Is anyone else sick of Region Control, Is anyone else fed up with double standards?

I am an XBOX Gold Member - have been for years! (And thanks to trying to change my payment method from card to Paypal discovered how easy it is to get billed twice - so I will be a member for many more!)

Thanks to Sony, and yes it was thanks to Sony. We now get two free games a month and other Gold Members specials.

I was reading an online article the other day that said over the weekend Bioshock would be heavily reduced. So I decided to walk into uncharted territory typically enjoying the likes of Crisis and Halo over an unknown title - for me that is (I own over a hundred
games for 360 - have an original xbox, 2 xbox360's and the unfortunate experience of a Day One edition of Xbone - another waste of money - before you say go play on a PC - have four of those, Wii - got that, PS3 - got that, OUYA - got that, PSP - got that
- this is not about game titles this is about right and wrong.)

So bottom line, I have steered clear of Bioshock for years but the special interested me (tempted me - city in the clouds etc.).

The weekend deals:

Bioshock Infinite: US$9.98

Bioshock 1 & 2: US$4.99 each

PS. I work in finance - I understand how exchange rates work. **** THIS IS THE GREATEST RATE JUMP I HAVE EVER SEEN ****

Then I clicked to buy it and learnt how Region punishment works. Because I live in Australia and pay more for my Gold Membership than my equally pale brothers in the States, my price became as follows:

Bioshock Infinite: $26.38 (US$9.98)

Bioshock 1 & 2: $12.48 each (US$4.99)

DO THE MATH - THIS IS A DOWNLOAD NOT AN IMPORT.

Why after Governmental Inquiries, why after Microsoft has launched a white elephant in the Xbox One do I still put up with this? Because they know I have invested into a system I cannot escape.

To use their Xbox Gold promise (words in brackets are mine):

All Gold members (not some) get to enjoy discounts (depending on where you live) on games, add-ons (funny they seem to be level priced) and more every week. Check back here to see what deals we have (and if you are entitled to them). It could be the game
you've been waiting to get your hands on (but as always if you live outside the continental US - you will have to pay more - there are no additional shipping costs - you just have to pay more, because you eat Vegemite.)!

If you are an Australian, if you have something better to say than go play on Sony's network (we owe them a lot - a lot, if they hadn't backed down right now you would be living in a very backward world - If MS had listened they would still hold the lead
on next gen consoles) - please post the life out of this so we can get traction - someone might listen, if not we can team up another way. If you are just sick and tired of duplicitous practices when there is no reason for it - if I buy software directly off
the US server - then what is the issue? I know some *** will say - just because you have a Gold Subscription doesn't mean you can have the same benefits as everyone else - does being Australian make me somehow lesser, is this the new racial divide? If I have
to pay more than the US price, can't I get a reduced premium for gold?

Tell me if you are just as annoyed by this as I am?

:)

 

is anyone else.....

Mines not strict is always open - but over the past week i'm down to the yellow two bar connection instead of the nice green 4 bar - have no idea why I know it hinders my gaming as i've tried knifing a few times but the opponent always seems to turn around
and shoot me like I done nothin to him - it's hindering my hit detection I think.

 

Is anyone else..

I would expect a patch to come out to resolve this.... but one never knows!

 

Just to add further proof to what your saying.

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To buy from live on demand US and AU price comparisons.

Crysis 3 US$39.99 and AU$109.95

Tiger woods 2014 US$59.99 and AU$109.95

call of duty black ops 2 US$39.99 and AU$99.95.

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The amount Microsoft charges us here in Australia for the same games that US people can get is wrong,

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with $109.95 we could buy 3 games oppose to spending this much on one game or for every one American game purchaser microsoft gets 3 Australian game purchasers for the exact same game and delivery method.

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Another thing to is if we were being charged the same as the Americans for example for crysis 3 US39.99 and AU $109.95 we could save $69.96 and use this for something else.

 

People must be paying $99.95-109.95 otherwise they wouldn't have it at that price. There are constant unannounced price adjustments on the marketplace. It would probably never be as low as the US price but there's no reason why it couldn't be down to the
Big W / JB price range of $70-80 by now if people weren't buying the digital copies at full price.

 

I agree with what you say OP. It is one of the mains reasons I mostly stick to physical copies as it is easier on the wallet. I will only buy digital games if they are on sale with deal of the week and other promotions. Most of the time the games on sale
are alot more reasonably priced.

 

100% BEHIND YOU.

we were lied to in australia.

nothing works on the useless paper weight.

not only that to use basic functions/ apps that are free on everything else (ie internet explorer and you tube) they exspect us to have a gold mebership...and then to be hit twice for games like elder scrolls to play online is just bull ***.

oh and their is no where to complain except on these empty forums.

i HATE sony with a passion, and this doens help....also inter connectivity to a phone for glass is ***...

what the *** is that supposed to be...it a little app of advertisements...it adds nothin to game play atm.

and dont even get me started on guesture control, what *** came up with those controls????

 

We do get ripped off, sometimes it is a bit justified if Australia is running its own servers, which the cost needs to be spread over fewer players, but over all, as the ACCC probe found, we get charge more because we pay for it. Unfortunately its as simple
as that. But government and community groups have noticed, and as much as it is frowned upon, they actually recommend services such as VPN to be able to not be ripped off. Even choice com au has methods listed to avoid the geo blocking.

 

We always get charged more because our avg national income is approx. 80K. The avg in the US is about 26K ... hence we pay 3-4 times more.

It is not fair, but would you rather live in the US?

 

I understand your feelings.

This is not just Microsoft, you'll find the retailers in Australia have a lot to do with this. MS wanted to go all digital remember but people whinged and complained about not being able to trade their physical copies, so they backed down and now you have
to deal with retailers again. I absolutely hate physical copies, thanks to steam I have not been to buy a physical PC game in years so Im just as committed to going digital on the new gen consoles.

Near as I can tell compared to here prices are cheaper everywhere in the world except maybe europe. And there are ways to get better pricing, shopping around is a must. The annoying thing is the measures you have to take to get the same deal.

 

I understand where this going but its up to the company (mainly the government too in some places). Its something call the Game Rating in US the game is rated T for Teen meaning anyone from 13 can play but in Australia the game is either M15+ or MA15+ in
some cases also some games are getting the R18+ rating too.

The mark up is to cover the rating of the game too, I think though it depends

 

i usually buy my games from the UK..ozgameshop.com - PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo & PC

usually save at least $20 if you don't mind waiting a week or so

i totally agree that we are severely ripped off here in Australia

 

would have preferred to go completely digital but not when the Live Store is charging at least $20 dearer than what i can buy it in store

 

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