PS3 price for Ireland was expected

- Irish launch price confirmed
- 60GB version only at launch

Sony has now confirmed that, at

Hundreds line outside Dublin stores for Wii

One retailer’s
pricing sets Ireland out to be one of the dearest places
in the world to buy Nintendo’s new Wii games console. 

Hundreds of gamers lined up outside GameStop on Henry Street and
‘Game’ on Dawson Street last night to be among the first to buy a Wii
at midnight store openings.

Speaking on Today FM’ s Ray Foley Show this afternoon, Michael
Finucane, GameStop’s commercial director, said that while the first
release of Wiis were mostly reserved for people who pre-ordered their
consoles, GamesStop should have a shipment which will include
non-booked consoles sometime next week.

He said this will be followed by another shipment before Christmas.

The recommended euro price is

Dublin Games Price Survey (no 1)

The Dublin Computer Games Price Survey (no 1) is Games Toaster’s first comprehensive games price check.

We plan to conduct further surveys in the future, and possibly smaller price reviews after launches of high-profile games. Apologies for the lack of Nintendo titles in this one. (For details and methodology read after the table).

Price table

Key
Lowest street price have red background, overall lowest in bold text. ^ = was not in stock.

Methodology
All street prices
are from the evening or night of Tuesday November 7, 2006, bar
Xtravision which was done the next night. Games are a random sample of
popular or high profile titles currently on release, most are just
recently released.

Date
was not collected on non-listed titles; the selection shown is
formatted raw data. Beyond the stated prices, no special offers or
store card discounts were taken into account.

With high street
stores, all prices were checked in-store. Most prices were taken from
display boxes, with the exception of a few titles (in GameStop, where
staff were asked for the pricing of the PC and Xbox 360 games, as the
shop was closing).  Argus prices taken current from “games update” catalogue.

Online stores were taken at displayed euro
pricing on the night of Sunday November 11. Both online retailers
surveyed include free postage.

No updated prices will be taken
into account (but if you want post them below). However, if you can
prove that the pricing on the day differs from what is shown, please
contact us.

Legal note
Games Toaster has done
all that is reasonably possible to obtain correct date, however the
date is for information reasons only. We have no involvement with any
of the retailers listed, and can not guarantee product will be
available to buy at rates shown.

Comment or suggestions
Feedback
can be posted anonymously without login in the below comments section
or can be emailed to the usually address (see left hand side menu).

Correction: PS2

Sony Computer Entertainment Ireland yesterday stated that the
PlayStation 2 price drop will leave the recommended retail price at

PS2 price drop, pink model to be released

Sony
Computer Entertainment Europe have said the price of normal PlayStation
2 should droped to

PlayStation 2 and PlayStation Portable continue to dominate Irish games charts

PlayStation Portable alone still frequently
outranks Xbox 360 in percentage sales  

A GamesToaster.com / BlurredKeys.com
examination of the Chart-Track Irish Software charts, which tracks retail sales
of computer games in Ireland, has found that Sony’s PlayStation 2 and PlayStation Portable continue
to massively dominate the Irish multi-format charts, with Microsoft’s Xbox and
Xbox 360 combined rarely amounting to over 25% of multi-format games.

Our study of the charts ranges from the
start of 2006 to the week ending July 15.

When the combined percentages of the Xbox
consoles reach higher percentages the games are usually at the lower end of the
charts. Frequently the percentage of the two combined is lower then or around
10%.

When the high profile Xbox 360 game Elder
Scrolls IV: Oblivion was released in March, Microsoft reported that the game
“has topped the all-formats sales charts in key European countries”. Ireland was not one of those countries. Even with the support of 43% from PC sales, the
Take 2 game entered the chart at number three, slowly dropping, then in its
fourth week nose-diving to sixteenth place.

Only three Xbox/360 exclusives made it into
the top 20. This is somewhat but not fully explained by a higher number
released on Xbox and PC combined, without giving away the title of ‘console
exclusive’.

