Posted By Chris Perkins on March 1, 2013

When the Wii U launched, there was a lot of grumbling about it’s pricing. A few months back a very useful info graphic had been going around the web, comparing the launch prices of consoles over time.  It made for interesting reading and made you realise that the Wii U’s price tag was pretty much in line with most console launches. However, the article related only to US prices, and those of us from foreign shores had a slightly different perspective on it. You see, the price of gaming outside of America has often been considerably higher (as some of us know from bitter experience), and it bared looking into. Take the pricing of hardware and software in the major game markets and run them through some currency converters and the results are rather eye-opening. Some countries are paying considerably more than others to feed their gaming addiction.

 The Cost of Consoles.

The biggest decision any gamer faces, is which consoles (or other gaming hardware) to buy. The extravagant may be able to support more than one system in any given generation, but most people can only really afford one. Consoles have always been expensive, right back to the days of NES and Atari. However how much you can expect to pay can vary considerably depending on where you happen to have been born.  Lets look at the launch price of selection of recent and popular consoles.

These are done with the aid of the XE currency converter , and have not been adjusted for inflation. The further you go back the harder the information is to come by, so we were not able to get some of the prices for Japan and Australia for further back. If you happen to know, perhaps you can pass on your knowledge!

As you can see, it makes for some eye-watering comparisons. My American friends, next time when you find yourself complaining about console prices, spare a though for the rest of us. As a UK type (where we complain about prices constantly) it makes me aware that although we do get much higher prices than in America, well… it could be worse. Look at the prices for Japan. LOOK AT POOR AUSTRALIA. If you think $350 is steep for a Wii U, then cast a look at the launch price for the PS3 in Oz… and wince. It’s nor fair, but it’s not really likely to change anytime soon. Games companies will always charge the most they can, and the cost of development is always increasing.

The cost of games.

Again, America comes out on top when it comes to software.  In the US the latest games retail at about $59.99, while in the UK games will often have a RRP (recommended retail price) of about £49.99 (which is about $80). In reality, most British gamers expect to pay around £39.99 for a new game, as most retailers knock a few pounds off the RRP- and that equates to a more reasonable $64. In Japan however you can expect to pay about  $76 for a top notch game like New Super Mario Bros U. Once again the poor Aussies lose out- big games there can have a RRP of A$99 or more  which is at the current exchange rate north of $100 US. So next time you’re buying a game or console, spare a though four you gaming brothers and sisters overseas.

In conclusion, gaming is an expensive hobby it’s true. But this sobering jaunt into global pricing shows us that we should be grateful, as it could be a heck of a lot more expensive. Unless, you’re from Australia. Sorry Australia.

[This is a modified version of an article that first appeared on Rant Gaiming in October 2012]

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