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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.

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Lame
Unfair? WTF...learn a bit about economics and competitive pricing structures before approving such drivel. Wow.
kspraydad6499d ago WhoDisagree(0)Agree(0)
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UnblessedSoul6500d ago WhoDisagree(0)Agree(0)
ruibing6500d 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.

Silellak6500d ago (Edited 6500d 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.

Breakfast6500d ago (Edited 6500d 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.

barom6500d 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_Firestarter6500d ago

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

barom6500d 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.

Ghoul6500d ago (Edited 6500d 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)

somethingSQUISHY6499d ago

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

LJWooly6499d ago (Edited 6499d 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 6499d ago
Marceles6500d ago

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

Silellak6500d 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.

Silellak6500d ago (Edited 6500d 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.

xhi46500d 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.

Lumbo6500d 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 Fingers6500d ago (Edited 6500d 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.

niall776500d ago

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

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An Update to Our Shared Commitment to Safer Gaming

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110°

There's an Underrepresented Majority That Wants Entertainment Without Agendas, Says Ex Tripwire CEO

Ex-Tripwire CEO John Gibson shares his 'Entertainment First' vision to capture the agenda-free magic of classics like Star Wars, Zelda, and Metroid.

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Goodguy012d ago

Yes. Just make a good game instead of worrying it should make some kind of stupid social/political differences in the world... we've got enough of that in the real world. Games are places we can escape to and just have fun.

z2g2d ago (Edited 2d ago )

How about you make a game that’s important to you and the people who are interested in that buy it and the ones that don’t like it don’t have to buy it. Just because something bugs some people doesn’t mean there aren’t other people who it doesn’t bug. Someone’s hangups shouldn’t be other people’s problems.

Don’t want a game that features a political or cultural statement or an underrepresented group of people? Don’t buy it.

Not all of us just want vapid, mindless fantasy all the time. Sometimes we want something that represents us or means something. There’s nothing wrong with that. Look how many movies in the world have covered so many types of stories, people or historical controversies to huge successes. Games are no different.

Eonjay2d ago

The plot to remove representation or ideas and content that you dont approve of is an agenda within itself. Its also censorship. People need are trapped in this main- character syndrome where they believe that the world and all of its happens are fashioned for them alone.

crazyCoconuts2d ago

"Don't buy it"
Exactly what people do.
And then big companies are reminded why if you want to make money you may not want to do things like villainize half your market. If you want to preach one side of an argument you're gonna lose people. At least do the Deus Ex/GTA thing and show the warts on both sides so everyone has something to agree with

senorfartcushion2d ago

We’re still waiting on that Splinter Cell remake…

raWfodog2d ago

On the flip side of that, good games can have characters of different ethnic and social backgrounds without thinking that some agendas are trying to be pushed. I've played many, many great games throughout my life with many different characters (male, female, white, people of color, even some animal characters) and loved them all simply for the story and entertainment they provided me while I escaped into those worlds.

senorfartcushion2d ago (Edited 2d ago )

That’s not possible.

Being a child doesn’t remove the political points of OLD GAMES, we were just kids. In fact, older media was decidedly more political than some of the cowardly, childish efforts we have today.

This is precisely why we are still to get that Splinter Cell remake. We can’t have a fun Splinter Cell game with AAA graphics because a few virgins don’t want “politics in their games.”

neutralgamer19922d ago

Keep gaming free of nonsense. Agenda pushing in social media age has gotten worst

senorfartcushion1d 10h ago

Name a game and I’ll tell you what the agenda was

Notellin2d ago

"While our first game is faith-based"

Yeah you guys want to get rid of all the politics and play a nice Southern Baptist game. We get it.

Christopher1d 22h ago

He should follow his own words, then.

*** That changed around two years ago, when he started consulting for Bible X, the studio behind the Christian-based game project Gate Zero. Last month, Gibson, through his recently established publisher Templar Media, acquired the developer.***

Not sure there's anything more political in history than religion.

S2Killinit1d 20h ago

But his statement is also an agenda. Hope people are intelligent enough to know that.

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z2g2d ago (Edited 2d ago )

I fail to see how representing actual underrepresented or making them feel included is an “agenda”. This is an extremely self centered selfish viewpoint. Those actual underrepresented people just want to be recognized as valid. The privileged majority who are always represented take that for granted and can’t deal with the fact that “other” types of people or views exist. Inclusion or awareness isn’t an agenda. It’s representing reality and making those “other” people or stories be seen and align with actual reality.

There are literally thousands and thousands of games to choose from, and if you are annoyed that some have cultural or topical relevance, that’s your problem and you don’t have to buy them. Meanwhile other people who want that actually have games that speak to them. So sick of this “my way or the highway” attitude.

