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Sad truth of Latin American prices: Switch Edition

S

Salsa

Member
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=399503 -> look at this yung salsa using apostrophe's wrong

but yeah, visited a game store the other day (by chance really, you'll get why im all digital after this) and figured it was time for a follow up, specially since I actually want a Switch, unlike previous gen consoles

this is in Uruguay, all prices are USD

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Click to expand...

vent & share with me.

can you imagine paying $130usd for the Telltale Minecraft game, lmao
 
R

rj118

Member
Yeah but you can get Amiibos for $5. Evens out, right? /s

EDIT: Those are $29??? I read that as a 5.29
 
F

Fj0823

Member
Games around here cost about $100.

I just laugh and hug my PSN account.

But casuals gamer and parents get so screwed.
 
M

Manu

Member
Pretty much the same here in Argentina.

I walked into an electronics store yesterday and they had a mini SNES. Only 4000 pesos! (That's over U$S 200)
 
B

Bulzeeb

Member
yeah, its insane, I purchased my switch using the black market for $320 USD because official stores were selling it at almost $580 USD
 
N

Nights Owl

Member
Jesus Christ that's horrible. As someone who is Physical Always (Unless impossible) I'd be literally unable to buy more than one game a month or two.

That's just ludicrous. 2x normal US retail price is just like... Why? Because they can?
 
A

Atheerios

Member
Can't you import it?

I imported my Switch and the Zelda Special Edition for just $60 extra.


Fortunately, some less known stores in my country sell games at a decent price (for example Mario Oddysey at $US 62)
 
P

Platy

Member
Brazil is in Latin America and we don't even have Nintendo officially here.

So think high prices.

Now think UNREGULATED high prices
 
M

Manu

Member
Salsa said:
think rich parents who dont know better
Click to expand...

I was searching for TLoU, PS3 version, to gift to someone. A store had a new unopened copy for 800 pesos (about 45 US Dollars).

I walked out thinking "some kid's mom is actually gonna pay that much for a 2013 last gen game."
 
S

Salsa

Member
Atheerios said:
Can't you import it?

I imported my Switch and the Zelda Special Edition for just $60 extra.
Click to expand...

technically yes, but it's iffy with customs

got my Wii and 3DS by friends bringin them over when travelling, ussually has a better chance

Platy said:
Brazil is in Latin America and we don't even have Nintendo officially here.

So think high prices.

Now think UNREGULATED high prices
Click to expand...

oh yeah, same here for sure

last time Nintendo had any sort of official presence was back when I was trying Virtual Boy games at Mcdonald's
 
K

Keinning

Member
Now imagine that we here in brazil usually go to paraguay or uruguay to buy nintendo stuff because the prices are "good" in comparison to ours

It's painful
 
C

CarbonatedFalcon

Member
I feel things like this is why I saw plenty of pirated game stores in the mall(s) when I visited Costa Rica about a decade ago.

The retail prices on non-bootlegged electronics in some of these countries is absurd.
 
H

Heartskips

Banned
Platy said:
Brazil is in Latin America and we don't even have Nintendo officially here.

So think high prices.

Now think UNREGULATED high prices
Click to expand...

I've seen resellers selling Mario Odyssey for 245 and 280R$ (between 80~90USD). That's better than those uruguayan prices, but yeah, there's no way you can buy Nintendo games from shops in Latin America.
 
Z

z1ggy

Member
I´m in Argentina and bought the Switch in Amazon EU, the console here its even more expensive than the PS4 what the fuck

I save around 150 dollars buying from Amazon EU

(Switch + case + Zelda + Puyo Puyo = 700 uss all taxes included)
 
Astral Dog

Astral Dog

Member
The prices are $ 15 dollar higher than any PS4/XBOX ONE already expensive prices, though i blame the economy for those :/
 
S

Seik

Banned
Is it a problem to call stuff internationally?

I assume the customs are expensive as hell, too, right?
 
