PS3 Slim and Price Drop Announced + rant

[Kudistos Megistos]

http://uk.ps3.ign.com/articles/101/1015007p1.html

For the most part, this is very good news indeed for Sonyfriends. I imagine that Sony's poor performance against the Xbox 360 in the US will pick up strongly, especially if the console is made compatible with PS2 games.

Now here's where I start b*tching.

See the prices? ¥29,980, $299. Seems reasonable; in fact, the US is getting a rather good deal. Now, let's move on. €299. What the f*ck? Last time I checked, it was €0.7074 to the dollar. So the price for the Eurozone should be €212. Maybe €220. Maybe even €250 if they're going for really significant figures. There is no mention of the UK price, but I wouldn't be surprised if it's £299. Based on the US price, it should be £180. Maybe £199 if they want to take advantage of the nearest psychologically significant figure. But I'd be surprised if we get it for £249. It often seems that the pricing policy works like this:

Code: [Select]

1.Set Japanese price

2. Convert yen to dollars then round up/down to nearest psychologically significant figure for US price

3. Convert dollars to euro and round up (always up) to get Eurozone price

4. Convert euro to pounds and round up (always up) to get British price

5. ????

6. PROFIT!

Apparently, things are even worse in Australia. I'd really like to know why this happens. Are there some enormous costs that exist when selling in Europe (especially the UK) that don't exist when selling in the US? Or are the companies just being arseholes?

[S.Almasy]

It has been going on for years because most people are too thick to see the rip off or do anything about it.  We in the UK get ripped off the most.  This practice should be illegal

[Tekkie.X]

Similar mentally challenged pricing is going on from Microsoft with the Games on Demand service for the 360, Ausies are paying something like 90AUD for Mass Effect, yet they can buy it for 20AUD brand new in a store.

[Jari]

Apparently, things are even worse in Australia. I'd really like to know why this happens. Are there some enormous costs that exist when selling in Europe (especially the UK) that don't exist when selling in the US? Or are the companies just being arseholes?

I think the European prices include VAT - somewhere between 15% and 25% depending on where you are, and US prices probably do not include sales tax (which depends on state... and might not exist at all) - and of course VAT which does not exist in US.

[S.Almasy]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rip-off_Britain

That sums it up I suppose from UK POV

[Kudistos Megistos]

Hmmm, so VAT would account for some of the difference, but would still mean European customers will be getting a raw deal. Incidentally, the UK VAT rate is 15% (until next year, when it becomes 17.5%). Given that, one would expect the UK price to be £208 (or £212, if Sony is taking into account the 2010 rise in VAT).

I think that a fair price would be something like £220. Maybe £230. Certainly, anything higher than £250 would justify some pretty strongly-worded letters to Sony's (British) CEO, and maybe a declaration of war on Japan.

EDIT:

http://www.godisageek.com/2009/08/ps3-slim-uk-price-confirmed-plus-a-few-more-details/

So apparently it will be £249; we can stop charging our lazers, but I still feel a little ripped-off

[hotdog963al]

If it was £200, I'd so be ordering, but as it isn't there's no way.
Tough luck Sony.

How much is a 360 again? £129? 

[Kudistos Megistos]

Apparently, the price of a 360 Arcade will be going up Still much cheaper, but it's the bog-standard version. I wonder whether it will continue to outsell the PS3 this Christmas?

[Prince Lex]

I hate this crap, we always get ripped off. I remember when Final Fantasy 9 came out I paid £50 for it. Grrr.

[Tekkie.X]

£50 for FF9? I paid £30 for it on the day of release.

[Prince Lex]

I paid £50. I bought it from game. Well, it was £49.99 to be exact.

[Tekkie.X]

Got mine from Electronics Boutique (now owned/disbanded by GAME) I think.

[Satoh]

It's simple, the games market in Europe is altogether more expensive. I hear a lot of my friends talking about buying games on ebay from the US because they're cheaper even with oversees shipping tacked on...

Most people seem to fail at understanding the law of diminishing returns... Especially as it applies to sales...