As a gamer and a citizen of Turkey, I can’t help but feel frustrated and excluded from the gaming community due to the unreasonably high pricing of PlayStation games in our region. The latest addition to my list of grievances is the recent revelation that new PlayStation titles cost roughly 20% of the median salary here, which is a staggering amount for many of us.
As an avid gamer and supporter of indie developers, I can’t help but admire their ability to take regional pricing into account, which sets them apart from larger corporations like PlayStation. Regrettably, it seems that companies such as Sony struggle with this concept. A clear indication of this is the current price of their games in Turkey, which is around $85 or 2.799,00 TL – a staggering 20% of the average salary.
For people in the West, games priced between $50 and $90 may seem affordable based on technicalities, but they are quite expensive relative to their income. On the other hand, in the UK and some other countries, game prices are reasonable considering our salaries. Unfortunately, for gamers in Turkey with a minimum wage equivalent to $500, a new AAA game from PlayStation would cost nearly one-fifth of that amount.
As a passionate gamer, I’ve come across an issue that left me feeling frustrated. SynthPotato brought it up on Twitter, expressing their outrage over the unfair pricing for Assassin’s Creed: Shadows in Turkey. They stated that these prices were “illegal,” and they weren’t exaggerating – they proved that the game was $25-$30 cheaper on PC and Xbox platforms. I couldn’t believe it when I saw that the game cost 2,050 TL on Xbox, while Ubisoft offered it for only 1,799 TL. It just didn’t seem right to me as a gamer and consumer.
As a gamer and a Turkish citizen, I can’t help but question Sony’s decision to sell games at €80 in our region. We may share the same prices as EU countries, but our earnings are significantly lower. In contrast, Microsoft continues to offer affordable prices for Game Pass in Turkey despite their recent price increase.
Umut Can Günay
Examining other game titles uncovers similar concerning pricing. God of War: Ragnarok, released in 2022, is priced identically at 2,799 Turkish Lyra or approximately $113. In comparison, the Star Wars: Jedi Survivor Deluxe Bundle, also available, costs 3,600 Turkish Lyra ($110).
In many countries, the cost of console gaming may be significantly higher due to various global factors like import taxes. However, this doesn’t alter the fact that affordability remains a major challenge for gamers in these regions.
As a dedicated gamer from Brazil, I can relate to this situation. Just like gamers in other parts of the world, we’re passionate about our hobby. However, the cost of new games, which are priced similarly to American retail, can be a significant challenge for most Brazilians. Since over 90% of us earn less than $800 per month, a $60 game represents a substantial expense.
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2024-07-16 17:40