Are we Europeans scum or something?

In the fast world of the video gaming industry it seems that Europeans like myself are regularly shunted to the back and in some cases ignored. This can be said of other areas for example Australia. For example, the outrageous PS3 price cuts, exclusive to the Americans, and also the postponed Xbox elite to name but a few.

So, what is the reasoning behind it? Why do we generally receive increased release dates ect?

cuz theyre jelous... no actually i have no clue they probably dont htink that europe is that important

In the fast world of the video gaming industry it seems that Europeans like myself are regularly shunted to the back and in some cases ignored. This can be said of other areas for example Australia. For example, the outrageous PS3 price cuts, exclusive to the Americans, and also the postponed Xbox elite to name but a few.

So, what is the reasoning behind it? Why do we generally receive increased release dates ect?

Novastorm-360

Are you new to gaming. Europe has always been last when it comes to video games release. it was no different with the PS2 and Xbox. The reason is because you guys live so far from where the consolesand some gamesare made and all the tarrifs they have to pay, it causes delays andhigher prices. You guys had to wait for a price drop for the PS2 as well. Japan was first and then NA then you guys. Thats the same this gen., Japan had a price cut then NA, then you guys. Also if I recall a week after launch you guys had plenty of sales on the PS3s as well.

In the fast world of the video gaming industry it seems that Europeans like myself are regularly shunted to the back and in some cases ignored. This can be said of other areas for example Australia. For example, the outrageous PS3 price cuts, exclusive to the Americans, and also the postponed Xbox elite to name but a few.

So, what is the reasoning behind it? Why do we generally receive increased release dates ect?

Novastorm-360

Increased release dates on games is somewhat understandable with the language difference that needs to be overcome. Obviously this does not apply to the UK and Australia but they can't exactly release the PAL version of the game in English months before they release it in other languages, it would make no business sense.

But on the subject of the PS3 price cuts and the 360 elite (although August isn't as bad as I first expected)I am in complete agreement. To be honest this entire generation Sony has treated Europe and Australasia like huge leper colonies. Huge delays before the consoles release and then only one choice of SKU, the more expensive version. Not only that but it was a lot more expensive when compared to the American or Japanese version. It also had the full Backwards compatilbility removed. So a more expensive, less equipped console. Now no 80Gb console either and no price drop. Although I'm still interested in buying a PS3, this alone is enough to put me off it.

For prices You can thank the taxes.
For healthcare and a more carefree life You can thank taxes.
Getting things later is not always a bad thing.
Europe usually gets improved versions of games.
Like actual PAL versions.
We get things later, because Europe is being complicated on small scale.
Different laws, different languages, different responsible people, different markets, many different everythings.
Europe doesn't have a very positive image to outsiders.
Neither do any of the other continents.
These images are always incorrect, and usually show the envy of outsiders, or are based on personal negative experiences.
For example, i come from a very free, passive, forgiving, carefree country and its people have a reputation of being "sly and incurably mean". Well thank You world.

Considering it takes the whole European Union to match USA alone (not taking in account Canada) economicly, it would make sense to care more about North America.0starter0

I would say that is a bit of an overstatement. Besides, Europe still prooves economically beneficial and so corperations should try as hard as they can to achieve a fair system.

P.S. I doubt you would say the same if you were European.

For prices You can thank the taxes.
For healthcare and a more carefree life You can thank taxes.
Getting things later is not always a bad thing.
Europe usually gets improved versions of games.
Like actual PAL versions.
We get things later, because Europe is being complicated on small scale.
Different laws, different languages, different responsible people, different markets, many different everythings.
Europe doesn't have a very positive image to outsiders.
Neither do any of the other continents.
These images are always incorrect, and usually show the envy of outsiders, or are based on personal negative experiences.
For example, i come from a very free, passive, forgiving, carefree country and its people have a reputation of being "sly and incurably mean". Well thank You world.

KungfuKitten

May I ask, where do you come from?

[QUOTE="KungfuKitten"]

For prices You can thank the taxes.
For healthcare and a more carefree life You can thank taxes.
Getting things later is not always a bad thing.
Europe usually gets improved versions of games.
Like actual PAL versions.
We get things later, because Europe is being complicated on small scale.
Different laws, different languages, different responsible people, different markets, many different everythings.
Europe doesn't have a very positive image to outsiders.
Neither do any of the other continents.
These images are always incorrect, and usually show the envy of outsiders, or are based on personal negative experiences.
For example, i come from a very free, passive, forgiving, carefree country and its people have a reputation of being "sly and incurably mean". Well thank You world.

Novastorm-360

May I ask, where do you come from?

Sure. But i can't really answer You can i? Since that would be a bit "incurably mean" to the others who live here.
Fine, i am secretly a bit proud of the incurably mean part :P
Though i'm sure there are enough real bad things people say, it was just an example.
I'm from the netherlands, what about You?

could it be because of EU tariffs?

