I was sent a message from Flameboy yesterday afternoon and have been drowning my sorrows ever since… It seems that the day we warned you about last year has come and Mi Digital are now recommending that it’s AAA titles be sold for R999
Moody from ZAPS has been posting on the local Xbox forums that in the latest price list the following titles have a R999 RRP
Lost Odyssey
Ninja Gaiden
Fable 2
Gears 2
Your In The Movies
Lips
Halo Wars
Now what really gets me is that four of those have already been released and two of them are really old, in video game terms.
Before you go completely off the high side though remember that a RRP (Recommended Retail Price) is exactly that, it’s a recommendation and is not always followed by the retailers vying for our business.
The prices are going up though and that is a fact, added to that the huge increase in hardware prices and I have to say that the PS3 is starting to look like a cheap way to get into gaming.
I am also a little disappointed with Microsoft on this one as we had an interview with John Press, Product and Marketing Manager, last year and in that interview he did state that we won’t be seeing prices rise to R999.
Since then it has become obvious that we aren’t going to be hit as hard by this economic downturn and that our exchange rate isn’t going to bottom out. Oil prices have plummeted and rates have dropped. So what caused this turn around?
Don’t worry though, we will be following up with Microsoft again and will hopefully bring you more details later in the day.
*Remember this is only related to titles distributed by Mi Digital and SterKinekor, Megarom and EA Games are doing their utmost to ensure that their prices remain reasonable. So if all else fails buy an EA Game, SK or Megarom title (look for the stickers).
Last Updated: January 9, 2009
easy
January 9, 2009 at 08:10
some ps3 games aren’t far off the 999 mark. i saw resistance 2 the other day going for 930 at look ‘n listen.
crazy prices!
Werner
January 9, 2009 at 08:38
Very long ago and was unfortunate enough to work for Top CD and was in charge of ordering games for the branch that I worked for.
Now the big problem with the RRP is that the store usually added a bit to that as well. So if the RRP for Mi Digital is R999, I won’t be surprised if some stores ask R 1099…
easy
January 9, 2009 at 08:42
thats in the region of what mac games cost… they usually about 1k – 1200.
which explains why mac users don’t play games lol
Atomic
January 9, 2009 at 09:03
I was about to about buy Fable 2 in Dec for R600, just out of curiosity, it sounded like an ok game, despite the low review scores. Now it’s selling for R935. Same Stock, same purchase (if not lower purchase and transport costs) for MI, just more greed.
Way to go MI digital, you just ****ed over the the people who pay your salaries. For R1000 each, I’m sure I wont be the only person who stops buying games out of curiosity. None of the games on that list are worth R1000.
trin
January 9, 2009 at 09:18
you could always import them directly from the UK and US. At best you’ll get them for around R550. At worst, it will be about R650-R700 if you get slapped with customs. You’re crazy if you buy games at around 1k each
Atomic
January 9, 2009 at 09:31
Now we’re talking! – as much as I like to support local industry, R1000 buks a title is criminal, and I dont do crime!
Banana Hammock
January 9, 2009 at 09:37
Look and Listen are insane with their prices, you can get R2 from BTGames for R750.
The XboX guys are just going to have to do what us PS3 owners have been doing. Import, it’s much cheaper and it’s very easy and safe. Are XboX games region free?
ewie
January 9, 2009 at 09:44
If you are not in a hurry, prices in the uk normally drop after the first few weeks, so you can get titles imported for R300 brand new one month old .
Like Littlebigplanet. etc.
another thing, when xbox first came to south Africa it was rand vs pound, now it is rand vs dollar, and the pound have not changed vs the rand in the last few months.
easy
January 9, 2009 at 09:46
i totally agree… i got r2 for about R480 from a mate in london, and reckon i’m going get all my games via him from no on. +- two weeks delay is more than makes up for paying almost half price.
as far as i know xbox games are region free.
ewie
January 9, 2009 at 09:53
Xbox is pal, and not all of them are region free.
But places like shopto.net from the uk or europe ‘s prices are very nice.
janrik
January 9, 2009 at 09:56
Import ftw. You can buy in hte UK, ship here, play it and sell at some price. Free gaming FTW.
Wolfy
January 9, 2009 at 10:16
where did you read low reviews for Fable 2 i got an average review of 8.5 . And in my opion , Fable 2 is a must have
Wolfy
January 9, 2009 at 10:17
With petrol prices at a all time low one would think games would be on par with prices???
Wolfy
January 9, 2009 at 10:18
I guess second hand gaming is still a loss. I was at BT GAMES and even some of the pre-played games were priced at R700 which is still day light robbery
Macethy
January 9, 2009 at 10:58
Hmmm buying from overseas seems like a great idea,or seeing as the Xbox 360 Arcade is cheapish now I might buy one of those to get chipped. . .
kab123
January 9, 2009 at 11:14
Well… I find these new prices inconsistant. BT has KZ2 up for pre order for R655…
Scotty777
January 9, 2009 at 11:20
I thought the rand was actually making ground against the dollar 🙁
Nick
January 9, 2009 at 11:27
As far as I know, there is a price that gets set for a certain amount of time which does not change if the exchange rate climbs or drops. If what MS told us a while back was true, we should see a drop in price happen when the new price is set, probably a month or so from now at best.
