Ireland PS3 price questions still unanswered

monument

PlayStation 3 price questions for Ireland
Games Toaster, May 25, 2006

Details on prices and versions of the PlayStation 3 that will apply in the Republic and Northern Ireland are still uncertain...

Weeks ago, Sony offered a “Euro” price of 499/599 euro (20/60GB versions), and last week Ray Maguire MD of SCE UK said the 60GB hard drive version would be £425 UKP. The UK MD gave no price for the lower version that is rumoured not to be available in the UK.

However, this afternoon Sony Computer Entertainment Ireland could not confirm to Games Toaster if either price point could be applied to the south or north of Ireland, saying that they “don't have any further details on this at the moment but as soon as we do, you'll be the first to know”. Like SCE UK, they also couldn’t confirm details of the versions that would be available.

(I hope any questions of shameless self promotion will be ignored as I have posted the main substance of the article above)

Just thought I’d post this as there’s a general feel that the PS3 price for Ireland has been confirmed. Although we know what it’s going to be around, it isnt confirmed.

BOHSBOHS

PS3 will be 625 euro in ireland

Ciaran500

Source?

monument

In one of the columns of the tech pages of the business section of the Irish Times today (I mean, Friday) it said that the PS3 would be “about” 625 euro – I’ll take a wild guess and say that could be his/her source. Or the IT write and the above have the same source...

Such may not be too far off the mark, as a direct conversion from the UK price to euro would be about 620 euro.

BOHSBOHS

correct and as we have historically following uk in console pricing
and also usually been slighty more expensive than mainland europe
i would expect 625 euro . sure dont we always pay more for everything:D

£425 = 625 euro approx

BLITZ_Molloy

Blah.. unless you really want a Blu-Ray player there's no point in buying this console for a year. Just wait till there's a decent pricecut. They're just launching at that price because they know the first 10 million will sell to geeks. They wouldn't even need any launch games to sell the first 10 million.

Wertz

Slap another 15 quid WEEE on top of that 625 too maybe...any word on a rough price for titles?

yawnstretch

Ah thats a joke - might cancel the preorder now then.

Eurozone my testicles

Ri_Nollaig

Wertz wrote:

any word on a rough price for titles?

id say games will be the same price as 360's, 70-80eur in bricks 'n mortar

Laguna

I have this nasty feeling we're going to be looking at even more expensive prices for PS3 games than even the 360. I really wouldn't be surprised if Sony charged €90-100 for what they deem to be their triple-A titles, they're that arrogant, if they don't think paying in the region of €650 for a console is excessive; they'll think nothing of the €100 game. Oh and whatever price the PS3 is launched for in the EU, just add €25 or so for Ireland.

flogen

Is VAT going to play an issue as with the 360 launch? If it is, and a direct conversion from Sterling is 620, I'd say we're looking at close to 650 :O

LookingFor

flogen wrote:

Is VAT going to play an issue as with the 360 launch? If it is, and a direct conversion from Sterling is 620, I'd say we're looking at close to 650 :O

The prices quoted include VAT. edit - oh, I see you mean specifically about irish VAT..I don't know, I don't buy that excuse for higher prices versus the continent.

I don't know why they'd convert from the UK price. A Euro price has been announced, and we're in the eurozone. Of course, that didn't stop us paying more than anywhere else for 360 or DSLite now :rolleyes:

sceptre

LookingFor wrote:

I don't know why they'd convert from the UK price. A Euro price has been announced, and we're in the eurozone. Of course, that didn't stop us paying more than anywhere else for 360 or DSLite now :rolleyes:

Apparently because we drive on a different side of the road compared with the rest of Yorap, oh hang on, wrong forum.

monument

sceptre wrote:

Apparently because we drive on a different side of the road compared with the rest of Yorap, oh hang on, wrong forum.

It's 'Youp'.

And as you know, we're not real Yurpeens.

Corben Dallas

"Sony offered a “Euro” price of 499/599 euro"

thats yur answer there folks €499/599, were in europe right? so thats the price.
No extra price hike for Ireland thanks.

monument

"this afternoon Sony Computer Entertainment Ireland could not confirm to Games Toaster if either price point could be applied to the south or north of Ireland"

flogen

Corben Dallas wrote:

"Sony offered a “Euro” price of 499/599 euro"

thats yur answer there folks €499/599, were in europe right? so thats the price.
No extra price hike for Ireland thanks.

That's just the thing, MS offered a Euro price, we paid a tenner or so extra.. why? VAT, apparently.

