I am here to display my disgrace at how the UK (Some of this is Europe also) gets put aside when it comes to to videogames.

Some examples:

Huge prices for: £300 = PS3 New games = £40 - £50 (PS3 and 360) and £35 - £40 (Wii)

Late release dates: Resistance 2 28th November (US and Japan  get it near begining of November)

                                UK release date of consoles usually about 3 or 4 months after everyone else.

                               Japanese games like Final Fantasy takes too long to translate when it could be very quick.

                               Almost all games are released in the Uk a lot after evryone else.

Worse online services: All 3 major consoles have better downloads elsewhere in the world; worst ebing PS3 where you can download movies, etc in the US. And UK and Europe gets dumped with the overpriced play TV.

There are many others as well and I think that it is appauling that we in UK get treated this way (as well as Europe where most of this applies also), considering we are still one of the biggest video game markets in the world

Europe needs their own gaming console company. Only companies that are based and operated in Europe could give the best features to europeans...

Microsoft = US
Sony and Nintendo = Japan
Europe = ??? Nokia Ngage ???

Hmmm... IDK... the prices and situation is similar here, but we have roughly 400-500 Euro ~ income, so I just cant feel sorry for you ;)

The PS3 which you listed is cheaper in UK than in USA at current exchange rates.

£300 / 117.5% (to exclude 17.5% VAT) = £255 = $394.

I don't feel like calculating other prices, but it looks like you're forgetting taxes (as usually happens in these debates).

It sucks indeed.

Tales of Symphonia 2/Vesperia: not here.

But: I do get to play Fire Emblem:DS next week, which is not yet out in the States and we have Disaster, which I liked very much.

 Brilliant idea if that happened then for once we could get the games first, so online Americans and Japanese people, etc can look jelously as we play the games first!!

Speaking of taxes why is it that in the US prices are not calculated with tax included. I found it so annoying when I went to the US and when I got to the till I would be charged a completely randomly different price than what was quoted on the product.

Yeah I see but at PS3 launch time exchange rates was about £1 to $2 and in UK it was about £425 but US had it for under $700 (Not sure exact price)

Something I also didnt realise was that you said 17.5 percent VAT but it is changing to 15 percent in Uk on 1st December 2008

Yes, traditionally Europeans have paid more for consoles (just not as big a difference as a naive currency conversion shows). The picture is changing now though, much to the discontent of the three manufacturers (especially Nintendo and Sony).