PlayStation 3 $1000 in Australia ... in Australian dollars

by Alexander Sliwinski { Feb 23rd 2007 at 1:00AM }

Following the horrible luck of the Irish, and then the Greek tragedy, the land down under will be comparably spared and given the same price as the majority of Europe when the PlayStation 3 launches in Australia March 23. Australia's price is $999.95 ($788 USD, €599). Sony defends the price saying that it is the same as Europe pays and the higher price is justified because of "currency exchange rate and small population size"

"We have to realize that we live in a country with 22 million people, and the US supplies product to 300 million, which creates very different business dynamics," said Michael Ephraim, Sony's Australia and New Zealand managing director.

Sony also stated online rumors that they would only receive 11,000 units for the launch were false, but wouldn't give any specific numbers. Now who wants to do the math and take the cost of the PS3 compared to various nation's average family income to inform us of who's getting the best deal on the planet?

Tags: australia, one grand, playstation 3, price, ps3, sony

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

MDV @ Feb 23rd 2007 1:18AM

This is retarded logic. A country like Monaco has 32,000 people. Will you be charging them $10 million dollars each, because of "business dynamics and small population size"? They're all being built at the same factories, I don't think it costs a few hundred dollars apiece to personally rowboat each one across the sea individually.

Sony sure is getting proficient at pissing off their fans.

Adam540 @ Feb 23rd 2007 1:21AM

I don't understand why people still want the PS3. At least right now anyway. Don't bother trying to dismiss me as anti-Sony or anything. I've had almost every video game system under the sun and I've loved almost all of them, however I spent a good weekend with the "Black Tower" and some of it's greatest games. I also played many downloaded games and watched movies, trailers, played demos etc. and I just have to say that right now it doesn't pay to be an early adopter of this system. There is no real reason to pick this system up yet. The games out for it right now don't even come close to justifying the price tag and my bet is that by the time the real spectacular games come out Sony will have dropped the price. This system will be great, but it isn't yet. I say just stick to your PS2/Xbox 360/Wii for now and when the time is right(late 2007 - early 2008) pick up one of these bad boys. If the price hasn't dropped by then, at least there will be some games justifying the $1000 price tag.

scepia @ Feb 23rd 2007 1:26AM

Due to the immense cost of shipping the exquisite PLAYSTATION 3® CONSOLE to Wyoming, the retail price will be elevated to $999 for the PREMIUM® VERSION® and $1999 for the SUPER® PREMIUM® VERSION®.

Denis Vitchevsky @ Feb 23rd 2007 1:30AM

And yet, no one cries about the Israeli pricing of PS3, which is around 820 euro - tad higher than in other places.

Silent Xenocide @ Feb 23rd 2007 1:31AM

What about Canada? We have 34 million people yet pay the same price as the US.

brogan @ Feb 23rd 2007 1:37AM

that's still 50 oz dollars less than we'll pay here in the uk with a population 3 time the size and nowhere near as remote.

silkylove @ Feb 23rd 2007 1:39AM

$1000 AU! Damn! Sony just gave the Aussies a boomerang to the back of their collective heads!lol

scepia @ Feb 23rd 2007 1:41AM

Here's a comparison of income per house vs. PS3 price.

http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=pNI3m3FZ4KDtbIhCzHgtyeg

Terrak @ Feb 23rd 2007 1:49AM

"We have to realize that we live in a country with 22 million people, and the US supplies product to 300 million, which creates very different business dynamics," said Michael Ephraim, Sony's Australia and New Zealand managing director."

in other words the Australian & New Zealand markets are insignificant to sony, thus if you want a ps3 you must pay (through the nose) for the privilege. If this is not acceptable - THEN NO ps3 FOR YOU!

This is old news BTW. We knew it would cost this much last year, In November/December - when it was supposed to have been launch.

steve17 @ Feb 23rd 2007 1:52AM

ok i did what they asked. i did the math and i found the averages. the average australian individual makes $18,200 per year (australian dollars)

the average american individual makes $43,800 per year (US dollars)

this is assinine what sony is trying to do to australians.

so considering 300 million americans and sony has sold 1 million (that is an extremely generus number but im gonna do that for a good comparison figure)

so with 22 million people if the launch goes the same they should expect to sell about 73,000. considering i was generous and the MASSIVE price offset i would be surprised if they sell 50,000 units.

unless australia is full of sont fanboys we dont know about.

why does sony continue to do this.

