Online Gaming prices in Australia

I was just browsing the Xbox Live store and noticed that nearly every game from the second half of last year is $99.95 when a month ago they were $89.95 I'm struggling to understand why digital prices are so much more inflated than the ones in stores.

i can get any of COD: AW, Sunset Overdrive, Halo Master Chief Collection, Destiny, Shadow of Mordor, Far Cry 4, Dragon Age Inquesition and Assassins Creed Unity for $79 at stores if I want them digitally where there's no manufacturing or shipping cost and
I'd still be paying $20 more than stores sell it for.

Before the next gen was here the biggest thing requested from Australian gamers outside of improved connections was more competitive online prices you started by having most of your games at $89.95 which was an improvement from the $99.95 it had been on
the 360 but now for some unknown reason it's reverted to the old pricing.

Some stores holding prices for games that haven't even come out isn't even $99.95 anymore so I'd like to know how and why your online prices are the way they are?

:)

 

UK Game Prices? What is this?

I bought it on disc for $50, almost half the retail price in Australia. New Zealand has it even worse tbh, the ANZ region has a massive gaming community so someones's raking in the $

 

What is happening to gaming in Australia

I'm not sure what you are experiencing mate but I for one am having a great time gaming in Australia!

Prices are a little higher sure but with places like Target selling day one releases for around $69 the jump isn't too high. As for finding games there is a healthy population online whether they be Aussies or from overseas.

 

Not the only one. I'm just waiting for the sales now on most games.

 

Store bought games are way cheaper here in Australia, this has been the case since the beginning of digital. I don't think this is fair for people wanting Digital only, it would be cheaper to make an overseas account and buy that way. Sony doesn't mind this
with PSN, I bet MS would have something to say about it.

 

Because Microsoft has no competition when it comes to selling digital games which can only be brought legit, through Xbox Live Marketplace, since Xbox Live is the ONLY official online service for Xbox 360 and Xbox 1. Where as retailers have competition for
physical copy games. They want customers so retailers reduce the price. Also, you get NO REFUNDS when you purchase games digitally (unless there is a fault on M's part) Where as discs, you can trade it in. Last year, Halo Reach on Marketplace was still advertised
at NZ$69.99 when retailers here are selling it for NZ$34.

 

It's the same for here in the UK to. Most games on release are £15 cheaper in the shop's, and while prices in the shop's start to fall download doesn't (unless there is a Live sale).

A lot of people will pay the extra just for convenience.

 

I wonder if this policy is to protect retail stores. Microsoft rely on them to sell consoles. Not much incentive for the stores to stock a low margin console only.

 

I've never understood the thought that they need them to sell the console. EB games is pretty much the only Game centric retailer in Australia. The rest are all multi product stores and would happily sell their consoles along side other electronic devices
TV/stereos/computers/music. I say Match the price of retail and let EBGames go the way of the dinosaur If they refuse to sell consoles.

 

Just think the amount of jobs and bricks and mortar shops that would be lost if they went digi only. Also think of the monopoly MS would have on shifting the games, Live would be the only route to market within the industry. The legalities and ethics behind
such a move would be tremendous. Imagine every game developer having to have ONLY Microsoft shifting their games.

 

There isn't many specialty game stores in Australia that I know of. I can't see MS ever being the "Napster" of the video game industry when you consider the percentage of people that want to be digital only. I only think it would be fair for digital prices
to match store bought prices for people that do want digi only. I get the T-shirt, the Figurine, the OST, the art book, digital get's a bunch of 0's and 1's and pay more? It's robbery

 

I agree RippinHarra if the worst thing that comes from giving us competitive prices is that EB Games closes I say it's worth it in my opinion. EB has been the most expensive place to buy games since electronics stores started selling games and in Victoria
I don't know of any other retailers outside of EB that sell just gaming products.

So is this just to protect EB because it sure seems like it...

 

EB Games has already had to resort to selling heaps of other crap other than just games. Have you been in their stores lately. I know my local one seems more like a toy shop than a games store now.

 

The only time I walk into EB is to get infinity or sky lander figurines for my kids on sale. The only thing that would get me to buy games there is If they started selling digital game codes. JB Hifi is cheaper for games mostly anyway because they can make
up the price cuts on all there other products.

 

The is no point a retailer only selling a console, a retailer needs to maximise sales, if your only selling the console your simply not able to do that, you can't upsell, also most of the faults are going to come from consoles which are a pain to deal with
(depending on the countries laws), also as a retail you want to streamline your business so buying one low quantity (compared to other products) product from one supplier isn't idea.

MS aren't a retailer, they aren't as good at retail, distribution and the support needed to keep the customers happy, at the moment they need retailers.

Although why retailers don't sell digital as well is beyond me. (they do in the US but not in the UK)