Game Prices (Split from L.A. Noire thread)

[DeadPoolX]

Adding it to my Christmas list.

Sigh... I'll have to add it to my Christmas list for next year, when game prices become more reasonable Down Under.

New-release games typically retail for $100 each. I can afford that, but these prices decrease to $50 within a year, so...

That's insane. Here I thought games were expensive in Canada!

[Rath Darkblade]

Adding it to my Christmas list.

Sigh... I'll have to add it to my Christmas list for next year, when game prices become more reasonable Down Under.

New-release games typically retail for $100 each. I can afford that, but these prices decrease to $50 within a year, so...

That's insane. Here I thought games were expensive in Canada!

No one said that us Aussies had a sane pricing policy for games. Some new games even retail for $120 or $130 AUS, but when they do that, they normally throw in some cheap extras like a manual, a map, a figurine, or a tin box for it all etc.

[DeadPoolX]

Adding it to my Christmas list.

Sigh... I'll have to add it to my Christmas list for next year, when game prices become more reasonable Down Under.

New-release games typically retail for $100 each. I can afford that, but these prices decrease to $50 within a year, so...

That's insane. Here I thought games were expensive in Canada!

No one said that us Aussies had a sane pricing policy for games. Some new games even retail for $120 or $130 AUS, but when they do that, they normally throw in some cheap extras like a manual, a map, a figurine, or a tin box for it all etc.

Shipping and importation fees must be really high there. Considering the US and Australian dollar are extremely close in value (1 dollar USD = 94 cents AUD), I can't see the conversion rate having much to do with it.

Shipping, importation fees, taxes and so on are why games -- and just about everything else -- are cost more in Canada than the US. It's a much, much shorter trip to Canada from anywhere in the US than it it is to Australia.

[Rath Darkblade]

Shipping and importation fees must be really high there. Considering the US and Australian dollar are extremely close in value (1 dollar USD = 94 cents AUD), I can't see the conversion rate having much to do with it.

Shipping, importation fees, taxes and so on are why games -- and just about everything else -- are cost more in Canada than the US. It's a much, much shorter trip to Canada from anywhere in the US than it it is to Australia.

Now I don't get it. I understand why games cost more in Canada than the US, but what about games made by Canadian companies, like Bethesda?

And another thing. Since it's a much shorter trip from the US to Canada than it is from the US to Australia, that might be why games are more expensive here - but there's something else that I should mention. Australian laws about computer games mandate that no-one is allowed to sell a computer game here, if the game is too violent, too sexually explicit, or has themes that are too adult. This is why Grand Theft Auto IV was initially banned here - because of that "Hot Coffee" module. Politicians panicked and banned the game immediately, as a knee-jerk reaction. (It's perfectly legal now).

"L.A. Noire" and the Dragon Age games are legal, even if they deal with strong violence and adult themes, but there's an Government department in Australia that gives ratings to any games, films or TV shows, and any R-rated or X-rated games are instantly banned. This might also drive the game prices up - which isn't fair!

[MusicallyInspired]

How are games more expensive in Canada? They're the same price. In fact, before the Canadian dollar went above the American dollar it used to be cheaper to get games here because of the same price label. But the exchange rate isn't even that much more right now so it's not really that different. Certainly no higher for shipping if you're buying from retail.

[DeadPoolX]

Most games I bought back in the US ranged from $40 to $50 or so. In Canada, the "average" price is $60 and usually more in stores. That's without adding HST (12% tax on everything!), which dramatically boosts prices in of itself.

Buying online is sometimes more expensive, too. Items on Amazon.ca are usually more expensive than on Amazon.com. Sometimes I've had to buy from Amazon.com (when Amazon.ca doesn't carry something, like Gray Matter, for instance) which means much higher shipping costs, as well.

This is why I like buying from Steam. Sure, I don't have a physical copy, but the prices are much, much better.

Oh and Rath? It doesn't matter if the game developer or publisher is Canadian. BioWare's games cost more in Canada than in the US, despite BioWare itself being based in Edmonton, AB.

[MusicallyInspired]

It's been my experience that the prices are exactly the same in the US and Canada. Amazon as well. I know that console games are always $10 more expensive than PC games. That's in the US and Canada and Amazon.com and Amazon.ca as well (not counting shipping, but as far as the going retail price is concerned it's the same). At least for new games. I don't know about used games or older games. Older games are usually $19.99 or even $14.99. But all the prices I've seen are the same...just with USD instead of CAD. Don't know what the tax is like in the States so that might be the bigger difference.

It's really nice to grab stuff from Steam right now because (first of all, all the sales) the Canadian dollar is above the American at the moment so it's like paying no tax and getting a bit of a discount off the selling price (less than a dollar, but still).

[DeadPoolX]

It's been my experience that the prices are exactly the same in the US and Canada. Amazon as well. I know that console games are always $10 more expensive than PC games. That's in the US and Canada and Amazon.com and Amazon.ca as well (not counting shipping, but as far as the going retail price is concerned it's the same). At least for new games. I don't know about used games or older games. Older games are usually $19.99 or even $14.99. But all the prices I've seen are the same...just with USD instead of CAD. Don't know what the tax is like in the States so that might be the bigger difference.

Seriously? Almost everything is more expensive in Canada! Why do you think many Canadians (regardless of the conversion rate) go down to the US when buying cars? US prices are simply less, despite whatever differences or similarities may exist between USD and CAD.

I've compared prices between Best Buy in the US and in Canada; Future Shop is always a rip-off and online vendors, like Amazon.ca, usually have a smaller stock or demand a higher price for the same item.

