Up to 65% increased price of DLC

[J-Rock]

Can someone explain to me why Canadians have to pay up to a 65% increase in price for downloadable content? Just take a single song download. Here it's 2,99$. With the actual strength of the canadian dollar, it equals roughly 3,29$ U.S. dollars. So basically we're paying 65% more. Why do canadians have to get screwed on every single price thing especially when our dollar is worth more at this time?

[G_tarRoCK3R]

Can someone explain to me why Canadians have to pay up to a 65% increase in price for downloadable content? Just take a single song download. Here it's 2,99$. With the actual strength of the canadian dollar, it equals roughly 3,29$ U.S. dollars. So basically we're paying 65% more. Why do canadians have to get screwed on every single price thing especially when our dollar is worth more at this time?

Its 30 cents.....I don't think thats going to break the bank.:rolleyes:

[Eman311]

Its 30 cents.....I don't think thats going to break the bank.:rolleyes: no he's saying it's 3.29 in Canada compared to 1.99 here. Big difference.

[McDeezy]

Don't download if you can't afford. Simple as that.

[rchapoteau]

Chances are CD's and music also cost more in canada. It could be licensing, and not Harmonix or M$ out to screw you.

[G_tarRoCK3R]

no he's saying it's 3.29 in Canada compared to 1.99 here. Big difference.

Oh haha, yea thats a big difference. Sorry buddy!! I saw the 2.99 and 3.29 and thought that was the difference in money whoops.

[Quastor]

Certainly understand where you're coming from, but isn't it Microsoft that sets the conversion rate between real money and MS points? I don't think Microsoft gives HMX to option to price content at different point levels based on country.

[BathTub]

They are being screwed over. Sounds like it's just policy to go US price plus 1 dollar. No matter how little sense it makes. probably set a while ago when the dollar was around the other way, now they just pocket the extra money.

[SteppinRazor]

Ouch! Thats pain! I was only expecting a small markup to buy the DLC up here.

Aww man, that takes single songs out of the 'why not' category and put it in the 'strategic purchase decision' category.

I for one am far more likely to take a chance on a 1.99 song than I am a $3+ song.

Hopefully this can be ammended somehow.

[Rock_Starman]

I made this topic already (but it wasn't moved here). Just to reinterate....

On PSN individual songs come out to $3.48 and packs come out to $7.46. This is Sony's doing by adding a dollar to the price,wich there's no longer a reason for and charging tax per item. Doubt anyone will actually pay that.

On XBL songs translate to $2.56 and packs $7.04. This is because we get our point cards in 1400 and 2800 instead of 1600 and 3200 even though the prices are the same.

[WiredRacing]

The real money cost isn't HMX or EA's problem. Blame MS for using this point system.

As for CD/DVD price differences, even though it has squat to do with this, they're about par, if not even cheaper in Canada. Even with the dollar lately current gen game prices are routinely 59.99 or 64.99 compared to the 69.99 standard a year or so ago. iPods are the same price now, HD/DVD-BlueRays. etc...

There's the odd exception, but they're not the rule.

[J-Rock]

Also, Rock Band annouced that there will be songs with prices as little as 0.99$. If it follows trend it means they will cost 2,19$ in Canada (1,99$ canadian dollars). That's like a 120% increase in price. That's the most ridiculous price ajustments I have seen. Microsoft's way of doing things is barely better it seems. Will Harmonix address the issue?

Also, what the hell does this have to do with Tech Support? (Unless moderators don't want people to see the thread).

[SteppinRazor]

I wouldn't get too paranoid, there are like 200 people reading the tech support forum at any given time, its not a good hiding place ;)

But seriously, considering the near pairity of our two currencies, can't something be done about the dispirate pricing structure, because its not like Canada needs to feel less-loved these days.

Joking aside, money is money, and you'll sell more DLC if you can keep it around 2 bucks a song, because that is in the impulse buy threshold. If the per-song price keeps Canadians from buying music on a whim, then the lost revenue will massively outstrip any per-song profit increase the higher price might net the company.

I don't know how much of this is in the hands of Sony/MS, but if HMX/MTv/EA has any ability to influence or change the situation, they would be serving their own best interest to even out the pricing across the border and keep DLC fair and attractive to Canadian customers.

[autorail1]

How do you get to the downloadable content. I have no problem getting stuff with any other games. Just can not find it on Rock band where to go to get all the DLC.

HELP!!!

[SteppinRazor]

DLC is not yet availible in Canada (at least not for X360 for sure). But the pricing has been announced, and that is what we are discussing here.