Also outside of the UK the gaming market isn't really dense, and each region increases production costs/risks due to the need for language translations. Despite having 8X the population of Japan (and 2x more than the US) you still manage to sell less.

Also one other question I know how much consoles cost in UK/EU but how much are handhelds?

I think sony has a release system ( they have euro devs, american devs, and japanese devs) where whereever the developer is located is where the game is released first. SO.

Released in europe first: littlebigplanet, heavenly sword, wipeout, the getaway, eight days, all I can think of right now.

I dont believe that tarrifs really contribute that much to the price i mean over here its $1000 Au which translates into around $830 US.

i seriously doubt there are tarrifs that add that much to a goddam console of all things.

could it be because of EU tariffs?

jrhawk42

Doesn't explain Australian prices, where tariffs have been lowering annually.

I suspect Europe and Australia partly have higher prices due to taxes, but it's also due to firms thinking they can give PAL regions the raw end of the stick on prices, as they are just not as important. For example, the PS3 is proportionately more than the 360 in US dollars in Australia, which doesn't make sense with the tariff argument.

Not to bash my own country, but a lot of Europeans are smarter than Americans. Americans have become spoiled and greedy. JDW_games

America is home to the best colleges in the world. Now I agree, that grade school wise, Europe is probably better than most of the schools in the US.

[QUOTE="JDW_games"]Not to bash my own country, but a lot of Europeans are smarter than Americans. Americans have become spoiled and greedy. mastarifla

America is home to the best colleges in the world. Now I agree, that grade school wise, Europe is probably better than most of the schools in the US.

Depends on which faculties really. A report a few years ago from the University of Singapore ranked British Universities (usually either Oxford or Cambridge) top in Biomedicine, Social Sciences, Arts and Humanities and Science.

[QUOTE="mastarifla"]

[QUOTE="JDW_games"]Not to bash my own country, but a lot of Europeans are smarter than Americans. Americans have become spoiled and greedy. Danm_999

America is home to the best colleges in the world. Now I agree, that grade school wise, Europe is probably better than most of the schools in the US.

Depends on which faculties really. A report a few years ago from the University of Singapore ranked British Universities (usually either Oxford or Cambridge) top in Biomedicine, Social Sciences, Arts and Humanities and Science.

Of course it is always based on faculties.

isnt the ps3 like 1k in Australia? cus they gada import them all?shadow_hosi

yep

999 to be exact

Th answer is very simple. Australia and europe, although fully developed economically, pay more because of the high government taxation levels. We pay more for petrol (gas for you americans), we pay more for video gaming and everything else that is imported from overseas.

These taxes are necessary to provide the high quality healthcare systems and other welfare perks we enjoy. Compared to the usa we live in socialist countries. The government milks you but looks after you very well. That is a good and bad thing, good in the sense that unlike america, you won't find over 10% homeless on the streets, and bad because we have to pay premium price for all those insignificant luxuries like video games and other entertainment luxuries which are all priviliges and not rights.

One thing bugs me and thats the high petrol prices, they always seem to go up, and while we should be paying around 80cents/litre, we end up pay $1.30/litre due to taxes.

In the fast world of the video gaming industry it seems that Europeans like myself are regularly shunted to the back and in some cases ignored. This can be said of other areas for example Australia. For example, the outrageous PS3 price cuts, exclusive to the Americans, and also the postponed Xbox elite to name but a few.

So, what is the reasoning behind it? Why do we generally receive increased release dates ect?

Novastorm-360

The only thing I can think of is that the European market is not as "established" as the japanese and north american market. Sorry.... :(

Considering it takes the whole European Union to match USA alone (not taking in account Canada) economicly, it would make sense to care more about North America.0starter0

Last i hear euro is above $ in exchange standings!8)

could it be because of EU tariffs?

Also outside of the UK the gaming market isn't really dense, and each region increases production costs/risks due to the need for language translations. Despite having 8X the population of Japan (and 2x more than the US) you still manage to sell less.

Also one other question I know how much consoles cost in UK/EU but how much are handhelds?

jrhawk42

ADS is£100.

You pay £45 less than us.

And amazon doesn't have the PSP listed?

[QUOTE="0starter0"]Considering it takes the whole European Union to match USA alone (not taking in account Canada) economicly, it would make sense to care more about North America.dispator

Last i hear euro is above $ in exchange standings!8)

Not to mention the aussie dollar is going strong at 86 US cents hell i just ordered a BioShock shirt from the US and it only cost me $26

[QUOTE="0starter0"]Considering it takes the whole European Union to match USA alone (not taking in account Canada) economicly, it would make sense to care more about North America.dispator

Last i hear euro is above $ in exchange standings!8)

Yeah, thats bad. You pay more for their products, they pay less for ours....