And there are plenty of games out there, if that privileged majority have an issue or don’t want a game based on cultural relevance. Pick up a Switch. Most games are g-rated, noncontroversial cartoons with stories fit for tweens. No reality to get mad at.

2d ago Replies(2)
KyRo2d ago

It's always me me me me me with you lot. There's a difference between representation and forcing it for the sake of forcing something to a very very loud but very small minority.

Christopher2d ago

You really are only proving their point with this sort of response to the idea of people feeling included in some games versus the plethora of games without it.

Outside_ofthe_Box2d ago

We need to define what "forcing" is because I've seen people say things like Aloy being female in Horizon is pushing an agenda or catering to a "very very loud but very small minority" before.

dveio2d ago

@z2g

I personally think you've nailed it here.

For decades, wether in film or music, there had been ONE primary target group.

And if you're looking further, even in economy, laws, courts or any other area there had been only one target group.

While others, let's be real, were surpressed.

It's "funny" though - why do we all think personalities like David Bowie, Mick Jagger, Freddy Mercury, etc., have had such a huuuge impact on cultures and society? Because they were 1:1 depicts of the Demon Slayer or the Duke?

No, because they were different. Because we all are different.

The only people time and time again that are complaining, whining and moaning about everything (while highly likely even been a fan of Queen or something) are prejudiced people.

Are people that "But it's never been any different, and I want it to stay that way!".

There's nothing highly hidden here. It's always been the same. After decades, even centuries of rules written by and for the "one primary target group", they are now the loudest that complain & moan.

Inverno2d ago

Y'all could also, ya know, just not buy games you feel have an agenda? This constant bitching coming from all these whiney men every time they see a game that isn't catering to them specifically is tiring. They latch themselves onto these games and throw endless amounts of harassment as if there aren't another thousand games releasing before/around/after. I'm usually outspoken when it comes to forced diversity in games, but the issue here is you're all bigoted as hell and need to learn to be a little less offended. Y'all become the snowflakes you mocked so much lol.

MrDead2d ago

This guy is one of the biggest most delicate snowflakes out there, I'm sure he'll be crying on Tucker Carlson or Fox "News" again soon.

Michiel19892d ago

@christopher cater to and include are two very different things. Played most of the games you mentioned and had no issue with any of em because they just include it. I have no issue with inclusion of that, but if in the next god of war, Kratos would all of a sudden hyperfocus on being a strong independent man or a hypermasculine one, I would give them shit for it as well. It has nothing to do with the inclusion of x or y group, but about the integrity of the game.

@inverno stop putting words in my mouth . It's actually the opposite of what you say, I said there can be no conversation because as soon as you criticize them, a whole angry mob comes at you and tries to cancel you. Thankfully it's become less and less over time and people actually realize now they can voice their opinion without having the fear of losing their job.
You really can't see that a lot of companies are now backpeddalling about the woke bs? They finally realize making your product worse to cater to a group who doesn't buy your product anyway is terrible.

Michiel19892d ago ShowReplies(4)
PitbullMonster1d 18h ago

Who was crying about kingdom come deliverance, Stellar Blade and the first descendant? White Hetero men Or leftards?

Inverno1d 7h ago

Leftards but those games still went on to release and become financially and critically successful. This dood, who was a CEO, went on social media to voice an opinion that at the time was controversial. Just cause you have freedom of speech and expression doesn't mean you hafto always voice your opinions publicly. He had to step down because it was more about the company than just him. Now he's back talking bout "unrepresented majority", as if there aren't different audiences to cater to. Since people from both sides can't seem to escape getting fired for voicing opinions then I guess everyone's got to equally face the consequences of their inability to shut up.

MrBaskerville2d ago (Edited 2d ago )

Star wars, anti agenda? Lol. I don't think Lucas would agree.

Inverno2d ago

One of the most politically charged movies in existence. They can pretend it's all about space wizards with swords but the space nazis are still in the movies and they're still the bad guys. It's ironic as hell.

JEECE2d ago

More evidence that if the agenda feels legitimate within the story's world, people don't even notice that it is an agenda and they don't complain.

Elit3Nick2d ago

This one gave me a chuckle, too.

JEECE2d ago

As ever, this is a misguided expression of the speaker's issue. While of course there are some games (pure puzzle games, etc) that have no agenda, any game with a narrative is conveying some type of message. What people who say they don't like "woke" or "politics in games" actually mean is that they don't like hamfisted, poorly written narratives/characters that are thin veneers for modern political messages that feel out of place in the game's universe. It's why all these people complain about the Veilguard and not Baldur's Gate 3. They both have "woke" characters but in BG3 they feel like they belong in the universe, while in the Veilguard they just feel like generic fantasy skins for modern American 20-somethings.

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