[fried_blowney]

DLC for RB shows up in the PS Store, that is confirmed by me, even though I do not own RB yet (because of the 4 week delay). I just want someone to EXPLAIN to me why the DLC prices in Canada are a $2.99/$6.49, which is a dollar more than HMX listed in their blogs. No one seems to be giving a straight answer. I just want to know why, and what the hell they're going to do about it. I'm most definitely not the only one real PO'ed about this either.

[Rock_Starman]

Also, Rock Band annouced that there will be songs with prices as little as 0.99$. If it follows trend it means they will cost 2,19$ in Canada (1,99$ canadian dollars). That's like a 120% increase in price. That's the most ridiculous price ajustments I have seen. Microsoft's way of doing things is barely better it seems. Will Harmonix address the issue?

Also, what the hell does this have to do with Tech Support? (Unless moderators don't want people to see the thread).

The worst is the $3.99 songs that'll end up being $4.99. I'm sure EA/MTV/HMX can do something about it but will they? They can't honestly think someone will pay $5.68 for one song?

Good thing I also have a 360 though it's not much better there it's still better than GH and that's slightly more acceptable but the PS3 prices are completly unacceptable.

Is there anyone NOT pissed off in someway with this game?
Canadians don't have it,even if they did and own a PS3 the DLC is way too high and the ones with a 360 that got it from the US have it can't get any of the DLC.

Americans have it but it seems at least one instrument breaks and there's at least 2 people that have gotten the 360 game in the PS3 box.

360 owners have a wired guitar and PS3 owners are pissed the GH 3 guitar doesn't work.

[icantwaitforrockband]

Regardless of currency rates, I believe songs should costs the same. Aren't iTunes songs all 99cents regardless of USD or CAD? If they can do, Rock Band should too...

[Rock_Starman]

Yes iTunes songs are 99 cents in Canada.

To answer my own question in the last post no one has been offended by the Timmay! song...yet.

[J-Rock]

So basically, Sony and Harmonix/EA will only make money from people who don't know they're being ripped off or from people who can afford paying much more money than U.S. residents do.

I doubt I'll purchase any individual song. I don't sww why I should have to pay up to twice the worth of a song. Sony (Microsof too, their prices are still higher in Canada) and Harmonix need to address the issue.

I'm kind of glad Rock Band comes out next month in Canada. I would have bought it yesterday if it came out but with the GHIII guitar issues and the outrageous DLC prices I might not buy it at all.

[HCCAfan]

didnt u canucks know u have to pay DUTY on every damn thing crossing the border, even digitally.......



just joking, i dont know the real reason but figured it would lighten the mood a lil, maybe not.....

[fried_blowney]

I'm still waiting for an answer.....:mad:

[flatsinki]

Certainly understand where you're coming from, but isn't it Microsoft that sets the conversion rate between real money and MS points? I don't think Microsoft gives HMX to option to price content at different point levels based on country.

I would tend to think that since MS can designate on a per country/region basis DLC availability that they could in theory have different price points for each as well. I know what you are saying is that HMX has no control over it but I would be very surprised if the system MS has in place would limit their ability to do it should they ever want to.

I would also be extremely surprised if they were to do anything about it either. <sarcasm>I mean why would they? They are making a bit more money out of the deal and the amount of people pissed off here in Canada is so insignificant in comparison to number of pleased customers in the US. I mean really... the entire population of Canada could fit comfortably into the confines of one of the bigger US cities. </sarcasm>

[Rook_x51]

Don't download if you can't afford. Simple as that.

You sir, are an ignorant jerk.

[Rook_x51]

I would tend to think that since MS can designate on a per country/region basis DLC availability that they could in theory have different price points for each as well. I know what you are saying is that HMX has no control over it but I would be very surprised if the system MS has in place would limit their ability to do it should they ever want to.

I would also be extremely surprised if they were to do anything about it either. I mean why would they? They are making a bit more money out of the deal and the amount of people pissed off here in Canada is so insignificant in comparison to number of pleased customers in the US. I mean really... the entire population of Canada could fit comfortably into the confines of one of the bigger US cities.

30 Million people?

[JackBNimble]

Maybe nothing has been done about this price gouge because this game hasn't been released in Canada yet.Who knows, but maybe they (who ever they are) are trying to take advantage of us untill release date , what can you say to a company that hasn't released it's product yet?I bet the prices will be ajusted after Dec 20th!

[WiredRacing]

Yeah WTF?

Should someone also point out that Toronto is on the same lattitude as Boston and well south of Portland.

Lets take this guy to SKOOL!

[flatsinki]

30 Million people?

Yeah, Canada's total population is ~32 million.
Link to Statistics Canada (http://www.statcan.ca/menu-en.htm?gaw=07001)

[SteppinRazor]

Yeah, the population of NYC - a little more than 8 million

Population of LA - almost 4 million in the city, and 12.9 million if you count all the surrounding cities and burbs.

