Amazon.co.uk Price for a PS3 (60GB Premium) £399.99
Yes, that's $800 using an approximate conversion ...
Now let's look at the levels of sales tax ... USA 0% (for internet purchases, i.e. Amazon), UK 17.5%.
This makes Sonys price in the US $500, and Sonys price in the UK £340.
Now the difference is $180, or about £90 (26%).
Sure it might look better to say that the US version is ONLY £250 so we're being done by being charged £400 but it's very dishonest journalism (what next, "Princess Diana" articles on your front page?!)
It's the problem we've always faced in Europe; in North America Sony has one distribution company, one marketing company, and one language to deal with ... in Europe it has one distribution company per country, on language per country to arrange marketing programs in, and the same number of languages to box and release the product in.
And let's not forget that Sony will move it's money around, adjusting it's subsidy so that where it wants to gain market share the machine is a little cheaper, and where it isn't quite so bother it's more expensive (hence why French/ German prices, both in Euros, arn't identical).
I'd love to see an article that *really* looked at the costs instead of just making the same irrelevant comparrisons ... Maybe comparing the French and German PS3 costs, with marketing campaigns, etc.
Register
Oh Look. A USA Price Comparrison ...
Let's do a bit of fun Maths shall we;
Amazon.com Price for a PS3 (60GB) $499.99
Amazon.co.uk Price for a PS3 (60GB Premium) £399.99
Yes, that's $800 using an approximate conversion ...
Now let's look at the levels of sales tax ... USA 0% (for internet purchases, i.e. Amazon), UK 17.5%.
This makes Sonys price in the US $500, and Sonys price in the UK £340.
Now the difference is $180, or about £90 (26%).
Sure it might look better to say that the US version is ONLY £250 so we're being done by being charged £400 but it's very dishonest journalism (what next, "Princess Diana" articles on your front page?!)
It's the problem we've always faced in Europe; in North America Sony has one distribution company, one marketing company, and one language to deal with ... in Europe it has one distribution company per country, on language per country to arrange marketing programs in, and the same number of languages to box and release the product in.
And let's not forget that Sony will move it's money around, adjusting it's subsidy so that where it wants to gain market share the machine is a little cheaper, and where it isn't quite so bother it's more expensive (hence why French/ German prices, both in Euros, arn't identical).
I'd love to see an article that *really* looked at the costs instead of just making the same irrelevant comparrisons ... Maybe comparing the French and German PS3 costs, with marketing campaigns, etc.