A

Altazor

Member
as a Chilean, I know this all too well.

the Switch is $560 USD/$350000 CLP around here. It's cheaper than in Uruguay, but still incredibly expensive compared to the US. Games are around $72 USD/$45000 CLP.

And don't even get me started on PC parts. All those "BUILD YOUR GAMING PC FOR CHEAP!" threads are fucking useless here - prices are insane :p
 
H

hobozero

Member
AcademicSaucer said:
Nintendo is the worst of the big 3 tho, Sony and Microsoft have better support.
Click to expand...

Sony and Microsoft often get around high tariffs by assembling their consoles and accessories in country. They are still more expensive, but not as bad as if they had imported an assembled product. Nintendo seems to have fewer manufacturing facilities, and maintains tighter control on them. You're unlikely to see them adopt the same strategy. Only way to get cheaper prices would be to somehow lower tariffs or import your own.

If you get a friend to bring you a Switch, is that smuggling? That's awesome :) Smugglers are cool, like Han Solo.
 
L

lord

Member
Heartskips said:
I've seen resellers selling Mario Odyssey for 245 and 280R$ (between 80~90USD). That's better than those uruguayan prices, but yeah, there's no way you can buy Nintendo games from shops in Latin America.
Click to expand...
amazon.mx has very reasonable prices for Nintendo games I got Odyssey for 55 usd and Zelda for 50, my switch was 340 more or less due to the promos back in “hot sale” you just have to be patient and be smart, at least here.
 
K

Keinning

Member
Altazor said:
And don't even get me started on PC parts. All those "BUILD YOUR GAMING PC FOR CHEAP!" threads are fucking useless here - prices are insane :p
Click to expand...

every time gaf tells me "why dont you just build a pc with the same specs as this console???" i die a bit inside
 
S

Salsa

Member
sorta related: you gotta set your 3DS to some US region, cause if I set it to Uruguay there's straight up no eShop, lol
 
B

Black_Red

Member
Altazor said:
as a Chilean, I know this all too well.

the Switch is $560 USD/$350000 CLP around here. It's cheaper than in Uruguay, but still incredibly expensive compared to the US. Games are around $72 USD/$45000 CLP.

And don't even get me started on PC parts. All those "BUILD YOUR GAMING PC FOR CHEAP!" threads are fucking useless here - prices are insane :p
Click to expand...

I bought mine for 300.000 CLP like 3 months ago (zmart, retailer oficial).

Now I constantly see it at 280.000. Still expensive but 350,000 it's really exagerated.
 
H

Heartskips

Banned
lord said:
amazon.mx has very reasonable prices for Nintendo games I got Odyssey for 55 usd and Zelda for 50, my switch was 340 more or less due to the promos back in “hot sale” you just have to be patient and be smart, at least here.
Click to expand...

That's true. Most people don't search well.

Keinning said:
every time gaf tells me "why dont you just build a pc with the same specs as this console???" i die a bit inside
Click to expand...

That thread with people saying games should cost 80$ blew my mind. How easy for them... lol
 
M

mavo

Banned
Here in Mexico is ridiculous that the Switch Splatoon 2 bundle is the same price as the Xbox One X, which is around 640 usd.

Accessories are also ridiculously expensive and so are the games, like i remember when Zelda came out the switch version was around 12 dollars more expensive than the Wii U version, but lately i have seen the newer games have lower prices.

i actually got the splatoon 2 bundle with an 80 dollar "discount"
 
J

jett

D-Member
That's ridiculous, don't you have a grey market to buy games at at least?

Here in Peru official retail prices for software reached parity with Murica several years ago. New games cost $60~ (without sales tax). Hardware is another story, Switch costs $445~.
 
