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Tenkin on 23 January 2010
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Kasz216 said:
Alby_da_Wolf said:
Kasz216 said:
GreyianStorm said:
Kasz216 said:
ocean-1984 said:
299.00 EUR = 421.079 USD They dont loose money in euro countrys.
I fill like I payed a bit more then the rest of world...

VAT is an inclusive tax.

The US pays 299.00 BEFORE taxes.

So, you pay more... but blame your government.  Not Sony.

Because the tax rate is 40% (300+40%=420)?
Sony gets more money from retailers per PS3 in Europe than they do in America. In Ireland, VAT is at 21% (which is high), which would mean the pre-tax price would be around €250, or $360ish. Clearly, it's not just "our government". 

No, it's just mostly that.  You've also got

  1. Distribution costs (much higher in europe)
  2. Translation costs (need more languages)
  3. Staffing costs (need people who speak different languages)
  4. Different companies (Sony France, Sony UK etc.)
  5. and hosts of other problems when dealing with an area like europe which is almost as big a market as the US, but so framented based on laws, languages and many other factors.
  1. In some areas it's true, in most the difference is not so high.
  2. It could be said the same for English, when the original product is Japanese, not counting the fact that then Spanish, Arab and Chinese versions should be cheaper than English ones, catering for an even wider actual or potential audience. And anyway this should marginally affect HW, only SW should have significantly higher costs, particularly if voice acting too and not only text is translated.
  3. Each country has the staff in proportion to its population and only having to talk one language, only some bi- or multi- lingual EU countries should have higher costs for this.
  4. I don't know how much more that simple sections of Sony Europe they are now, but you're right that traditionally Sony had quite a heavy organization that Stringer is trying to get leaner.
  5. This matter should make costs lower in EU than in USA, as we have had for some time now community-wide rules that once satisfied allow the sale of products in every EU country.

 

1) How is "the difference not so high"?  They ship less quantity of product to each retailer and each group.  When shipping is much cheaper when it's  in large quantities.  The US has less specialty stores and more mass chains that cover the entire country then the EU has stores that cover every country in the EU.

2) Not it shouldn't... since the Chinsese, Spanish and Arab versions don't sell nearly as much.  Also you've got multiple languages for it's advertising.  Keep in mind an EU version has to be in like 5-6 different languages... not counting some other countries that demand native language games.

3) No.  It costs much more to have numerous offices, with numerous CEOs then it does to have one small centrally located group.

4) Agreed.

5) Not... really.  Once again there is a LOT more to take into consideration.

Wouldn't the cost be split over the PS3's sold so the more consoles they sell the lower the cost of this will seem over time as they sell more PS3's