What influences game prices in South Africa?

[James]

What influences game prices in South Africa?

“It is in the interest of everyone to try and keep prices down”

[ingeon]

And the fact that consumers determine pricing.

I remember that console price jump and I remember a lot of peeps refusing to buy at those prices.

[Lupus]

Way back in the early 2000's I remember some PS2 games coming in at R700 to R900 as well, people stopped paying and the prices dropped again. Also there is a lot of BS in the article pricing is relative to the rand and dollar so how come back in 2006 when the R and $ were sitting at the same mark they are now, I could get the Gears of War collectors edition for R500, Forza 2 for R400 and various other games for roughly the same price. The R and $ shoot up to around the 11 mark pricing goes through the roof, but it never ever goes back to what it was previously. Even when the exchange rate is lower than 2006 levels?

[Graal]

I seem to have missed this yesterday, but thanks for running this article. It explains the new prices we've started seeing on videogames here in SA.

Way back in the early 2000's I remember some PS2 games coming in at R700 to R900 as well, people stopped paying and the prices dropped again. Also there is a lot of BS in the article pricing is relative to the rand and dollar so how come back in 2006 when the R and $ were sitting at the same mark they are now, I could get the Gears of War collectors edition for R500, Forza 2 for R400 and various other games for roughly the same price. The R and $ shoot up to around the 11 mark pricing goes through the roof, but it never ever goes back to what it was previously. Even when the exchange rate is lower than 2006 levels?

It's not just the exchange rate, it's also the inflation rate that plays a role. The distributors are likely paying much higher import and distribution fees now than they did back in 2006.

[Lupus]

I seem to have missed this yesterday, but thanks for running this article. It explains the new prices we've started seeing on videogames here in SA.



It's not just the exchange rate, it's also the inflation rate that plays a role. The distributors are likely paying much higher import and distribution fees now than they did back in 2006.

If most retailers in the US can still sell them for $60, I am sure the retailers should be able to get them for a better price.

[Graal]

One country's economy isn't really a very accurate measuring stick to look at price differences. Our tax laws and import fees are entirely different to that of the US, not to mention that the US likely manufactures their own games.