S

Salsa

Member
CarbonatedFalcon said:
I feel things like this is why I saw plenty of pirated game stores in the mall(s) when I visited Costa Rica about a decade ago.
Click to expand...

just read this but yeah it's an interesting situation

in the sense that it's a circle of sorts. it's easy to blame third world countries for piracy but it aint like it gonna get better if they keep pricing things this way

Steam is pretty much a success all around, and I have friends who still buy on the eShop even when the 3DS has been recently blown wide open

just gotta make it accesible

Wildo09 said:
I imagine you guys have very high wages, otherwise I don't see how these games would sell anything.
Click to expand...

the stores are pretty much empty, people working there just chilling playing games

it's either parents buying "Nintendo" for their kids, or people buying a Playstation just for Fifa

enthusiasts went digital long ago
 
R

RionaaM

Unconfirmed Member
I have no idea how much Switch games cost here in Argentina, never bothered to look. I think the console can be found for around $700, which is insane. The prices of gaming stuff in Latin America are ridiculous.

Manu said:
Pretty much the same here in Argentina.

I walked into an electronics store yesterday and they had a mini SNES. Only 4000 pesos! (That's over U$S 200)
Click to expand...
Yeah, everything is crazy expensive here. I've gone full digital (with Canadian/US accounts, since this country doesn't exist) and never looked back.

z1ggy said:
I´m in Argentina and bought the Switch in Amazon EU, the console here its even more expensive than the PS4 what the fuck

I save around 150 dollars buying from Amazon EU

(Switch + case + Zelda + Puyo Puyo = 700 uss all taxes included)
Click to expand...
Yup, I bought my Switch from Amazon UK and it was the best decision I've ever made. Console + Pro Controller + 128 GB MicroSD card + shipping + customs tax all together costed me way less than just the console here.
 
sublimit

sublimit

Banned
So if someone wants to have a physical collection over there is basically screwed? I feel sorry for you guys.:(
 
K

Keinning

Member
sublimit said:
So if someone wants to have a physical collection over there is basically screwed? I feel sorry for you guys.:(
Click to expand...

the only physical game i have is the one that came with my console

i don't think Banco Central produced enough currency for someone to be a collector in my country
 
ReyVGM

ReyVGM

Member
This has always been like that. Not just for games, but for everything. Most latin american countries don't have official suppliers so stores have to pay import fees and double taxes to buy stuff, so of course it's going to be more expensive. It's worsened by the fact that the currency exchange is not in latin american's favor, which increases prices even more.

I know it's bad, but there's no other way around that unless you expect stores to earn a couple of bucks per sale.

In my case, I just import everything.

Calm Mind said:
Solution: Move to the United States
Click to expand...

...
 
S

Salsa

Member
ReyVGM said:
This has always been like that. Not just for games, but for everything. Most latin american countries don't have official suppliers so stores have to pay import fees and double taxes to buy stuff, so of course it's going to be more expensive. It's worsened by the fact that the currency exchange is not in latin american's favor, which increases prices even more.

I know it's bad, but there's no other way around that unless you expect stores to earn a couple of bucks per sale.

In my case, I just import everything.
Click to expand...


well sure, but i'd argue games have it the worst out the bunch

like I just bought a Chromecast for $70

that's double the US price

but that Switch is $300 in the US. $800 is almost 3 times that
 
Palabragrís

Palabragrís

Member
Altazor said:
as a Chilean, I know this all too well.

the Switch is $560 USD/$350000 CLP around here. It's cheaper than in Uruguay, but still incredibly expensive compared to the US. Games are around $72 USD/$45000 CLP.

And don't even get me started on PC parts. All those "BUILD YOUR GAMING PC FOR CHEAP!" threads are fucking useless here - prices are insane :p
Click to expand...

And that's the main reason why I gave up on my intention of being a collector. It's a really expensive task here in Chile. And let's not talk of Argentina and Brasil, where the taxes make the prices skyrocket.

Calm Mind said:
Solution: Move to the United States
Click to expand...

...........
 
dacuk

dacuk

Member
Fj0823 said:
At least in Costa Rica, not much.

Stores literally take advantage of people.

Back when Sony had official stores here game sold at around $72-80, not $100
Click to expand...

Actually, Consoles have a 54% entry tax.
They are considered luxury items.

Games have lesser taxes.

Even though, stores apply a 1-to-1000 exchange rate for consoles, so you can end up paying 300.000 colones for a Switch
 
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