The three exclusive games were Dead or
Alive 4 on Xbox 360, in at number seven, and out after a second week at number
12; the Outfit also on 360 in at 17th, not to be seen again; and Tom Clancy’s
Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter. GRAW was release on the 360 the first week,
at number three, in its second week also on Xbox at number five (Xb360 96%/Xbox
4%), and the third week at 10 (360 93%/Xbox 7%). After the third week, it lost
the exclusive as it was released on other formats.

There were few other Xbox games to break
between the 50-100% marks, often only when pitted against the PC. On Xbox 360,
Call of Duty 2 ranged from around 60-80%, Oblivion from 35-60%, Fight Night
Round 3 entered the chart at 17th with 53%, recently Pray entered at six with
71%, and LOTR: The Battle for Middle-Earth II got a healthy 81%. Middle-Earth
II however only entered at 15th place after it was on the top 20 as a
PC-exclusive for three weeks early in the year.

As sales are measured at the point and time
of purchase, the charts can be seen as the most reliable measure of how
different games formats are competing. The value of game sales cannot be
underestimated as console manufactures depend on royalties of third party
games, and selling first and second party games. Most game consoles are sold at
a loss, with the makers recouping cost with games and peripheral sales.

In isolation the charts for the week ending
July 15 record Pro Evolution Soccer 5 with 76%/PS2, and 19%/PSP; FIFA World Cup
Germany 2006 with 66%/PS2, and 19%/PSP; Over the Hedge 76%/PS2; Tomb Raider: Legend with 48%/PS2, and 38%/PSP; Hitman: Blood Money with 77%/PS2.

PC and Nintendo formats makeup even smaller
percentages then the Xbox brands, practically leaving the charts a two-brand
race. Few Nintendo titles punch above this trend, the exclusivity of Nintendo games
sometimes makes the brand move visually apparent, games such as New Super Mario
Bros, Dr Kawashima’s Brain Training, Mario Kart Ds, and Animal Crossing: Wild
World. Nintendo, however, are often bypassed when it comes to multi-format
games.

We previously reported that in the
Christmas charts, when it comes to multi-format games, Xbox rarely received
much more then 10% of sales of any one game, and never above 20%. We quoted the
Sony line that after Japan; Ireland has the highest PS and PS2 ownership per head of population. We
added that PlayStation looks to be the game brand burned into the Irish mind
and culture — this still looks to be the case.

The Xbox 360 looks to have so far failed to
gain a substantial head start on the Sony PlayStation 3. Sony maintaining their
market share in Ireland will most likely depend on a continued support of the PlayStation
2, in the form of the game releases, well into the life of the PS3.

It’s worth noting that prices for the PlayStation 3 in the Republic and Northern Ireland have still to be officially
announced, the higher rumoured pricing puts the Ireland at around 30 euro above the 599 “euro” announced price. “We would never
say we cannot fail”, Niall O’Hanrahan, MD SCE Ireland,
told the Irish Times in July, “We have a marketing challenge from now
until launch. This is not a done deal”.

According to Chart-Track.co.uk the data for the Irish games charts comes
from Argos, Currys, Dixons, Game, Golden Discs, Heartbeat City, Heatons, HMV,
PC World, Play.com, Roxy Tower Records, Virgin, Zhivago, a number of
independent retailers, and Tesco, and Xtra-vision were added in July 2005.
There is a notable absence of the Irish branches of GameStop, and the online
retailer CDWow.ie. Chart-Track own and compile the Irish Software Charts, they
also compile the UK games charts, and the Irish music charts.

Chart-Track kindly provides the Top 20 Irish games charts to Games Toaster;
the chart is published weekly on the site’s side panel. An archive and
individual charts are also available on Chart-Track’s website. What percentage
each format sells is not normally published. At a cost Chart-Track also provide
in-depth analysis of game sales.

