Contrarian

@Lunar_Aura said:

@Contrarian: Sure, you're right. I should have specified on things that are not basic human necessities, government shouldn't get in the way. My stupid opinion, obviously. Government always sticks its nose where it doesn't belong.

No, it is just your opinion I happen to disagree with. I firmly believe in and support socialist principles in a free market democracy and am not ashamed to shout it. I pay my taxes so people get government services, benefits, schooling and free healthcare. I also expect them to regulate the living hell out of business to ensure they act in a way that benefits society as its first objective, at a profit.

@believer258 said:

What does Australia's corporate tax look like? How much does it really cost for Nintendo, Sony, Steam, etc. to have a presence there? Because if the government is taxing companies even more than America's government is, then it might not be Nintendo's fault, or Valve's fault, or Sony's fault, or whatever. It might be The Man's fault because it simply costs more to stock your products in Australia.

But this is just me guessing.

Near as I can ascertain from Wikipedia, Australia has a flat 30% corporate rate and the USA up to 38%. A company that isn't based in Australia and distributes only pay tax in the country they operate in. The world tax web is very confusing I must say. We must be careful to seperate digital from retail. We expect to pay ore for retail due to higher costs of doing business outside of tax, especially our higher wages.

@FlarePhoenix said:

Australia gets charged more for a video game... In other shocking revelations, fish can swim. This is nothing new. Our minimum wage is almost double that of Americas, so it stands to reason we should pay twice as much for things. It is actually balanced; you're just being entitled.

@MikkaQ said:

Isn't Australian minimum wage like 15$?

That is irrelevant. Products should be charged on a cost and reasonable profit basis. Anything more is price gouging. Nothing entitled about that at all. If $40 is a reasonable return on a price of a game, then that applies everywhere. If it is retail, then other factors are at play.

My staff get $26 an hour by the way, but the absolute minimum is about $16.

@Lunar_Aura said:

Er, they price it that way because they can get away with it. Why should the government intervene with a free market? Consumers lacking self-control shouldn't be grounds for regulation.

Governments always intervene in the free market, even in the USA. That is the way it should be as a proper market is only proper when it is properly regulated. Australia's socialist leanings of regulation are the very reason Australia sailed through the GFC with no financial collapses by major financial institutions. The world acknowledges how right Australia got it. When corporations abuse a market, then they need to be put back in their place. The ACCC which monitors this does it for one single reason - the consumer. If it is not in the consumer's interest, it is likely illegal.

@Demoskinos said:

@Contrarian: Yeah, I know a few aussies from other gaming communities I used to frequent. Its absurd how much you guys have to pay for games. I mean most games hover around $100 don't they?

Most new games for home consoles start out at $100, but competition has driven the price down a fair bit. They were about $100 in 1990, so nothing has changed and that kind of makes games a much cheaper hobby than it ever was, No excuse for price gouging on digital service though.

@DigTheDoug said:

It sucks for sure, but you also have to remember that the Australian minimum wage is twice that of the US ($15.50 in USD). The cost of living between the two is very different and almost everything is more expensive in Austraila. And that's relative to NYC, one of the most expensive places to live in the US.

That only justifies retail, not digital. The only reason that can be made is to protect the local distribution companies, to protect their margins. Going back to Lunar_Aura's point then, this is about market force and if the digital price drives down the retail price, then that is just the evolution of the market. Just because we are a successful country doesn't mean we should have to pay much, much more. The damn PS3 was $1,000 when it was released! I guarantee you Sony made a much bigger margin in Australia than the USA.

@MAN_FLANNEL said:

Why are you mad at Nintendo if all of the games down there are more expensive?

@CH3BURASHKA said:

@MAN_FLANNEL said:

Why are you mad at Nintendo if all of the games down there are more expensive?

Yeah... this seems to be an Australia issue rather than a Nintendo issue. The games cost more because they all cost more - to offer a better deal via a downloadable service would fuck over retailers, and all that jazz. Write your congressman.

This isn't just Nintendo by the way, all companies via digital service rip off Australians, as well as New Zealanders.

