Here’s a very interesting little tidbit of information, especially if you’re from the UK, where we find ourselves subject to unfair price hikes that don’t reflect the true value of an electronic product. With videogames costing $60 in the USA, the UK equivalent price should be near the £30 mark, but usually we get savaged with £40-50 price tags. Not very fair at all. Capcom, however, has decided to show an amazing sense of righteousness, and will be pricing its upcoming Devil May Cry 4 at £29.99 in the UK. The catch — it can only do this with the Xbox 360 version, as the PS3 price tag comes ten pounds more expensive at £39.99.
Capcom actually expressed surprise that other companies weren’t discounting their 360 games, and I must admit it’s shocking. If Capcom can do it, and seems to believe everyone can do it, then it means games companies are willingly slapping RRPs on their titles that are far more expensive than they need to be. And they tell us not to buy secondhand games and show respect to the industry — what a laugh. Either way, I’m buying Capcom a beer for this, but the question remains, why can’t the company do this on the PS3? This is all Capcom has to say:
I didn’t realize we were the only publisher doing this. In actuality, it’s not that the PS3 version has been made more expensive, but that our business model has allowed us to discount the Xbox 360 version.
There you have it. Not very explanatory, but what can you do? Well I know what I’m going to do — buy Devil May Cry 4, brand new, for £29.99. When I see a publisher selling a new game for that much, that’s when I show some respect. Capcom has guaranteed a brand new, day one purchase from at least this happy chap, but as far as UK PS3 owners go … damn, sorry guys. At least you get to not have loading screens or something, right?
