Australia Sees 100% Price Markups For Halo: Reach

Australia is no stranger to messed up video game based occurrences. Whether it’s Left 4 Dead 2 being edited beyond recognition, or games just being entirely banned, nothing raises an eyelid anymore. Well this definitely should. Bungie is parting ways with the Halo series soon, we all know that. But does that mean a game should be marked up 100%? Definitely not.

[CrzyFooL]

G T F O . . .

Seriously, that is just insane!!

$120 for game that isn't even some sort of uber collectors edition is plain robbery!!

[ExplosionSauce]

Totally not worth it.

[deadreckoning666]

Wait...how exactly r they allowed to do this??

[IdleLeeSiuLung]

Each market has their pricing set differently depending on what it can bear in addition to the support cost in that country.

Europeans used to complain about the discrepancy in game prices all the time, but they really should ask their government why their sales tax, income tax and etc is so high.

All these factors increase the cost of the game. For instance, ever tried to buy software in "basically" third world countries? It is dirt cheap for legitimate software, because nobody could afford it otherwise....

Whatever market can bear + government taxes is what affects pricing!

[KingKiff]

We have been copping it in the rear end in AUS for years now, this being the primary reason I am a PC gamer. It is just so much cheaper, what extra I spent on my system I have easily saved in my games collection through Steam , online retailers etc.

For example I bought BFBC2 for $49.95 AUS (pre-order, day one was $59.95) But still Xbox and PS3 users had to pay $110 AUS.

It just doesn't make sense to be a console gamer here in Aus. Well not to me anyway.

[Nihilism]

Idiots will buy anything sadly. EB games is the devil. They are charging $89 for starcraft 2... they had it at JB hi for on day 1 for $69 + they had 20% of all games...aka $56

[badz149]

at least at EB Games, new games range from somewhere between AU$89.90 to AU$119.90. I don't know why this is news. this is ancient for the guys down under!

[JonnyBadfinger]

You get use to it.

but like EB games said in their tweet, you just tell them your saw it cheaper at JB HiFi or Big W or Kmart and they give it to you for tha price... pretty simple.

But yes the prices are bullsh*t.

This is why when yank and poms start whinging about prices of games they are actually whinging over $5, but when we whinge we're whinging over $50.

for me at the moment work is a bit quite and im only bringing in about $700+ a week now, so i will almost deifinately be getting this through JBHiFi

[IdleLeeSiuLung]

You are right, people could price match it at EB Games and essentially let them get away with it or you can just go to the competitor and support the company that isn't trying to screw you over up front!

Either one is fine, your choice as it is your right, but I would choose the latter....

[NExaminer]

Insane is right. That's even more expensive then most collector edition games.

[BkaY]

funny thing is .. in Canberra Centre... there is JBHIFI and EBGAMES right next to each other.. brand new SSF4 in JB was $49.00.. but next door at ebgames Preowned copy of SSF4 was for $99.00... i was like WTF....

peace...

ps : i just bought Halo 3.. i know im late to the party....in fact very late... so please add me ...
BeKay82 and over 20yr plz....

[KingNintendoFanboy]

Awful...just awful.

[kingdavid]

umm this isnt exactly breaking news. Its always been like this..

[Tachyon_Nova]

That's how much eb charges for most new games over here. Most recently GOW3 and FF13 were $120.

But people still buy new games from them, which is sad, because Kmart/Target often have new games for 80, and JB HiFi usually is around 90, 100 at absolute most.

In aus, we get ripped off, PS3 cost $500, games cost ~ $100. We're used to it, but it's still sh*t

[peowpeow]

I was looking for something to buy for my younger cousin, and PS3 slim was $599 in eb with two games, probably the same in other stores..isn't it like $299 in us, ffs

[silvacrest]

i can imagine piracy in austraila hitting a all time high

[JonnyBadfinger]

it is a reason why i refuse to buy DVDs and CDs. But i always pay for games... either at JBHiFi or EB (ashamed to say)

[aselah]

I would never pay that.

[Drjft]

It's bullshit, and it's something we always see. The Legendary Edition is looking to be $160 USD.

[jashmister]

$220 at JB HIFI online
wow...... just wow....
http://www.jbhifionline.com...

[Myst]

Man Australia is always getting their rear hurt in someway, shape or form...How is this still happening over there?

[ZarX]

Sucks to live down under lol.

[distorted_reality]

It actually doesn't lol.

[Tachyon_Nova]

Yeah, I'd much rather live here in Aus than in America, land of religious domination. No thanks.

[KingKiff]

You take the good with the bad, I still would not live anywhere else.

Expensive games or not. Maybe Canada I would consider but no where else that's for sure, we live in gods country here.

EDIT: @ all below 1.00 AUD = 0.893713 USD today. So a new game in the US for US$60 is $67.1074 AUD technically (most new games are $100-$120 which is around $100 USD). So the mark up is not quite %100 in some cases but it comes close some times. We have a very strong currency when it compares to the USD

[jhoang]

dont think you've been down here

[bfenty]

I guess they think people will pay it... I wouldn't. Maybe you could import it for less Lol.

