Xbox games at R1 000
Recent announcements from MI digital and Microsoft have forecast that the Xbox360 console as well as its games will be going up in price in January.
A Microsoft local Xbox360 representative from Microsoft has confirmed that new AAA (premium) Xbox360 titles will retail for around R900. Other sources put the figure at R1000
The overwhelming response from the online gaming community has been “we won’t pay”.
Many forumites on different websites have commented that R700 a game is already pushing it, and R1 000 is simply too much to ask.
Many users have stated that they will simply turn to the second-hand market. However, a drop in off-the-shelf sales will quickly trickle down to a shortage within the second-hand market.
Other users have stated that they will look for more innovative ways to acquire titles, such as piracy or imports.
At any rate, the broad consensus is that R900- R1 000 is far too much to pay for a single Xbox360 game. An inside source at Microsoft has put the blame squarely at the feet of the plummeting exchange rate.
However, most AAA titles retail for a maximum of $60 in the USA. These games are often available for around $50. At the current exchange rate this converts to between R510 and R620 per game. In the UK, AAA titles sell for between ₤40 (R600) and ₤50 (R750). Furthermore, after about two months AAA titles often go down to around ₤25 (R370).
Considering that there are no price increases scheduled for Xbox360 games internationally, a price of R1 000 per game seems excessive. Many forumites are reporting ordering games from sites such as www.shopto.net where you can purchase games at international rates and only have to pay around R45 for shipping. Furthermore, most users report that import taxes are rarely applied.
Considering that shopto.net has games like the brand new Prince of Persia for Xbox 360 for just ₤34 (R510) + ₤3 (R45), these imports may become very popular if local pricing hits the R1 000 mark.
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