TurboZA
January 9, 2009 at 11:33
FCUK MI Digital.
I buy all my games from http://www.amazon.co.uk . Even with import duties paid at the post office, games still cost me R500 or less. And I’m talking about the latest titles. The only catch is a 3 to 4 week waiting period.
Sonic Unleashed for example cost me about R400 total costs. THAT’S CHEAPER THEN BUYING PRE-PLAYED FROM BT GAMES!
Come on guys let’s boycot them because of their disgusting greedy attitude!
Dark
January 9, 2009 at 11:40
Like the Article says its not all distributors. Can confirm that Megaroms titles will stay the same and there will be no increases as the exchange rate has strengthened. Most expensive console game from Megarom = R699.00
easy
January 9, 2009 at 11:43
i bought two pre-owned games from BT Games a little while ago and they only cost R299 each, granted the were oldish titles (CoD 4 & Orange Box).
i’ve not see any pre-owned games at BT that have been anywhere near R700. maybe i’m looking at the wrong BT Games (or more correctly, the right one)
Roland Browning
January 9, 2009 at 12:15
LOL…you PAID R400 for Sonic Unleashed!! You’ll be able to pick that up in a bargain bin at Incredible Connection for about R99 in a month!
RivaZA
January 9, 2009 at 13:03
Hey MI-Digital, check my extended middle finger, why don’t you come and sit and rotate on it?
I will not support you for anything. If there a peripheral I need I will import it. You will not see a cent from me.
Please explain a game that used to cost 550-599 when the exchange rate was 7.50 to the dollar now cost 999 with an exchange rate of 9.60?
I hope you fold. I don’t need you. I can import.
Evil Grinnning Monkey
January 9, 2009 at 13:26
Totally agree. They wont be seeing my money. It will go to EA and megarom.
Atomic
January 9, 2009 at 15:42
Recommendation noted, maybe I can import the game, or get it second hand.
TurboZA
January 9, 2009 at 18:02
Ok, I’ll play it for a month, get bored of it and discard it while you camp outside Incredible Connection waiting for the R100 special.
Arabian Knight
January 9, 2009 at 21:54
Piracy FTMFW!
Kale
January 9, 2009 at 23:14
Sadly most of the people I know are already complaining about the high price of gaming. Gaming was supposed to be fun but now it’s a financial burden. I know stacks of people who said that if this price hike appeared they would chip their consoles and I must say I don’t blame them. We are being robbed in broad daylight so screw them – I refuse to pay that amount. We as gamers in SA are always screwed over. MI Digital should change their name to Money Hungry Digital.
Roland Browning
January 10, 2009 at 07:34
Nope…I’d have bought a decent game in the first place and paid full price….’cos I’m loaded 🙂
RivaZA
January 10, 2009 at 10:09
Sure you were not looking at the new games. At the branch in Northgate they use standard black dvd cases with photo copied colour inserts to display what new games they have and there prices. Perhaps you mistook them for pre-played as those cases do look a little used.
TurboZA
January 10, 2009 at 11:10
Is that why you have such intimate knowledge of present and future releases of THE BARGAIN BIN?
bo0m
January 10, 2009 at 12:50
First we get things taken out of games (GoW 2) and now prices for some games are so unbelievably high. Fucking bullshit if you ask me. I’m going to import games now.
MaXiM
January 11, 2009 at 17:41
I just bought Sonic Unleashed and The Club for R169 from Musica in their bargain shelf 🙂
MaXiM
January 11, 2009 at 17:41
Yeah. I buy from BT and have never seen pre-played for R700. I got Burnout for my PS3 for R220
MaXiM
January 11, 2009 at 17:42
Can’t chip a PS3 yet… 😉
Kale
January 12, 2009 at 11:49
The beauty of the PS3 though is it’s region free so your shopping options are 10 fold.
Wolfy
January 14, 2009 at 09:23
respect dude trust me you wont be sorry its a fun and a very addictive game i love my doggy alot… really i do 😛
Wolfy
January 14, 2009 at 09:24
trust me dude this was like MGS 4, UT3 and a bunch of other pre-played games all pre-played even had the pre-played sticker on them aswel
Wolfy
January 14, 2009 at 09:25
i think many people will be considering it. Thats the scary thing about it….
Wolfy
January 14, 2009 at 09:26
uh huh and remember dude BT games also sold GH WT for R1900 till the last minute too… BAM R3600 later
Wolfy
January 14, 2009 at 09:29
just a personal note these were PS3 titles that caught my eye, i know where they’re PS3 shelf is and where they’re pre played shelf is. Trust me
Wolfy
January 14, 2009 at 09:30
calm down.. here take some coffee
Wolfy
January 14, 2009 at 09:31
are you serious so your telling me that you can play both PAL and NTSC on the system?
Wolfy
January 14, 2009 at 09:34
i dont think PS3 will see any form of mod chip this generation. The cost of buying a blue ray disc and buying a blue ray writter will cost you quite a pretty penny. Man i dont wanna see people wasting that much money on the numbers of trail and error procuders with that cookie
Wolfy
January 14, 2009 at 09:35
no sweat bru when you play online and some one throws down his golden lancer pick it up and you can have the exclusive dlc temporarly hehehe