I agree with LookingFor that it's a terrible excuse, but it's one that most people seemed to accept last Christmas, given the fact that 360's were like gold dust across Dublin

grimloch

I'd be much more interested in learning what they intend to charge for the memory cards/controllers/other peripherals and most importantly, the games. Lagune threw out a ballpark guess of 90-100. Well Sony can kiss my arse if they think I'm willing to pay that.

Was the VAT thing put on by the government or whoever the VAT people are these days or was it some scam run by the shops?

Absolam

Euro VAT Rates - for those who care this is the order (most expensive to cheapest) that the PS3 would likely be if the only difference was VAT Rates. In fairness, Ireland isn't exactly near the bottom!
Country VAT Rate
Denmark 25.00%
Sweden 25.00%
Iceland 24.50%
Norway 23.00%
Finland 22.00%
Belgium 21.00%
Ireland 21.00%
Austria 20.00%
Italy 20.00%
France 19.60%
Netherlands 19.00%
Greece 18.00%
United Kingdom17.50%
Portugal 17.00%
Germany 16.00%
Spain 16.00%
Luxembourg 15.00%
Switzerland 7.50%

Captain Trips

grimloch wrote:

I'd be much more interested in learning what they intend to charge for the memory cards/controllers/other peripherals and most importantly, the games. Lagune threw out a ballpark guess of 90-100. Well Sony can kiss my arse if they think I'm willing to pay that.

Was the VAT thing put on by the government or whoever the VAT people are these days or was it some scam run by the shops?

Yeah exactly, the console is very expensive as it is, I was considering a 360 but then seeing the games cost 70 or 80 euros, to hell with that, I'll stick with my Ps2 for the moment. Likewise, Sony will be expecting to make back cash from the PS3 which will be sold as a loss. Prices will be at least as much as 360 games, likely 10 quid more I would say.

I'll get a Wii. A PS3 and two games, an extra controller and memory card will run close to a grand. That's a very nice holiday.

LookingFor

grimloch wrote:

I'd be much more interested in learning what they intend to charge for the memory cards/controllers/other peripherals and most importantly, the games. Lagune threw out a ballpark guess of 90-100. Well Sony can kiss my arse if they think I'm willing to pay that.

You won't need a memory card.

I don't know about controllers yet, but if say you want a new bigger HDD, you can pick up any standard HDD to use. Sony is being far less proprietary where possible now - PS3 is pretty "open" for a console as far as extending and upgrading it is concerned.

grimloch

LookingFor wrote:

You won't need a memory card.

Yes, that was daft of me. But my point about the controllers still stands. Knowing those gits they'll just give us the one with the console.

LookingFor

grimloch wrote:

Yes, that was daft of me. But my point about the controllers still stands. Knowing those gits they'll just give us the one with the console.

One is pretty standard! That silver PS2 was the only console I can remember that came with two.

grimloch

LookingFor wrote:

One is pretty standard! That silver PS2 was the only console I can remember that came with two.

The original playstation for starters, my SNES, the Sega Mega Drive I think. I'm not too sure about the more modern consoles. It matters much more when it's all this wireless toss that costs 50 euros a piece though.

Vokes

Yup, got my PS1 with 2 controllers in the xmas season back in '97.

Lemlin

Every console since has had 1 AFAIK. I know the Dreamcast, Gamecube, N64, PlayStation2 and Xbox 360 have all had just one.

I can't see why the PS3 would have two. Sony find it hard enough to give four controller ports most of the time. They usually want ya to buy a multi-tap.

flogen

NES came with two (well, the action pack did!)

The Xbox Limited edition green (and the crystal too) came with two.

Retr0gamer

They've all mostly had 1 at launch.

super_furry

So €625 for the console? Add in two games - most likely at €70 - a second joypad, €40 and you'll end up paying the guts of €800. You can buy a mid-level gaming standard PC for that. Sony can stick it up their arse.

BOHSBOHS

no console since the NES has had more than one controller in its basic pack
(bundles ,limited editions and pink+green striped versions not included!)

SNES had 1 ( the 2 controller streetfighter2 pack released later is probably what your thinking of tho - i remember drooling at it in the virgin megastore......:rolleyes: )

megadrive had 1

grimloch

BOHSBOHS wrote:

no console since the NES has had more than one controller in its basic pack
(bundles ,limited editions and pink+green striped versions not included!)