"we think customers should want to work more for our console"~konisuki(whatever that fags name is. we know who im talking about)

i hope australians voice their disgust by not buying this latest gaystation.

chris @ Feb 23rd 2007 1:53AM

I live in Australia and don't see why this is such a big deal. Everything you could think of costs more here, with consoles the Wii is $400 and the Xbox 360 is $650, DS Lite is $200, I think the PSP was like $400 or $450 at launch, etc. It's unfortunate, but it's simply how things work.

Elrando @ Feb 23rd 2007 1:55AM

This is stupid.
Especially now that you won't find a 360 premium for more than $600aud.

chris @ Feb 23rd 2007 1:59AM

Oh and steve17, that average Australian earnings figure is simply ridiculous. I don't know the exact figure, but last I heard it was high 40s low 50s. Not $18k...

steve17 @ Feb 23rd 2007 2:06AM

thats what the census said. it said INDIVIDUAL weekly average was 300-400. so i took 350 times 52 and got that. im sorry if its incorrect. thats what it said.

Tom @ Feb 23rd 2007 2:09AM

Sony pretty much HAS to charge this much because they foolishly built a machine with a lot of really expensive components. Idiots!

Cuauhlti @ Feb 23rd 2007 2:21AM

It's unfair the price of the Playstation 3 in Australia, but you know, here in Mexico the price for the PS3 is 1,499 dollars for the 60GB Model, so I can understand how they feel.... and by the way we are a country with a population of almost 100 million so that argument is simply stupid.

scepia @ Feb 23rd 2007 2:21AM

Japan gets the best deal, and Australia is very close to the bottom.

http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=pNI3m3FZ4KDtbIhCzHgtyeg

steve17 @ Feb 23rd 2007 2:30AM

@17

thus is sony's problem. when the japanese get by far the best deal. and love to by japanese goods. and love playstation. and the japanese still turn up their noses to the ps3. somethings wrong here.....

steve17 @ Feb 23rd 2007 2:35AM

PS3 SALES UPDATE!!!

worldwide 360 sales: 10,577,582
worldwide ps3 sales: 1,472,912
worldwide ps3 sales after australia launch: 1,472,913

samfish @ Feb 23rd 2007 2:39AM

""We have to realize that we live in a country with 22 million people, and the US supplies product to 300 million, which creates very different business dynamics," said Michael Ephraim, Sony's Australia and New Zealand managing director."

What the hell kind of bullshit, half-witted logic IS this?!
It's really getting' time that the entire world went back to a populist- based model, as opposed to this screw-everyone-in-the-ass Corporate system we're running on.
You people in Australia are better off buying a PS3 off the US eBay. It'd STILL be cheaper, even with the international shipping, I'd bet.

It's dumb ass business decisions like this that really make me hope that Sony, among others, are no longer in business by the end of the decade.

scepia @ Feb 23rd 2007 2:49AM

Japan gets the best deal, and Australia is very close to the bottom.

http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=pNI3m3FZ4KDtbIhCzHgtyeg

scepia @ Feb 23rd 2007 2:51AM

Update: Sony has revealed the real reason for the big price. Sez the official:

"We were initially going with a boomerang aspect for the PS3. We decided it would offend some cultures, but we really want to pay homage to the native culture of Australia, so with the enhanced boomerang-style controller we are looking at a 'enhanced' price."

Reapz @ Feb 23rd 2007 3:00AM

"10. ok i did what they asked. i did the math and i found the averages. the average australian individual makes $18,200 per year (australian dollars)"

-------

Woah dude, no way. I'm 21 and I earn $40k a year, and thats nothing, in 2 years I should be on $50k, but the point is you're wrong man. I think the lowest wage here would pay $18k, yeah, but thats the lowest wage McDonalds workers.

---------

"unless australia is full of sont fanboys we dont know about."

---------

Actually it is, and Xbots. Just kidding! It is full of people who think Nintendo means nothing, however with the Wii, people are eating it up. Xbox fans are in their numbers.

To put it into perspective though, the PS2 launched here at $1000 and people bought it, so I don't see why not with the PS3. As much as I love this country, it is full of people who walk into EB-games and just buy mindless crap, so PS3 will sell great!

>:-D

360 killer. @ Feb 23rd 2007 8:37PM

people that cant understand why someone would want a PS3 are fanboys. the PS3 has tight ass games like Resistance, Virtual Fighter, and Motocross.