Even in stores like Whole Foods there is a price difference. There's a piece of makeup that Maia gets there, but it's over twice as expensive in Canada as it is in the US. Since she doesn't use it up very quickly and I tend to visit the US once a year, she asks me to get her that makeup at Whole Foods in the US.

I might pass off my experiences as "I'm new to Canada" or "everything costs a ton in British Columbia" (which is more true than not), but Maia was born and raised in Alberta. I visited her there many times and prices were higher there as well.

I wish prices were the same. I'm sick and tired of having to pay nearly $2000 a year in auto insurance (and that's after a 43% discount) for ONE CAR! My Dad pays that much for three cars and he can choose which insurance company to go with. I can't, since auto insurance in BC is run by the provincial government.

It's really nice to grab stuff from Steam right now because (first of all, all the sales) the Canadian dollar is above the American at the moment so it's like paying no tax and getting a bit of a discount off the selling price (less than a dollar, but still).

Yeah, Steam is nice. No HST, no shipping and frequent sales on games.

[Tawmis]

How are games more expensive in Canada? They're the same price. In fact, before the Canadian dollar went above the American dollar it used to be cheaper to get games here because of the same price label. But the exchange rate isn't even that much more right now so it's not really that different. Certainly no higher for shipping if you're buying from retail.

Actually, almost everything is always slightly more expensive in Canada. Like when you buy books, it will say "US: $5.95/Canada $7.95" (or something along those lines).

EDIT:

Just grabbed the book I am reading out of my backpack at work.

"US: $6.99 / CAN $9.99"

[MusicallyInspired]

Everything else, maybe. But new games are the exact same price from what I've seen. At least where I live.

[DeadPoolX]

Everything else, maybe. But new games are the exact same price from what I've seen. At least where I live.

Well, I don't know where you're looking then. Even games as recent as Dragon Age 2 (which was developed by BioWare, a Canadian company) have been cheaper in the US. Here's DA2 for the PS3 at Amazon.com and Amazon.ca.

You can clearly see a price difference:
DA2 (regular edition) on Amazon.com is $39.99 USD.
DA2 (regular edition) on Amazon.ca it's $59.99 CAD.

DA2 (signature edition) on Amazon.com is $59.95 USD.
DA2 (signature edition) on Amazon.ca is $72.49 CAD.

As for in-store purchases, I'm sure the lack of HST in Manitoba helps you out a lot. In BC, they combined GST and PST to become HST, which amounts to a 12% tax on everything.

[Rath Darkblade]

Everything else, maybe. But new games are the exact same price from what I've seen. At least where I live.

Well, I don't know where you're looking then. Even games as recent as Dragon Age 2 (which was developed by BioWare, a Canadian company) have been cheaper in the US. Here's DA2 for the PS3 at Amazon.com and Amazon.ca.

You can clearly see a price difference:
DA2 (regular edition) on Amazon.com is $39.99 USD.
DA2 (regular edition) on Amazon.ca it's $59.99 CAD.

DA2 (signature edition) on Amazon.com is $59.95 USD.
DA2 (signature edition) on Amazon.ca is $72.49 CAD.

As for in-store purchases, I'm sure the lack of HST in Manitoba helps you out a lot. In BC, they combined GST and PST to become HST, which amounts to a 12% tax on everything.

Sigh... that sucks. Here in Victoria (Australia), there's a NATIONAL GST of 10% on everything except basic foodstuffs (which are not taxed) and stuff the government does (which is not taxed... of course... sigh). There's no sales tax, but there's stamp duty on land sales... and just about everything else is taxed, from income to superannuation to buying luxury cars. I hate the taxman. Well, at least they've abolished the death duties...

Not for nothing did I memorise the following little ditty:

I'm proud I'm Australian,
I'm glad to be free -
But I wish I were a little dog
And my tax man was a tree.

[MusicallyInspired]

When Duke Nukem Forever first came out it was $49.99 for PC in both US and Canada and on both Amazons. The console versions were $59.99 in both US and Canada and on both Amazons. All the other games I've cared about looking into are all the same price as well. And when I hear people from the US talking about game prices for games they're always the same as what I've seen in stores. $60 for console games, $50 or less for PC games.

We don't have HST, but our GST and PST comes to 12% as well.

[DeadPoolX]

When Duke Nukem Forever first came out it was $49.99 for PC in both US and Canada and on both Amazons. The console versions were $59.99 in both US and Canada and on both Amazons. All the other games I've cared about looking into are all the same price as well. And when I hear people from the US talking about game prices for games they're always the same as what I've seen in stores. $60 for console games, $50 or less for PC games.

I guess you've been extremely lucky then. Maia and I haven't been so fortunate.

Oh and right now, the PC, PS3 and 360 versions version of DNF are selling for less on Amazon.com than on Amazon.ca.

DNF on Amazon.com:
PC - $39.99
PS3 - $39.99
Xbox 360 - $49.99

DNF on Amazon.ca:
PC - $49.99
PS3 - $59.83
Xbox 360 - $59.83

I don't know if DNF was originally listed at the same price, but if it was, it's not any longer.

We don't have HST, but our GST and PST comes to 12% as well.

True, except that not everything you buy gets hit with both GST and PST at the same time. Often items will be one or the other, whereas HST is charged on everything.

[MusicallyInspired]

Hmm, I guess when prices drop in the States they don't immediately drop in Canada.

Overall, very interesting phenomenon .