My bog standard PS1 came with two.

super_furry wrote:

So €625 for the console? Add in two games - most likely at €70 - a second joypad, €40 and you'll end up paying the guts of €800.

This is a nice summation but I'd say he's being a bit conservative with the price of both games and a controller. The fact of the matter is that 600 or whatever gets you little more than a fancy paperweight.

Explosive_Cornflake

grimloch wrote:

This is a nice summation but I'd say he's being a bit conservative with the price of both games and a controller. The fact of the matter is that 600 or whatever gets you little more than a fancy paperweight.

A very fancy paperweight

I've to head off now, but if anyone is bored in work today, do they feel like compiling a price list for the 360 acrosss eurozone, and posting it with the vat rate list posted earlier. I'll doit tonight so it hasn't been done.

monument

grimloch wrote:

The fact of the matter is that 600 or whatever gets you little more than a fancy paperweight.

:rolleyes:

chump

After lengthy questioning by Games Toaster, Microsoft has maintained VAT is the reason for the extra charge on Irish consumers. “Finland and Portugal both announced ERPs the same as Ireland”, said Orla Sheridan, Home and Entertainment Division Manager of Microsoft Ireland.

However, for some unknown reason, consumers in Belgium will only be charged the general euro price, “Their messaging was €399.99 and €299.99 and that retail could determine their own pricing” Sheridan stated, even thought the country has the same rate of 21% VAT as Ireland and Portugal.

Ireland, Portugal, and Finland, all have an ERP of 309.99 and 409.99 euro for the lower and standard consoles, Finland actually has the highest VAT rate at 22%.

Although, the 10 euro difference is only a fraction of the console’s price, some consumers have taken issue with the questionably reason for the variation.

Ireland
Finland
Portugal
ERP: 309.99 and 409.99


Regular European Price, 299.99 and 399.99

US Price: 299.99 and 399.99, but taxes not included in costs
The cost in the UK has been set at GBP £219 for Core, GBP £279 Premium.


VAT rates in the EU (2003)

Country and regular VAT %'age

Belgium 21
Czech Republic 22
Denmark 25
Germany 16
Estonia 18
Greece 18
Spain 16
France 19,6
Ireland 21
Italy 20
Cyprus 15
Latvia 18
Lithuania 18
Luxembourg 15
Hungary 25
Malta 15
Netherlands 19
Austria 20
Poland -
Portugal 19
Slovenia 20
Slovak Republic 19
Finland 22
Sweden25
United Kingdom 17,5


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xbox_360
http://www.expatax.nl/vatrates
http://gamestoaster.typepad.com/games_toaster/2005/09/xbox_360_higher.html

yawnstretch

Inter-roasting.

Would digital distribution solve this problems for games (obv not consoles) or would they start taxing that too then?

projectmayhem

yawnstretch wrote:

Inter-roasting.

Would digital distribution solve this problems for games (obv not consoles) or would they start taxing that too then?

well looking at half life 2: episode 1. it comes to about €17.99 whereas in stores it's set to be between €25 and €30... so yeah, digital distribution ftw

Lord Oz

projectmayhem wrote:

well looking at half life 2: episode 1. it comes to about €17.99 whereas in stores it's set to be between €25 and €30... so yeah, digital distribution ftw

Actually the only reason steam is cheaper is because games in ireland are so expensive, with steam your paying the american price. It's nothing to do with the distribution being digital. In the US HL2 Episode 1 boxed in store costs €17 too.

Wertz

yawnstretch wrote:

Inter-roasting.

Would digital distribution solve this problems for games (obv not consoles) or would they start taxing that too then?

They already apply VAT to any software or electronic service purchased/carried out on the web from inside the EU. Any MMORPG I've subscribed to adds VAT onto the monthly fee...in that instance it basicaly means that EU gamers pay 17-22% extra on top of what US players pay (not sure about asian markets).
AFAIK a "sales service tax" of this type cannot be applied online in the US (this may have changed since I last noticed).

Of course you can try and lie your way out of paying it, but if you pay by credit card, then the system knows where the card is registered ands applies applicable VAT.

projectmayhem

Lord Oz wrote:

Actually the only reason steam is cheaper is because games in ireland are so expensive, with steam your paying the american price. It's nothing to do with the distribution being digital. In the US HL2 Episode 1 boxed in store costs €17 too.

well it'd most likely be a similar case for most games though, i'm sure.

shortys94

http://www.joystiq.com/2006/05/30/gamespot-gets-gut-punched-for-ps3-price-promise/
not a great punch,

they really seem to work hard:P