Region Coding, Why?

[bdbdbd]

davygee said:

bdbdbd said:

How much consoles/games cost in the UK?

Wii - £153 (not inc VAT) = $300 (Games top price is £34 (not inc VAT) = $66)

PS3 - £361 (not inc VAT) = $704 (Games top price is £42 (not inc VAT) = $82)

360 (Core) -  £165 (not inc VAT) = $322 (Games top price is £42 (not inc VAT) = $82)

DS - £80 (not inc VAT) =  $156 (Games top price is £25 (not inc VAT) = $49)

PSP - £110 (not inc VAT) = $215 (Games top price is £30 (not inc VAT) = $59)

All the above prices do not include taxes, to make it an easier way to see how UK prices fair with the US prices.

In the US you'll pay $40 top for a PSP game, we will pay nearly $30 more for the same game.

In the US you'll pay $50 top for a Wii game, we will pay around $16 more for the same game.

In the US you'll pay $60 top for a PS3 game, we will pay over $20 more for the same game.

You can see a pattern...the hardware costs are the same....we've just had the PSP reduced in price in the UK to £130 inc VAT....but we pay  around $215, while in the US you can pick one up for $170....thats a $45 dollar difference....with the PS3, we pay over $100 more.

It's a scandal. 

GB isn't exactly the cheapest region anyway, pretty good wages and low unemployment rate at the same time with high VAT and high employer payments. It's also about at what price retailers are willing to sell stuff. Of course they can have any price they like to, but importer have had a conversation with retailers about price recommendations. You seem to have more expensive Wii than Finland, but PS3 seems to have the same price (without taxes). But it looks like you have cheaper games for Wii, but PS3 and 360 gameprices are higher. Prices compared to USD would be a lot different, if USD exchange wouldn't be so low and this can change (even that it doesn't look like it at the moment).