1040°

Unfair pricing structure found on PlayStation Store

As you might have noticed, the PS Store is currently blooming with new content (in certain countries of course) and with a new layout coming soon the PS Store has quite a promising future ahead of it.

ruibing6295d ago

It's just that the dollar is worth less now, it's not the PSN that's overcharging you, it's the US economy.

Silellak6295d ago (Edited 6295d ago )

Even if the dollar is decreasing in value, all of the content should still cost the same for everyone. If that means adjusting the prices to meet economic fluctuations (either raising the US price, or lowering the South African price), so be it.

Anything less is unfair to SOMEONE (as this shows).

Just ask the Canadians, who have long paid far more for games and consoles (EDIT @1.2 below: and everything else in the damn world) than their American counterparts.

That being said, I'm sure XBL has this same issue, though. $10 US dollars probably buys more Microsoft points than the equivalent of $10 in Euros does.

Breakfast6295d ago (Edited 6295d ago )

Trust me...its not only the games us Canadians pay more for

Edit: "and everything else in the damn world than their American counterparts."

LOL...you dont even know how annoying it gets...lucky i live an hour away from the border.

barom6295d ago

It's kinda funny, my friend who lives in Norway gets everything dirt cheap (purchasing power wise). Example. normally a game would cost 599NOK which is equal to 120$. But off the PSN he can get Warhawk for 240NOK but out in the store it's 599NOK with headset. Get the point? Tekken 5 is only like 80NOK without online and he paid an additional 40NOK for online patch. Dirt cheap!!! I'm guessing GT5P is probably gonna be 240NOK as well. 1$ is usually around 5NOK now but was 5.5NOK around christmas times so stuff may get a bit more expensive if you're gonna calculate the actual value. But if you compare prices in the store and PSN (which is what you should anyway). PSN is dirt cheap.

If I still lived in Norway I would've bought a bunch of stuff from the Norwegian PSN. I bet those Warhawk expansion is like 20-30NOK or something. Anyway, my friend who is a great guy let's me download a bunch of stuff too so I don't see it being account/region locked either. With the exception of Warhawk and most likely the upcoming GT5P. Which is tied to the account. I can play on my friends Warhawk (and I usually do). So I'm guessing this is a PSP-only problem.

The_Firestarter6295d ago

Are you telling me that games in Norway cost the equivalence of $120!? Wow, that really sucks!

barom6295d ago

If you calculate the exact value yeah.

But if you wanna calculate what they earn which is on average about 200k-250k NOK which is 40k-50k US$. Go figure. I'm guessing average earnings for US is 20k-25k US$.

Like I said, it's the purchasing power that is important. A 120$ sure sounds a lot but in reality if you live there, you put in about the same amount of work to get the same item.

Ghoul6295d ago (Edited 6295d ago )

@ firestarter

norway has a much higher per person income so its nearly square

@ story

sorry but what a weak attempt to make the psn look bad... this has nothing to do with sony but with the global economy and mostlikely george w. bush for his politics ;D

btw rtalking about whining

we (europeans pay much more then the us 100€ = 156$ atm)

ps3 game 108 $ (original retail price 69€)
ps3 783 $ (500€ version)

somethingSQUISHY6294d ago

I believe the mean wage for the average US worker is around $40k/year.

LJWooly6294d ago (Edited 6294d ago )

I never really understood what the point of the "Microsoft Points" system was. I'm glad Sony didn't go with something like that. It's stupid, you need a little conversion chart to know how much you're paying, it's ridiculous. Why can't I just use real money??

Btw, Average income for the American citizen is 25k per annum. That's what I heard a couple of years ago, at least. i can't imagine it's changed that much.

+ Show (5) more repliesLast reply 6294d ago
Marceles6295d ago

A blogger from South Africa's opinion...sigh, *goes back to Warhawk*

Silellak6295d ago

Well, it's not an "opinion" that the price is different, it's just an "opinion" on whether or not that price difference is fair.

Silellak6295d ago (Edited 6295d ago )

So if you download from the US Store and then later switch your console to the European store, the old content won't work? There's no option to permanently switch all of the content over? Or at least get a refund on everything downloaded and re-download it?

I didn't know that. That seems kind of lame.

This is the sort of thing that will always keep digital downloads a step behind physical media. I don't want a game or movie collection I could suddenly lose due to some sort of technicality.