Oh and Novastorm. We pay 17.5% VAT and thats it. I will take the DS as an example.

£100-$130

2 $ to th £ (roughly)

You pay £45 less.

This is quite a bit less than 17.5%

I was enjoying this thread until that up there ^.

As an Australian I am disgusted with our game and console prices. That's why I taken certain measures to avoid such prices.

I was enjoying this thread until that up there ^.

As an Australian I am disgusted with our game and console prices. That's why I taken certain measures to avoid such prices.

elektrixxx

A big reason I play a lot on PC, we Australians get the shaft in the console world.

[QUOTE="0starter0"]Considering it takes the whole European Union to match USA alone (not taking in account Canada) economicly, it would make sense to care more about North America.Novastorm-360

I would say that is a bit of an overstatement. Besides, Europe still prooves economically beneficial and so corperations should try as hard as they can to achieve a fair system.

P.S. I doubt you would say the same if you were European.

I know, but it's just so much easier to make a single version with English only and release it on NA.

[QUOTE="0starter0"]Considering it takes the whole European Union to match USA alone (not taking in account Canada) economicly, it would make sense to care more about North America.dispator

Last i hear euro is above $ in exchange standings!8)

BTW, currency =/= economic power.

Wii game release dates in europe and australia are f****d up.

I mean another 6 months for Super Paper Mario? Atlus is showing off a new Trauma Center but are too amateurish to release Second Opinion here yet. For the Nintendo fans, Brawl isn't likely to come out until some time next year and I couldn't even say for the rest. Ooh but we got Strikers Charged a little earlier, whoopy doo. Microsoft and Sony are much more professional getting games to fans.

What about the fans Nintendo? :|

[QUOTE="0starter0"]Considering it takes the whole European Union to match USA alone (not taking in account Canada) economicly, it would make sense to care more about North America.dispator

Last i hear euro is above $ in exchange standings!8)

You can't compare the EU with the USA. I am a european and I don't feel anything for the EU. It's all a big mess and we would be better (and richer) if we would just let each country make their own trading agreements. Currently there is a lot of money being wasted towards countries that shouldn't be getting anything in the first place. (Portugal, Greece and the center of all evil FRANCE!)

Besides are wealth is much more divided and lets not forget how small Europe really is.

America is the largest, (Or maybe asian in video game market) so yes alot of "stuff" or "Things" get released first.....

Also Americans like to spend....I mean the amount of Malls and Ads on tv, wow.....never been to europe, not sure what's it like...

[QUOTE="shadow_hosi"]isnt the ps3 like 1k in Australia? cus they gada import them all?coakroach

yep

999 to be exact

Wii game release dates in europe and australia are f****d up.

I mean another 6 months for Super Paper Mario? Atlus is showing off a new Trauma Center but are too amateurish to release Second Opinion here yet. For the Nintendo fans, Brawl isn't likely to come out until some time next year and I couldn't even say for the rest. Ooh but we got Strikers Charged a little earlier, whoopy doo. Microsoft and Sony are much more professional getting games to fans.

What about the fans Nintendo? :|

tomarlyn

I think we are, the only reason why i havent got a ps3 yet is that it costs ~670euros over here(Finland) yup thats over $900USD.

I laugh at Americans who whine about a 600USD price tag cuz thats cheap.

America is the largest, (Or maybe asian in video game market) so yes alot of "stuff" or "Things" get released first.....

Also Americans like to spend....I mean the amount of Malls and Ads on tv, wow.....never been to europe, not sure what's it like...

Hermitkermit

I think we have more than plenty of supermarkets malls etc. but perhaps the reason we arent "spending" (actually we are) is bc we

have to pay double for every thing and therefore cant buy as much in quantity.

America is the largest, (Or maybe asian in video game market) so yes alot of "stuff" or "Things" get released first.....

Also Americans like to spend....I mean the amount of Malls and Ads on tv, wow.....never been to europe, not sure what's it like...

Hermitkermit

see now thats the problem you have just bundled Europe into one big country. Here in the UK we are very big consumers I would say probably just as big as Americans the britishpopulation is £7 trillion in the red but that is a stark contrast to the rest of Europe.

not many British people consider them selves European at all, we haven't embraced the euro and the rest of Europe resents us.

[QUOTE="Hermitkermit"]

America is the largest, (Or maybe asian in video game market) so yes alot of "stuff" or "Things" get released first.....

Also Americans like to spend....I mean the amount of Malls and Ads on tv, wow.....never been to europe, not sure what's it like...

boyinfridge

see now thats the problem you have just bundled Europe into one big country. Here in the UK we are very big consumers I would say probably just as big as Americans the britishpopulation is £7 trillion in the red but that is a stark contrast to the rest of Europe.

not many British people consider them selves European at all, we haven't embraced the euro and the rest of Europe resents us.

I dont have any thing against you brits. I hate france for some reason, they are so damn arrogant.