Publishers Continue to Rip Off European Gamers

This week, a number of new PS Vita games have been released on the PlayStation Store, including Assassin’s Creed III: Liberation (Ubisoft) and Need for Speed Most Wanted (EA). However, once again, Publishers are being unreasonable with prices and charging Europeans more for the same game than their American counterparts.

[Yi-Long]

... sadly, we're quite used to it by now.

We always get screwed over, and it's by ALL parties, not just Sony. Microsoft and Nintendo are exactly the same.

Very annoying.

[jimbobwahey]

It's also worth noting that Sony encourages publishers to lower the prices of the digital releases of their games, but unfortunately they never listen. It's rather shocking some of the prices that they charge, as I've seen some asking £49.99 and even £59.99! Absolute madness.

[rymanb]

Yeah if you notice that Sony's own titles are actually quite a reasonable price. For example, the Jak & Daxter and Ratchet & Clank HD collections were for a long time cheaper on the PS Store than they were on websites, not sure if that's the case now...

[Cam977]

I saw NFS:ME on the Ps Store for £59.99.
ARE THEY SERIOUS?! What is even worse is that people have payed that for it.

[jimbobwahey]

Hahaha yeah, a whole £20 more than it costs to buy retail (either online or high street). Absolutely disgusting, but that's EA for you!

[Jinkies]

Were screwed over on everything

DLC, Release Dates (Counterstrike GO for example), prices, content (PS1 classics - Spyro for example)

and all they keep saying is

"Were looking into it"

It's kind of insulting, I know not everything is SCEE fault but it's still their job to get the content to us by sorting things out. I mean how does it take 4 years to get Spyro released over here, I undertsand waiting a year maybe or a year and a half but four years.

Lets not forget most Collectors Edtions for games, look at the Metal Gear Solid Rising for example

America gets one with a full copy of the game, official soundtrack, Limited Edition 2-sided Steelbook, and an exclusive high-frequency katana blade plasma lamp ($150)

We get one with a figurine and a DLC code (£99)

We pay more for less in our version, the US one in pounds works out at £93, I mean hell we don't even get a steelbook with ours, you have to buy it seperate, not to mention we don't get the cool looking lamp.

[jetlian]

well blame your gov for that. Gotta keep your royal families happy and safe! Gotta have that 20 percent tax added on. Oh yea how about the 5 languages supported. wait what about the we choose to be pal when NA and JP uses ntsc.

All those things slow EU down and add cost

[Alos88]

£49.99 is pretty bad, but £59.99 is disgusting.

[e-p-ayeaH]

I think taxes are involved in digital sales as well..

[dennett316]

Taxes are involved in ALL sales, retail or digital in the EU. There is also a reduction in costs for the publisher as they don't have to reduce the price they charge to allow for stores to make money, no shipping costs etc. Digital sales should NEVER cost more than retail....fact.
They are trying to gouge customers in the name of convenience because they know there are people lazy and stupid enough to actually pay that amount.

[dennett316]

I think it's time the games industry took a look at itself and really examine just how foolish they're being.
Make digital sales cheaper than RRP. High street sales are waning fast, with online shopping being the overwhelmingly preferred method of getting games because it's cheaper.
Stop trying to placate a market that's slowly dying and instead embrace where the majority want to do their shopping....online.
Make digital downloads cheaper than online retail prices...or at the very least, the same price. Charging £20 more than retail when you know the savings you make on digital copies is borderline criminal. Sony, MS and Nintendo need to be strong enough to set the prices for the publishers in order to stop this blatant gouging.

And gamers, you need to be stronger by not paying such obviously extortionate sums for your games in the name of convenience...you ruin it for everyone else by being so stupid. If you've ever paid so much for a game from PSN, then you should hang your head in shame.

[Vitalogy]

Just 2 examples of EU rip-offs. This afternoon I went into one of the biggest retailers in Portugal, Worten, and this is what I bumped into:

Need For Speed: Most Wanted (PS Vita) > €49,90
http://s12.postimage.org/ol...

Assassins Credd III Liberation (PS Vita) > €52,90 (yea it's not a typo, it's the real deal)
http://s16.postimage.org/f2...