Population of Canada - about 32 million.

Off handed comments like the 'pop of Canada can fit in a US city' just perpetuate ignorence, even if they're meant as a joke, the sarcastic tone doesn't come across in text.

Americans read things like that, and they don't know anything about Canada to begin with, so they'll believe it and repeat it.

[J-Rock]

All in all for people who own both a Xbox 360 and a PS3, now that the issues with the Guitar Hero III controller and the DLC prices are out, those who might have gotten the game for the PS3 will probably shun Sony and go for a 360 version. Seriously, which one would you like to biu more? The one on the system where your other guitar will not work and who has outrageous prices for single song downloads or for the other system where your other guitar does work and where the prices are not so outrageous.

Harmonix just might have cost Sony a lot of money.

[flatsinki]

...Off handed comments like the 'pop of Canada can fit in a US city' just perpetuate ignorence, even if they're meant as a joke, the sarcastic tone doesn't come across in text.

Americans read things like that, and they don't know anything about Canada to begin with, so they'll believe it and repeat it.

Well I had meant it in a joking/sarcastic fashion but I can see your point about it not conveying well through text. I'll update the post to better indicate it as such.

Edit: On the 360 side of things, are we going to get shafted to the same degree as the PS3? I don't really know the conversion rate for the points to canadian dollars as I haven't bought any in a while.

[J-Rock]

Edit: On the 360 side of things, are we going to get shafted to the same degree as the PS3? I don't really know the conversion rate for the points to canadian dollars as I haven't bought any in a while.

Nope. You'll still get shafted of course but to a lesser degree than PS3 owners. I'm really wondering why I ever bought a PS3 at all. I hoped at least Rock Band would be worth it but now I'm finding I should have gone with a 360 all along.

[k_luva]

Oh Canada, Oh Canada how my DLC content is spensive.....Oh Canada, Oh Canada....:D

[J-Rock]

Ebay.ca manages to adjust the prices with the actual worth of the canadian dollar. Why can't the PSN? A 65% increase instead of paying the same price they're paying south of the border, no one can see this as fair.

[HCCAfan]

send over ur troops and get the priced dropped!!!

http://www.code7r.org/Bintoons/canadian_navy.jpg

http://images.dpchallenge.com/images_challenge/314/150441.jpg

[SteppinRazor]

Those were good for a chuckle a decade or more ago.

Laym.

[ChaosElement]

JEEZ HARMONIX and EA, get it through your thick skulls that Canadians matter too.

First you screw us off by redirecting shipments to meet US demand. The french packaging is a joke. EA and Harmonix both know this really well

Then you screw us on the DLC, when there's no reason to screw us off (currency is nearly the same) apart from screwing us off for the fun of it.

Holy crap, why bother releasing it here at all

[marboba]

let all of us canadians boycott the dlc when it comes out, simple as that.. If we give in now and buy them all up when they are available, they wont listen just laugh at us . Then when they see no sales, maybe they will start listening. And for all those who have commented on we should just shut up and wait a month, come on guys, you know if this was reversed situation i am sure you americans would be up in arms.. Come on stay united... lets work on showing our frustration towards ea,mtv and microsoft not each other.. we are all here cause we enjoy this game and want to make it better for all. Keep in mind that our cdn. dollar was stronger than u.s. in the past month, and we all know what happened when consumers in canada revolted about the pricing on books and magazines. Retail stores changed all thier prices and honored the american pricing.


for the love of the game......

[Rock_Starman]

Edit: On the 360 side of things, are we going to get shafted to the same degree as the PS3? I don't really know the conversion rate for the points to canadian dollars as I haven't bought any in a while.

I explained the converison on the first page.
I'll copy and paste that part:

On PSN individual songs come out to $3.48 and packs come out to $7.46. (this is with 14&#37; tax)
On XBL songs translate to $2.56 and packs $7.04. (wich may actually be a few cents off since I saw the 2800 card for $38 today)

"Harmonix just might have cost Sony a lot of money."

I think that's the other way around but to some extent if they're switching to the 360 verision like I plan to then Harmonix still gets theirs so Sony is doing it to themself.

[Abstruse]

Alrighty there Geniuses of the Great White North, stop blaming Harmonix. This is MICROSOFT's system here.

Game makers set the price in points.

Microsoft charges X-Box Live users for said points.

Microsoft then uses the point totals for a game to pay the game maker.

Then there's another matter: The exchange rate issue hasn't caught up yet. Or haven't you wondered why a US$7.99 book still costs you people CN$10.99? Most major retailers have just started charing the US price on books to even things out.