Yet, the price is indeed ridiculous... im glad i dont live down under.

Nino @ Feb 23rd 2007 3:21AM

Steve17: you should add the disclaimer: numbers significant to +-1

Reapz @ Feb 23rd 2007 3:33AM

P.S - The Aussie exchange rate is different to the U.S - I hope no one thinks anything different to that?!

So this works out about right, + what I said above.

steve17 @ Feb 23rd 2007 3:34AM

ok fucking forgive me. it was pointed out b4 that i was wrong. sorry if the fucking CENSUS gave me the averages wrong. still doesn excuse the fact that song just find conveneint ways to stick it in ur ass every chance they get. they cant use shipping cost as an excuse. it prolly cost less to go from japan to australia than japan to US with 3rd world shipping all the way through indonesia.

Kritz @ Feb 23rd 2007 3:38AM

So, uh, how about them games us Australians buy for $100+ AU? Which, according to Google, is $79 US.

Man, great to live down under. Where our options are "Pay up, bitch" or "Don't bother".

Oh, oh. So how about our lucky 10 whole crackdown-less people who got into the Halo 3 Beta? Aye? Remember that?

Yeah, I'm feeling kinda depressed right now. At least we have a decent Internet speed. A whole 1.5mbps connection. Gotta count for something, right? I mean, how high can Americans get- Er.

Oh.

Oh.

Well, uh. Er. Um.

So how about that Vegemite?

>> Kritz

Biphster @ Feb 23rd 2007 3:42AM

This is just stupid! ALL CONSOLES are MORE EXPENSIVE in Europe/Oz!!!

Infact here in Denmark we get the roughest deal!

Wii - 2,499Kr (as high as 3,100kr in some places) = $440 USD ($545 in some places)

Xbox 360 Core - 2,199Kr = $387 USD

Xbox 360 Premium - 3,199Kr = $563 USD

PS2 - 1,499Kr = $263 USD

PSP (Giga pack) - 2,199Kr = $387

DS Lite - 1,799Kr = $316

And finally

PS3 = 5,499Kr = $968 USD (YES THATS RIGHT NEARLY $1000 USD!!)

I've preordered with Fona and they discount 500Kr for this so it will cost me 4,999Kr. As you can see its STILL high as hell. But do the math on ALL THE OTHER CONSOLE PRICES!! You'll see its RELATIVE!

The prices in other countries are ALL RELATIVE too. ITS NOT JUST SONY RAMPING PRICES UP, ITS ALL HARDEWARE MANUFACTURERS!!!

If anything right now here WII IS THE BIGGEST RIP OFF!!!!! (Thats the retailers marking up here and there)

If your going to constantly bash the PS3 "Overpricing" in Europe AT LEAST SHOW OTHER MACHINE PRICES!!!

Just so you all realise, the MINIMUM Wage here is 86Kr per hour ($15) and thats for the shittest job ever (serving burgers, shovelling shit). The average wage is 130Kr per hour ($23 USD PER HOUR)

Now you see why the prices are RELATIVE TO LIVING!!??

Update this article Joystiq to show the price of Wii and Xbox 360 in Oz AT LEAST!

Brian @ Feb 23rd 2007 3:43AM

Sony: "We don't need to stinkin' customers!"

Seriously, could Sony play their PR any WORSE?

They have so FEW games, cost literally HUNDREDS of dollars more, and LIE to their customers.

This is the worst console launch since Sega Saturn.

quezcatol @ Feb 24th 2007 5:28AM

No,you can't buy the american ps3 because they use also use PAL as us europeans.

And to that person who showed the most "income" per country,that is way wrong,cause basically countries like Norway and Sweden who makes more then any of these have to tax 33% of their income,which doesnt show up on the chart,but build up the society much more.

Also Japan has basically very very low taxes on everything,and their ahum... i forgot the english word for it,so nvm...
Anyway,even though we tax much more here in EU,that shouldn't be a reason to put some absurd prices.
I mean seriously 1k for a ps3+a Game.
You rerally think that is something we here think is okay? that is a lot of MONEY.

tangoecho @ Feb 23rd 2007 3:49AM

Well... here in New Zealand (no, New Zealand is NOT a part of Australia), the price of the PS3 60 GB is NZ$1200-1299 depending on where you go. Considering the 360 pro is $720 RRP (but you can get it for $650), and the Wii is $500, this is not a good thing for PS3 fanboys here.