Screw you Nintendo, and all the other digital distribution companies. Until you charge the same price in equivalent currencies, then I will treat you with the same disdain you treat us.

If you read it properly, I address that. It is just that this example is specific to Nintendo. We don't have Congressman though, just Members of Parliament, House of Representatives and the Senate - the Senate is investigating this right now, as I wrote already:

No wonder the Australian Federal Government is having an enquiry into digital service prices. It is also no wonder that Apple and Microsoft refuse to attend (the government should force them to attend or face big fines) as they know they can't rationally or logically justify their crime.

@Wong_Fei_Hung said:

Wow, you guys really do get shafted down under... Nintendo have no shame. I hate that bloody company, I also dislike how this new game is all about money money money. In these tough times it makes things harder for parents. I'd rather have a Communist version of Super Mario Bros.

Whoaaaaaa. settle down there big fella, those are fighting words! Let's not say things we will all regret (/jk)

@MB said:

@Contrarian: That really is unfortunate...doesn't Steam still charge in USD for you guys?

I don't know. Others will be in a better position to answer that, but I believe, like XBL and PSN, they set different and higher prices.

I find the following photograph I took from my USA 3DS and Australian 3DSXL to show up exactly how countries outside the USA get arse raped:

New Super Mario Bros. 2 digital download: USA $40 Australia $70 or $73US.

This isn't just Nintendo by the way, all companies via digital service rip off Australians, as well as New Zealanders.

On point to this matter though. If you wish to download New Super Mario Bros. 2 in America, it will cost you $39.99. However, if you are in Australia and wish to download it, it will set you back $69.95. That is a whopping $30 dollars more for what cost exactly the same to distribute. It is even worse by the fact that the US price of $40 is in fact $38.50 in Australian dolllars as the Australian currency is worth more than the US one! That means we pay $73US for it.

This is nothing short of theft. I am absolutely disgusted by this. No wonder the Australian Federal Government is having an enquiry into digital service prices. It is also no wonder that Apple and Microsoft refuse to attend (the government should force them to attend or face big fines) as they know they can't rationally or logically justify their crime. I hope at the end of the enquiry, they give sweeping powers to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission to force change or start handing out fines. There are no additional costs to distribute something digital and any argument to the contrary is a flat out lie. There are no boxes, no shipping - nothing.

And another point to show just how bad that $70 price is - if you buy the card version, with the box and manual, all to put on your shelf and have for as long as you like, to resell if you so choose to, from any department store, will cost you $60. That's right, the retail version is $10 cheaper and that is without discounting that goes on.

Screw you Nintendo, and all the other digital distribution companies. Until you charge the same price in equivalent currencies, then I will treat you with the same disdain you treat us.

In the end, I got my red 3DS XL with a retail copy of Kingdom Hearts for an additional $30 as a bundle. That I am happy with. The XL is just awesome!

@Claude said:

I'll slide my dick up Nintendo's ass anytime. So I'm in like Flynn. Wii fuckin' U motherfucker.

Eeeeeeeeewwwwwwwwwwwww! Was has been read cannot be unread!

I have 2 Wii, one NTSC and one PAL along with about 160 games, so I thoroughly enjoyed the Wii ride. However, I am not likely to buy the Wii-U on launch. It won't have a body of games that make me want to get it straight away, with expensive games. I think I am likely to join in about March 2013 when the launch games are much cheaper and better games are on the release calendar. I treat Nintendo consoles as an investment for the future - it will always have the games I want to play. That being said, I will probably succumb and get it for Christmas.

Give me a Wii-U Fire Emblem on launch day and I will be there, but that ain't gonna happen.

I was prosecuted by our government. Short story, I defended myself over 2 trials, over 2 years, the government lost when I had the case dismissed pre-trial and they apologised to me and made me a confidential and substantial settlement. I won't go into details. That is my only brush with the law outside one speeding charge.

I am happy to continue the series as I liked FFXIII, but I would rather they made a 3DS continuation of the FFXIII story. Even perhaps a Tactics game based on FFXIII. I would play them.