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PS3 European Launch 23 March, $835
Andy_R writes "Sony has finally committed themselves to a European launch date for the PS3, after disappointing European fans by not having the promised worldwide simultaneous launch, then missing the lucrative Christmas period. The BBC is reporting that the console will arrive on the 23rd of March. EU fans will only be getting the 60Gb version at first, and it will be priced at 599 Euros or 425 pounds in Britain. At today's exchange rates, that's US$ 835.99! From the article: 'A problem manufacturing blue diodes, used in high-definition Blu-ray disc drives, forced the Japanese firm to announce another delay but only for European customers. Sony said the decision was made because Europe was logistically the most complex market for distribution."
Delay for months, don't sell the version most people wanted to buy and thereby put yourself 200€ over the closest competition (unless you count the MacMini which is more expensive than a PS3). Sony's statement? "Europeans are used to waiting". Gee, thanks for demonstrating that you're not going to do something about that like your two competitors have done (360 and Wii were released less than a month after their US release). Next thing you know SCEE is wondering why we don't buy any PS3s.
Justice is the sheep getting arrested while an impartial judge declares the vote void.
Dont worry too much, not too many people will buy it at that price anyway ;-)
It does not matter when it will be released, because it is out of christmas and hollywood season, and it is too expensive.
Add to that the fact that hdtv has not such a big impact here than it has in the USA, so blue ray is a non argument for a lot of people.
Nope, we canceled it due to a government cutback.
And they still raised taxes.
425 quid isn't much if you live in the UK. The current exchange rate is irrelevant unless you are buying a UK model with USD. Your other problem is comparing pre-tax US prices with post 17.5% VAT ones. Add that to the US price and you're over $700.
However, I fully agree with your message. If you want prices to drop, don't buy artificially inflated priced product. But we all know that isn't going to happen. There's a reason the car manufacturers refer to Britain as the "golden island".
You're one of those people who wakes up in the morning with a big smile, likes to laugh and talk a lot, and is all excited by the new day, aren't you?
Escher was the first MC and Giger invented the HR department.
The Us dollar is at record lows w.r.t to the Euro. You can't use Todays spot exchange rate to get a real idea of cost/valu. The reailty is the US dollar does not buy as much in the last few years. Lately, everything looks very expensive when converted to USD!
h tml
In canada, The PS3 60G is listed at $699 at best buy (sold out, of course). Here in Ontario we add the 14% vat/sales tax to that to get a total of $796CDN. In Europe, the VAT is usually included in the price, so a 600 Euro works out to around $900CDN with tax. So there is about a $100 higher price in Europe, not the 200-300 difference the article header would imply. For the additional complexity of serving all those country standards (what, 9 different power cords?) that is not unreasonable.
I apologize for being rational.
JON
http://www.forexblog.org/2006/06/usd_near_oneyea.
At least you have it announced, it still remains to be announced in Australia. I've seen two PS3's in Australia and both of them were running Linux at Linux.conf.au 2007 (from the Yellow Dog Linux guys, so I don't think they were local). So to answer your question? It isn't. I can understand localization issues in parts of Europe might cause delays but for Australia were technically its British English but due to the absolute raping that occured during our early TV development where the US TV producers firmly established their foothold in Australia (to the point that easily 50% or more commercial TV in Australia is American; the Australian Broadcasting Commission's Radio National weekly 'The Science Show' covered this in one of its broadcasts on TV in Australia), American English would be accepted normally without a second thought. I'd almost suggest it'd be easier to ship the PS3 from Japan to Australia than it would to get it from Japan to the UK - especially via boat.
I always wondered where this setting was...
No, it's perfectly acceptable to compare the prices in GBP against the price in dollars, for two reasons.
1) Most (all?) of the PS3 isn't made in America, so the price should be the same once they are imported.
2) If Sony wasn't such a git, if I wanted one I could just import one from America at America's prices, which would force Sony to make them the same price in all countries (except sales / import tax obviously).
Combination - fun iPhone puzzling
Mod parent up. The reason why European prices are often higher is not because they're being sold at significantly higher prices. It's because the high tax rates (VAT - Value Added Tax) are computed into the price of the goods rather than rung up separately at the time of purchase. Many Europeans actually prefer this situation as something that costs 200 pounds/euros will still cost 200 pounds/euros at the register. Here in the US we have to calculate the taxes before arriving at the price we'll pay at the register.
Javascript + Nintendo DSi = DSiCade
Technically with the minimum 15%-20% VAT tax (always included in price) that is nearly the same as the US price ($600-700) depending on VAT. Of course they aren't flying off the shelves here in the US.
----- 70% of all statistics are completely made up.
Or even 21% VAT here in Ireland, where unfortunately we don't quite have pots of gold despite all the tall tales.
The bigger question is what the package deals will be priced at. Even now you would be hard pushed to get a decent Xbox 360 full package (HDD etc.) with a game or two for much less than €500. Unsurprisingly, although there are buyers, it's not a must-have item that everyone is going for.
The one thing that people have been going for like rabid ferrets is the DS lite, those sold out again a couple of times before Christmas - esp. the black ones. In fact, the prices are now far higher than back in late Autumn - profiteering shops.
Getting consumer items in Ireland can be expensive too because of moron distributors insisting on routing things through the UK, despite our using the euro here. Generally this costs more as there are more agents who have to take a cut. Also UK companies have a belittling attitude to Ireland and seem to regard it as an annoying exception - heck, half of them even have problems sending stuff in their own country to Scotland or Northern Ireland, or even odder places like, oh no, Channel Islands (OK so technically that last place isn't in the EU).
NOTE: WHEN WILL SLASHDOT ALLOW EURO SYMBOL DIRECTLY TYPED INTO POSTS?! ARGH!
-- *~()____) This message will self-destruct in 5 seconds...
WiFi bridges that get connected to the network port. Those were available for the last gen consoles for much less than 100€ and should work on a PS3, too.
You can get a 60GB (2.5") HDD for 50€ already and bigger ones for only slightly more. You'd spend the same on a 120GB HDD whether you already have a 60GB one or just a 20GB.
Justice is the sheep getting arrested while an impartial judge declares the vote void.
I also like the idea of including taxes in posted prices; it makes calculating things much easier, especially across state lines and even cities where taxes can vary.
Even so, the PS3 is still more expensive in the EU. Assuming a 10% tax rate in the U.S (which is higher than most places), you're looking at $660 total for a PS3, still far less than what it is in the EU after exchange.
The reason is simple. Every State in the US has a different sales tax rate.
The greatest good of man is daily to converse about virtue - Socrates
"The current exchange rate is irrelevant...."
:-P
Haha, right now I would be laughing my ass off except it's just too sad. The exchange rate may be irrelevant to you, Mr. I-Spend-$15-on-a-Fish-and-Chips-Every-Day, but for Americans who might want to visit or study in England, it's as if half of our life savings just became worthless. (2:1 exchange rate)
America really does seem to be becoming a 3rd-world country in the world marketplace. I don't like to think about what will happen when the next depression sets in....
Oh well. At least there's another excuse for Americans not to leave their own country.
I don't - the tax is not something that you are paying to the retailer, it is something that you are paying to the state. If the government is going to force businesses to take my money on its behalf, it should at least be clear that the government's take is not part of the price from the retailer's perspective.