This is similar to a problem another game developer/publisher ran into where they wanted to make additional multiplayer maps available for free and Microsoft insisted on a cost for them. Microsoft owns the system and can pretty much do whatever they please.

So go blame Microsoft and not the game publishers who are getting just as screwed, since they're paid per points and not per dollar amounts (IE your CN$3.29 song and my US$1.99 song both get Harmonix/MTV/EA the same amount, but Microsoft keeps the difference).

[SteppinRazor]

Yeah yeah, great way to use your first post, antagonizing people in a thread that doesn't concern you, whatever man.

If you had read the thread, rather than skim the first post and respond, you would have seen that people are not blaming HMX specifically for setting the price, they are pointing out that HMV/MTV/EA should use whatever leverage and influence they have to make the prices fair - not only because it is good for we Canadians, but because it is in the long-term financial interests.

We have all recognized that Sony and MS play some significant role in the pricing/electronic distribution system, that is not debated. But while we cannot appeal to the giant, faceless corporate behemoths of MS and Sony, we do have the ear of the games talented and valuable developers (HMX), and by extension, their wealthy and connected backers (MTV), and their power-house distributors (EA).

Your book example, by the way, is specious. Most prices have caught up and changed, books are the odd example out because the publishing cartel is a bloody racket. Importantly, software and videogame prices have equalized at all major chain stores.

[Abstruse]

Yeah yeah, great way to use your first post, antagonizing people in a thread that doesn't concern you, whatever man. (snip)

I did read the entire thread. And what I say still stands. Most people are blaming Harmonix for this and they have no control over it. Re-read the thread again, I recall four different posts off the top of my head blaming them.

There is a legit gripe here, but blaming the wrong party isn't going to help matters. And if Epic and Gears of War can't bend them to give out free content, then Haromonix (whose games aren't a system-seller like Gears since it's not exclusive) probably won't have as much clout. They couldn't even get wireless guitar controllers!

I'm just saying make sure to focus the anger on the correct target.

[Rock_Starman]

Well MS isn't going to do anything. That requires a change in the point cards/values themselves unless they sell them here for 125 points instead of 160. They've always been the same price at $20 and $40 it's just the ammount of points given is different. I'm not sure if they changed it buying them online but that's how the cards are.

Sony on the other hand certianly could do something. I assume each company gets a cut. Now if someone high up at Harmonix go to EA and say "Hey people are complaining on the forums that the PSN prices in Canada are too high so they probably won't buy any of it and that's a group that's already not happy with us." and then EA goes to Sony and says the same then maybe something will get done. I think I may actually have an extra avenue to complain,I already made a post on the Sony forums but I'm also a G.A.P member wich means I get a blog there though I've yet to use it. I'll make a post about it there too.

Could also sign up and complain at http://blog.us.playstation.com/

[JackBNimble]

I personaly dont think that sony or ms are going to do anything about the pricing untill the offical release date in Canada.Infact I was just scrolling through the playstation store and I didn't see any RB DLC,so maybe they took it off the shelf.

Why would they adjust prices now anyway? Who knows what the $$ will do in the next month?No point getting worried about it now,give it a month and see what happeneds.

[Rock_Starman]

Well if we complain now and they plan to fix it then it'll be fixed by the first day when all the DLC leading up to that point is out as well.

On a side note:

In my Sony blog rant,I did a bit more research and it turns out even if the prices were equal,where there's 14% tax the packs still end up 35 cents cheaper on the 360 however individual songs turn out to be 27 cents cheaper on PSN.

Edit:

Checked a bit ago,it's still there and it's still $2.99/$6.49. Only reason it shouldn't be there is if you bought it all.

[J-Rock]

I don't know if taxes are even applicable on DLC. I don't remember a price adjustment because of taxes on iTunes do you? I could be wrong though.

[Rock_Starman]

Haven't bought anything on PSN yet? They charge tax on everything.

[J-Rock]

Haven't bought anything on PSN yet? They charge tax on everything.
But is the tax included in the price shown or do they charge you the tax at the checkout?

[Rock_Starman]

Charged at the checkout.

Found an article on this sort of thing: http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20071010-strong-canadian-dollar-means-canadians-pay-dearly-for-xbox-live-psn-action.html

[WiredRacing]

Well Tax would apply to MS points when you buy them in a retail location. That said, my guess is if you buy them online, in Canada, you may (depending on which province you live in) be able to avoid PST. I would expect the same to affect PSN.

[Rock_Starman]

Yea but PSN doesn't use points or cards. That's gonna be a problem too when they do get cards because then you'll be taxed for the card and the item. Only one up front tax on the 360.