Local gamers are quick to complain about the price of games and gaming hardware in South Africa. Often we directly compare the prices of local games to what retailers in the US are charging, which is not really fair due to the difference in scale between the two markets, as well as the fact that the challenges associated with selling games in South Africa are radically different to those in the US.
Having said that, we thought it would be interesting to do a direct comparison between the price of games in South Africa and the US.
Remember kids, it’s not our intention to suggest that games should be priced equally on the two continents. For starters, our games come from the UK, and games are priced differently in Europe and the USA; and also the games-buying market in the US is like a bajillion times bigger than in South Africa, so we should expect them to be cheaper there.
For the purposes of the comparison, I used ZapsOnline.com because they are consistently well priced, have an easy to navigate website, and the owners Tina and Wayne are cool gamer hippies.
For US prices, I chose EBGames, because they’re pretty established and have a thorough selection of games.
| EBGames | ZapsOnline | Difference | |
| Skyrim (PS3) | $59.99 (R464) | R523 | EB Games R59 cheaper |
| Modern Warfare 3 (PS3) | $39.99 (R317) | R370 | EB Games R53 cheaper |
| God of War III (PS3) | $29.99 (R232) | R185 | Zaps R47 cheaper |
| Resident Evil: Operation Racoon City (360) |
$59.99 (R464) | R465 | EB Games R1 cheaper |
| Battlefield 3 (360) | $59.99 (R464) | R536 | EB Games R72 cheaper |
| Gears of War III (360) | $39.99 (R317) | R517 | EB Games R200 cheaper |
| Diablo III (PC) | $59.99 (R464) | R448 | Zaps R16 cheaper |
| Mass Effect 3 (PC) | $59.99 (R464) | R317 | Zaps R147 cheaper |
| Borderlands 2 (PC) | $49.99 (R387) | R321 | Zaps R66 cheaper |
The sample group above suggests a mixed bag in terms of the differences in pricing.
The standard launch price of AAA games in the US is $59 (R464), which at today’s exchange rate (R7.74 per Dollar) is slightly cheaper than what we expect to pay for new console games in SA. Having said that, you can purchase Resident Evil: Operation Racoon City from Zaps for R465, which is almost exactly what it costs in the US.
PC gamers, on the other hand, seem to be better off in SA. Seldom are we asked to pay upwards of R450 for a game, and this seems fairly standard in the US. Publishers tend to show mercy to third-world countries when it comes to PC game prices, probably because piracy is a little more rampant in them than in first world countries, so this could be why we are paying a little less for PC games in SA.
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Maybe express in a comparable currency like a loaf of bread, or a Big Mac? For example, a AAA game can be had for 40 loafs of bread, while in the US it can be had for 28 loafs, making it relatively more affordable for the US citizens?
Would make more sense
Also, for future reference: it makes for easier interpretation if differences are expressed as a percentage, rather than an adsolute Value (i.e. PC games typically 10% cheaper in SA)
My 2c