[Sandwich Bender]

Holy shit. I figured it was a $20 markup at most.

[CrzyFooL]

Oh no, its double!!

[MRMagoo123]

most games at EBgames sell for $99.99 at my local EBgames they are still selling second hand copies on MW2 for $119 the cheapest youll find for it is maybe $110 when there doing sales, to say its double the normal price is silly at best i have never found a game to retail at $60 at an EBgames thats high profile and for this gen consoles.

[Sitris]

and how AUD is 120, kinda double

[geekblz]

@MRMagoo123 I'm not sure if I'm misreading what you're trying to say, but it's been my experience that most games this gen are $60...so if they are selling for $119 that would indeed be double. I stopped shopping at EBGames long ago because they have always been the highest that I've found, whereas places like Walmart and Target are much more likely to sell a game as a discounted price when released. I can't imagine ever spending more than $60 on a game...no matter how amazing it is.

[rdgneoz3]

Not the best at exchange rates or how much it costs to ship to AUS or such, but from the article it was saying "Gamestop has Halo: Reach (Standard Edition) listed for $59.99 USD ($67.10 AUD)" and "Gamestop owns EB Games, and EB Games has the standard edition of Halo: Reach listed as $105.45 USD ($118.00 AUD)".

@geekblz $60 in USD for this gen games is $67.10 AUD (exchange rates). So it would be from $67.10 to $118. And yah, that is a pretty dumb mark up price.

[aselah]

Geesh! Don't they make edits for games too, like censorship or something?

[CrzyFooL]

Yah, Australia just plain sucks for game developers, they force them to change anything they don't like. It's complete bullshit.

[MRMagoo123]

running the country that make censorship happen every year millions of Australians try to get an R18 rating for games but they keep saying no.

[peowpeow]

Atkinson's gone though, wasn't he the main reason ?

[jashmister]

only games that are refused classification (prity much just make it into 18+ rating, because we don't have a 18+ rating for games) are banned or edited depending on the popularity of the game.

This made L4D2 so bad it was close to unplayable and a lot of people abuse a steam glitch to buy a american or UK registered version of L4D2 just to have a playable copy, others just resorted to piracy.

[Matronedea]

It's ridiculous enough to spend $150 on a legendary edition over here, much less doubling the price.

[lonix]

because nobody will buy it

[Sitris]

ever since i have been able to buy imports, i am, its bloody robbery from ausy stores!

[dan_chan89]

EB Games = Rip
this is why i usually buy my games from jb hifi or big w! or play asia.

[gcolley]

EB games is for the Mums and Dads who buy games for their kids. unfortunately they don't know any better. the only time i buy from EB is when i am too lazy to go to JBHifi and make EB price match. you get some sort of satisfaction in not paying their idiotic prices.

[MRMagoo123]

Il say this once more incase ppl didnt see my other comment its not a double mark up its around 10 to 20 dollars increase Jbhifi will sell it for $99 prob but EBgames is always more than $100 for popular games even Modnations racers is going for $99.99 at the local one at pacific fair shopping center.

[rdgneoz3]

Yep, $59.99 USD ($67.10 AUD)in the US vs $105.45 USD ($118.00 AUD) in Australia. Almost 100% price increase.

[geekblz]

Since when did Australia become China? I'm not really referring to the price gouging, but it calls to mind the fact that they've become so strict when it comes to this industry. They tend to be the only country to require edits to games before allowing them to release, and though I don't know where this price increase is originating from, it seems just as ridiculous.

[Drjft]

It's okay, they're going to suffer from it. They don't support Australian developers, or do anything to help them. They will be kicking themselves when all the developers head to America/Japan and gaming becomes even more lucrative then it is now.

This is a backend country, with no future in sight. I intend to move to America in the coming years.

[gcolley]

now add to this the internet filter we are getting shortly and we have exactly that... China. i hate this country

[kingdavid]

Meh its a nice place to live. Not too many people and tonnes of jobs, not to mention an excellent standard of living. You guys dont know how nice you have it.

Theres no need to move to America just because of videogames, its not as if you cant import them.

[distorted_reality]

Yep, when someone says that their country is shit because the gaming industry gets screwed over, you know they've got it pretty bloody good.

[B-Zero]

Welcome to the world of aussie retail prices.

If i was to catch the bus to the shopping centre, buy a new game, a bottle of Jim Beam and a pack of smokes have some lunch and then go home by bus again i would barely have any change from $200!!!!..... Good thing i dont smoke! (Bus $10 return, Game $110, Jim Beam $40 Smokes $20, Lunch $10)

Yes, most if not all new games in australia retail between $100-$120.
In fact i saw a pre-used copy of Uncharted 2 sitting on a shelf the other day for $109...

[distorted_reality]

This is why only morons shop at EB.

Take SC2 for example - $98 at EB. In my local shopping centre, if I walk two shops up from EB I can get it for $69.

