PS3 software sales is helped greatly by the fact that it can't be pirated. This is one the reson why Euro ps3 software beats Xbox 360 on a weekly basis. When I visit my relatives in Eastern Europe...that place is pirate central :)

@disolitude

I think you're exaggerating. Eastern Europe is not a pirate central... we were in the 90' :P
Today the pirate central is China :)

But thinking of it right now (until now i didn't know PS3 is still not pirated) that's interesting, because in my country (Poland) PS3 was very popular during holiday sales. And the fun part's now. Makes me wonder if parents knew, that this time it's not a one time buy (like it was with PSX, PS2). From now on, they will have to reach to their pockets for some cash from time to time, or.... the PS3 will be only a nice Blue-Ray player stuffed under TV with one or two games :)
For the record, games here are much expensive then in US. i.eg. DMC4 costs $80

sorry for my english - i tried my best :P

Your english is fine..its actually better then most english people here.

You are probably right. You live there and I have only been going for visits to Serbia and Hungary every few years so you would know better. PS2 is still the main console there and I can still pick up burned ps2 games at a local chain store like EB Games would be in North America...if I ask nicely :). Usually they tell you the game like DMC is 80 dollars original or 10 dollars coppied and they let you decide.

I'm sure it seems like pirate central compared to North America but China is probably 10 times worse.

Your English is great, sure better than my Polish... Jak sie masz?

wow, xbox360 users that don't live in america, what a shock :0.

Actually I just played with a frenchman on halo 3, nice dude, but when he said "woo-hoo" it was funny.

Also, the box art is the one we should've had at launch

nice bundle, ms are making an effort thats for sure

@disolitude
ok, example which you gave were true (in Poland) until the copyright act came into effect. Which in my country was in 1994. Ofcourse after that act you also could very easily buy a copy for few more years.
Today, every country in UE (like Poland, Hungary and other from Eastern Europe) or potential candidate (Serbia) needs to have legalized copyright protection acts.
Today, you can obtain an illegal copy only by downloading it from the net or copying it from your friend. But how you get it is not important, the point is that mentality of those people has a problem with shiffting from socialism to liberalism.
according to IDC research (2006) piracy in Poland was at 58% (this include all software, music and movies). The good thing its decreasing every year.

So, ofcourse... compairing to US(21%), we are the bad man. But when you look at continetal asia...hmm... Vietnam (90%), China (86%) there's a hope for eastern europe... just give us some time :)

@gebx,disolitude
thx, but I know I still have a long way to go :)
... and disolitude ... "Jak sie masz?" dziekuje, mam sie całkiem nieźle
hehe kind of short, nonetheless very good.. can't stop smiling :D

"The total price point in China comes out to $430 roughly in American dollars."

If this is the price i'm pretty sure we can see a price cut in the near future. I live in Canada and the system costs $400, plus a $50 game and a $60 controller. That is an amazing price they get in China. Im pretty sure the Christmas bundle is expired right now in NA, with Forza2 and the Marvel fighting game.

If only 5% of China was a viable market, that would still be able to create the third largest individual market behind the US and Japan.

The console box is a lot nicer than anything here