. ,yet my buddy that went on holiday to Hong Kong can buy a pal ps3 at launch for R4500 and games for R400. At the time,it was 1 SA Rand = 1 HK dollar. Well,I have no idea why the chinese pirate games over there.Im sure ps2 original games were dirt cheap after a year or two.Im telling ya,screw the distributers,be in the ones for the games or Ps3,360 and especially the wii and ds!

    Reply

  15. Fox1

    May 26, 2009 at 16:42

    So distributors were moaning about having to put prices up when the Rand was approaching R12 to the Dollar? And now when the Rand is back to R8 to the dollar then? And don’t forget that the price of fuel has dropped by almost 50%-60% since then.

    I wonder how the sales of the 360 are doing locally because I see Christmas bundles still being sold in the shops :wassat:

    Reply

  16. RivaZA

    May 26, 2009 at 18:46

    Really it is not that bad. at least you don’t have to pay R9000-R14000 monthy rent on a 2 bedroom flat or R40-R50 for a draught of beer as I have to in the UK! I think it is a fair trade.

    Reply

  17. Lupus

    May 26, 2009 at 20:07

    Except for the fact that you will be earning pounds not Rands so the difference is big, remember we are paying in Rands which we are earning meaning it is still a lot, you are earning pounds and you will be able to afford a lot more even if you are paying 700 pounds a month rent and paying 3 pounds a draught :-D.

    Reply

  18. LazySAGamer

    May 26, 2009 at 21:24

    I am in the same salary bracket in my position here that I was previously in SA and gaming is a lot more expensive in Australia that in SA. It may be more affordable to the police and teachers but it’s not for me 😉

    Cost of living is way cheaper in SA than Australia in my humble opinion

    Reply

  19. Squal123

    May 27, 2009 at 10:01

    I found games to be very expensive when I was in Sweden last year, considering that a beer cost about 55 Krono and added that the prices of food is also extremely expensive. I just buy platinum and look out for the odd special here in SA.Things could be better here if we start standing up for our consumer rights. On a side note my PS3 died the other day, a victim of the dreaded Red blinking light of death. It truely sucks since I am three months out of warranty.

    Reply

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