Biphster @ Feb 23rd 2007 3:50AM

And when you've adjusted that article to be fair. Why not post a BIG ARTICLE about how the WII is a rip off in Denmark and say how Its almost as much as an Xbox 360 Premium here in some places. No? Thought not. Carry on with the PS3 bashing. Its becoming quite boring.

the luddite @ Feb 23rd 2007 4:00AM

In Australia we have a word for Sony: Cunts.

Feel free to use that in your homeland!

360 FTW! God bless you Bill Gates!

Oh no. Hang on. I'll stop playing Gears of War so I can shell out 1000 plus bucks for Resistance. Should look pretty sweet over composite. I will enjoy controlling blu-ray with the six-axis and rumble is so N-64!

Have at you PS fanbois! Ha!

haavardf @ Feb 23rd 2007 4:11AM

Yeah, I agree with the Danish guy. I'm from Norway and shit is similarily priced here. That's just the way things work. We get payed more, which means things cost more. Nothing to get all crazy about. The only thing this means is that it's worse for us to sell things to other countries (since it's so expensive). Thank god for oil :D

Reapz @ Feb 23rd 2007 4:17AM

@ 27 - Not just the whole 1.5 mbps connections, that cost about $80 a month (what Im paying anyway) - but we get bandwidth restrictions.

From what I gather, Americans get faster connections and no download limits.

The only reason I dislike this country is that... and John Howard

Bigoty McGuire @ Feb 23rd 2007 4:23AM

I voted for Howard! You are a Communist! Why for you hate Freedom? Just work more hours to afford your PS3.

hfs @ Feb 23rd 2007 4:35AM

Here in Finland some stores sell PS3 for 649 EUR (I don't know if this is limited only to preorders made earlier) but mostly it's 679-699 EUR. The price includes 22% of VAT.

Considering the overall cost of living (high), transportation (cars are ridiculously expensive), salaries (about EU average), taxation (high-ish still despite cuts) we're probably getting one of the worst deals with PS3 in the whole world.

Then again, we do not pay (...directly) for education at any level or healthcare and we get five weeks of paid vacation every year, paid maternity and paternity leaves and so on, but most other EU countries have similar or better systems.

There has been no explanation as to why PS3 is almost 100 EUR more expensive than in, say, Germany. The difference in VAT (16% vs 22%) doesn't explain it.

Luckily you can order it from any other EU country, but I'm personally not getting one until it's 450 EUR or less. By that time the game selection should be better too.

Anyway, PLEASE DO NOT BUY PS3 yet. Let's give Sony a lesson. Microsoft tried to fuck us by selling the original Xbox for 500 EUR when it was 300 EUR everywhere else.

The result: they sold maybe 98 consoles and were forced to drop the price to 300 EUR after a few weeks.

Deckart @ Feb 23rd 2007 5:23AM

Try $1,200 here in New Zealand. Ouch.

lgndk11r @ Feb 23rd 2007 5:28AM

If Sony can do that to Australians, I shudder to think what they'd do to us poor Filipinos (with our 1/10th of an American salary and all...)

Phazon @ Feb 23rd 2007 6:23AM

There's a simple solution for Australians. Buy the PS3 off eBay from America. Even after shipping you should save cash.

uncaringbear @ Feb 23rd 2007 6:48AM

Unfortunately, us Aussies are used to taking it up the ass when it comes to getting reamed on pricing. This is why we're referred to as the "Ass end of the world". I wouldn't blame Sony Japan so much as the local Sony weasels for ripping off their fellow Aussies.

Churba @ Feb 23rd 2007 7:00AM

Ah, The X-box 360 - A console that DOESN'T cost more than my Little brother's Car.

Dansk @ Feb 23rd 2007 7:07AM

You guys are complaining, but where i live you are lucky if you aren't shot while going to the store to get a ps3.

Dansk @ Feb 23rd 2007 7:28AM

@ Phazon

Different voltages and different color systems.

Jake @ Feb 23rd 2007 7:35AM

This doesn't quite make sense due to the fact that Austrailians speak english. Can't they just ship them some of the same stuff as the US gets? They do it in Canada.

I think Sony may see something like only hardcores get a box in Australia and they'll pay anything for it. I don't know. Seems weird.