No Price Increase Afterall

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Syphonx

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http://www.xboxgaming.co.za/news/south-african-xbox-games-will-not-see-major-price-increase/
In December last year we saw MI Digital attach a major price increase to both the Xbox console and games - with games expected to retail for around R899. The good news is that the Microsoft published games will not see this increase.

Many gamers were outraged at the price increases which saw a 30-40% price increase, and rightly so. The talk of game imports have been high on the agenda as an alternative to get around these prices. A concerned consumer, who goes by the gamertag Warren ZA, posted up a complaint on the popular HelloPeter.com site asking Microsoft to explain the exorbitant prices of xbox games in South Africa, at which the Microsoft representitive responded:

We appreciate you bringing this to our attention. We are pleased to inform you that Microsoft has confirmed that its titles will continue to launch at R699.

So how can this be? Does MI Digital have the wrong pricing, or somehow the retailers? After sending off some enquries to Microsoft South Africa, John Press, Microsoft SA's Product and Marketing Manager, called me to explain the situation.

When the price increase was first announced in December, it was because of the poor Rand/Dollar at the time (somewhere around R11+), and when doing a price increase, they do it across the board (software and hardware). I suppose this is to combat any financial risks that incur with importing. However, the pricing for games should have reverted back to R699 before the new pricing list kicked in for 2009, according to Press. He went on to assure me that Microsoft intend to support all upcoming games, allowing for a R699 RRP. I also asked about stores selling games at R800+, and I'm told no stores should be selling at this price. Even to go as far as asking for references to find out why this has happened.

This is a relief in my mind, as something like this could truly hurt the local Xbox scene. The bad news is that there's no sign of hardware prices settling. Press explained that because Microsoft make no profit on the console, the higher Rand/Dollar has a direct impact, and for now, the prices won't change after the last increase.
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Great News!!!!!!!
 
Kalahari and Take2 were just hoping people wouldn't go looking around for the game and would just order it online. They are milking the lazy asses who don't go to the shops to buy stuff anymore :P
 
Ryansta said:
It was a ploy to get every1 to buy xbox's for xmas
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I fail to see how threatening to increase the price of xbox games is likely to encourage anyone to buy an xbox:confused::confused::confused:

Surely, if anything, the prospect of owning a console with such expensive software would put people off?

Or work to the advantage of the PS3/PC/Wii pundits?

And besides, the price increases are happening, as EtienneK pointed out.

But the article does make me wonder exactly who is behind these price increases...
 
I think he meant the games.

So that everyone with the 360 rushed out and bought like mad thinking they are saving R300.
 
Brawler said:
I think he meant the games.

So that everyone with the 360 rushed out and bought like mad thinking they are saving R300.
Click to expand...

Sure, that makes sense. But then they were damaging console sales which is far more important to MS over the long run, especially during the Christmas period...

I dunno, it all sounds a bit "paranoid-conspiracy theory" for me....

But then, who am I to say.
 
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