@3.1 Below:

Yeah, you're right. Which is why I laugh and laugh and laugh when people say digital downloads will overtake Blu-ray for the leading HD format.

xhi46295d ago

its called license restrictions, some us music videos can only be played in that country , it cant be released in the other country, if it is people can sue etc.

That is one of the drawbacks of digital media, but thats the only way it can work and be protected at the moment.

Lumbo6295d ago

my US store bought copy of Pain works on my regular EU account .. so there :P

SURE it is unfair, so are different wages, and different prices for rent or food. But its pointless to whine about that. Compare the EU PS3 starting price of 599 EUR to the $ price then (value was about 130:100 EUR:$)

Live is unfair, learn to cope with that. The store prices are targeted at the average income and buying power of a country. You don't see me complain that Everybodys Golf PS3 is EUR 72 at my local Amazon page, but only about EUR45 at amazon.co.uk and Amazon.com

Fishy Fingers6295d ago (Edited 6295d ago )

Of course the PSN is guilty of unfair pricing, but it's not just the PSN, it's almost everything. From a BigMac to a mp3 player.

niall776295d ago

blame the all... ighty.... ollor

Show all comments (37)
80°

The 'Stop Killing Games' initiative is close to its final deadline

Ross Scott—also known as Accursed Farms on YouTube—has been fighting tooth and nail for almost a full year to help spearhead game preservation. Starting after it was announced that Ubisoft's The Crew would be shutting down, permanently ending support for the game, Scott launched the "Stop Killing Games" initiative.

That makes a twofold deadline for the Stop Killing Games initiative. Or, at least, one headed up by Scott: The UK petition, which ends July 14, and the EU Citizens' Initiative, which ends July 3.

M3talDiamond1d 10h ago (Edited 1d 10h ago )

If you live in the EU then Please sign this or our game ownership rights and game preservation is
at stake. I know there isnt much time left but please consider signing the petition

-Foxtrot13h ago

I never knew Ross Scott was doing this

I love Freemans Mind

Inverno3h ago(Edited 3h ago)

People whine and in the end don't do a thing. Then whine more when they get screwed some more smh. If this makes it then it'll be monumental for consumers. That Pirate software guy was no help either smh.

170°

Xbox June Update: Copilot for Gaming Available on Mobile, Aggregated Gaming Library, and More

There are many exciting updates this month for Xbox. Copilot for Gaming is available now for early preview on mobile and will be coming to PC soon. Xbox PC app introduces a wave of new updates: Aggregated gaming library gives players quick access to games from Xbox, Game Pass, and other leading PC storefronts, and with publisher channels players can browse their favorite franchises. Updates for the Xbox Console includes customization for Most Recently Used, free-to-play benefits, Game Hubs, and dialog improvements for game saves.

Read Full Story >>
news.xbox.com
darthv722d ago

"Players can now hide system apps, pin favorites to the list, and reduce the number of tiles displayed. This update is part of our ongoing effort to make Home more personal, flexible, and responsive to feedback."

This is welcomed, i like a less cluttered home screen.

Profchaos2d ago

Not everything needs co pilot ms

1Victor1d 12h ago

Gotta be a slow news day when a 18 hours and 3 comments (now 4)makes it to the front page🤷🏿
.
Well anything that adds and help gamers is a good thing even if some don’t need it there’ll be more that will use it.

darthv721d 12h ago

Well its MS news... those are usually pretty dry, unless it has something to do with another game being ported to PS. then its top of the pops.

Obscure_Observer1d 11h ago

"Well its MS news... those are usually pretty dry, unless it has something to do with another game being ported to PS. then its top of the pops."

Oh look no further than the "Upcoming layoffs at MS" topic. It will easily top the Hottest of the week.

Special guests like Mr. Dead might also show up. You just watch.

120°

Playdead co-founder slammed with lawsuit as bitter row with co-founder escalates

Playdead co-founder Dino Patti is allegedly being sued by his former studio and business partner.
Patti was threatened with a lawsuit earlier this year after he posted a now-deleted LinkedIn post that shared an "unauthorized" picture of co-founder Arnt Jensen and discussed some of Limbo's development. Patti said Jensen demanded a little over $73,000 in "suitable compensation and reimbursement," adding that he had "repeatedly" had such letters over the last nine years.

Read Full Story >>
gamesindustry.biz