The markup thing has been happening for a long, long time now, but realistically nobody should be effected that severely by it if they have any brains. As people above have said, there's more than enough other options. This is hardly news.

[Umb]

Bought StarCrft 2 for $55 AUD and Darksider for the PS3 for $39 AUD.

[IHateYouFanboys]

you cant just compare US prices to AUS prices.

I live in australia, and have travelled to america for decent lengths a few times, and while yes, everything is cheaper in america, people over there dont get paid as much as we do on average here in australia, so it kinda evens out. i mean, when i was working at mcdonalds back in the day while at uni and 18 years old, i was earning $17 an hour as a casual making hamburgers. whats the minimum wage in the US, $5/hour?

our population is much smaller, meaning we pay more - not just for videogames either. an M3 BMW costs what, $50k in the US? $160k here.

i preordered Halo Reach Legendary Edition for $218. is it expensive? if you look at it in terms of the standard US edition being $60, then yes. but when RRP for games here is $120, its not really that bad of a deal.

also, everyone in Aus that knows what theyre talking about regarding videogames knows that EB is the biggest ripoff around. they set prices at the RRP and NEVER even a dollar less. so what do we do? NOT BUY FROM EB! when i got Splinter Cell Conviction for $44 from Dick Smith, EB were still selling it for $119. if you HAVE to shop at EB, you just get them to price match a cheaper store, and save up to $50 off the EB price.

all that aside, the main thing is you cant just compare US prices to AUS prices. we have more taxes, higher shipping fees, smaller population, even smaller videogame-buying population, higher wages, etc etc.

[frostbite06]

I'm about to come work at your McDonalds

[Fullbucket]

All new video games are between 100-120 here in Australia, when I went to the US last year I was pleasantly surprised that games are $60 and less.

The cheapest place to get video games in Australia that I know of would be GAME, or you could do what I do now and import =]]

[Bathyj]

Wow, just when I thought the world was as upside down as it could be, now we have Americans complaining about Aussie pricing.

News Flash, this is not exclusive to Halo. Nearly every game retails for $119.95. Its been that way since X360 came out. Before that is was $99.95 at it was at that price since the SNES days. Do we pay retail? No. Not unless your a douche. Its called capitalism, shop around.

You cant just take a US price, convert it with the exchange rate and expect that to be the Aussie price. It doesnt work that way. Its just sheer arrogance to think the value of the greenback effects Aussie shoppers so directly.

OK say a US$60 dollar game should be roughly AU$70 because the Aussie dollar is about 90 US cents. Do you think Aussie shop keepers all rush out and change that price to AU$85 if our dollar dropped to 70 US cents? Day to day shopping isnt effected so drastically by what the American dollar is doing.

Did it occur to anyone that our tax system, tarriffs, import duties, wages, interest rates and inflation all have greater impact on our daily cost of living than what Halo cost in Detroit? Is a guy working in a coffee shop saying I better see what a cappuccino cost in LA so I can set my menu? The US is not the center of the universe.

Maybe a $2 can of coke cost $3 here because a $400 a week janitor makes $700 a week here.

Really? Is the exchange rate, that flucuates everyday the only issue? People only care about exchange rates when actually dealing with overseas markets or going on holiday.

A poor guy in Indonesia right now is probably wondering how we can spend 4 months wages on a videogame.

PS
I buy all my games at EB except 2nd hand ones I get from eBay.
Why?, because I tell them how much it costs at JB, they match the price and I still get 7 day return policy so I can return the occassional dud, or game I finish quickly and then find boring.

Plus I believe in loyalty and they have looked after me for years, replacing on the spot, not refurbishing, 2 Xboxes that were still under store warranty.

[rambler]

Any person in Australia can import games at full retail price from either the UK or US and save at least $40 for not buying from EB. That's even after EB would get big discounts on bulk purchase and shipping costs. Someone somewhere is making an absolute fortune.

[Krugsy]

Yeah this isn't anything new. What EB said about RRP is correct however, the vendors do provide them with that RRP. But RRP is usually the highest possible price and most companies price below that. EB Games have always had the highest prices because of setting prices at RRP. While this sucks, most gamers down here are used to it. Its even worse in NZ where i'm from, where MW2 is $149.99 RRP. But you can find it cheaper from other companies where they can offset prices. So the best thing to do is check out all the stores and price match.

Shipping from overseas doesn't really help either because of shipping costs and time it takes to arrive.

[wakash]

damn thats fucked up

[earbus]

Ha yeah it sux its bizzar alot of games are printed and packaged in asia to i think they fly them around the world a couple of times distribute in the world and we pay cab fare.

[Spenok]

HOLY, im glad i dont live in Aus. Granted i wont be buying this game anyways....

[IHateYouFanboys]

read the posts from us people who actually live in australia before simply believing we pay twice the amount you do for no reason.

if something costs you $1 in the US and you get paid $5 an hour, its costing me essentially the same price as you if i buy it for $2 and get paid $10 an hour.

twice the amount ON PAPER, but the same price when you take all other factors into the equation.