PlayStation 3 — price, launch dates

- Hard drive detachable
but included
- Controller; sensors in, Dualshock out
- Nov 17 Europe and the US 

Early today
Sony’s computer games division went through the paces at the Sony film studio
in Culver City, LA county, ultimately they reviled the pricing, confirmed that
the PlayStation 3 would come with a hard drive (20 or 60GBs), and that the
controller for the unit would not be radical, but close to the PS2 device.

According
to Sony, in Europe the
black console will be priced at 499
euro for the 20GB hard drive, and 599 euro for a larger 60GB model. In Northern
Ireland, at today’s rates, that’s about 350 and 410 UKP. If, like other
releases, the Republic of Ireland will have a higher price is not currently
unknown. Prices in other areas as follows: United States $499/$599; Canada
$549/$659; Japan 59,800 Yen/set by retailers.

Sony has
dropped the prototype ’stretched’ “banana” controller shape and replaced it with a design
“created by refining and improving the world’s most popular PlayStation
controller”, at first look it is the PS2 controller. Like Nintendo’s next
console, the PS3 controller will also have built in sensors; this opens up the possibility
of games reacting to controller movement. But this means the vibrating
Dualshock will be removed because it interferes with the sensors. The controllers
will have slightly larger L2/R2 buttons, and the ’tilting angle’ of the analog joystick
is tweaked. The controllers are wireless using Bluetooth, but can go wired at
any time using USB, the slot is located at the wire input of the old controller.

Tech specs follow…

CPU: Cell Processor
GPU: RSX
Sound: Dolby 5.1ch, DTS, LPCM, etc. (Cell-based processing)
Memory: 256MB XDR Main RAM, 256MB GDDR3 VRAM
HDD: 2.5″ Serial ATA (20GB) (60GB)
I/O: USB 2.0 (x4)
MemoryStick /SD/CompactFlash -
Communication: Ethernet (x1 / 10BASE-T, 100BASE-TX, 1000BASE-T)
IEEE 802.11 b/g -
Bluetooth 2.0 (EDR)
Wireless controller (Bluetooth)
AV Output: Screen size 480i, 480p, 720p, 1080i, 1080p
HDMI OUT - (x1 / HDMI NextGen)
AV MULTI OUT  (x1)
DIGITAL OUT (OPTICAL)  (x1)
BD/DVD/CD Drive (Read Only): Maximum Read Speed BD 2x (BD-ROM)
DVD 8x (DVD-ROM)
CD 24x (CD-ROM)
SACD 2x
Dimensions: Approximately 325mm (W) x 98mm (H) x 274mm (D)
Weight: Approximately 5 kg
 

Xbox 360: Higher price in Ireland - inconsistencies in Microsoft’s VAT reason

Ireland and Portugal were given a higher ERP, but not Belgium, which has the same VAT rate.

After lengthy questioning by Games Toaster, Microsoft
has maintained VAT is the reason for the extra charge on Irish
consumers. “Finland and Portugal both announced ERPs the same as
Ireland”, said Orla Sheridan, Home and Entertainment Division Manager
of Microsoft Ireland.

However, for some unknown reason, consumers in Belgium will only be
charged the general euro price, “Their messaging was

Ireland’s 360 price difference due to VAT rate - Microsoft

- ‘Game’ stores still quoting lower price, but with caution

On Wednesday, when the European and US price points for the Xbox 360
were confirmed, the Irish media received price points for the two
versions of the console 10 euro more then the price announced for other
areas of the euro zone. With the retail price for the Republic of Ireland
hitting 309.99 and 409.99 euro, for bare minimum ‘Core’ console, and
hard drive included package, respectively. In contrast to 299 and 399
euro elsewhere.

When Games Toaster asked the local Xbox PR office about the difference,
we were simply told, “Ireland has a higher VAT rate than other European
countries”.

Retailers stories are also differing, with four Xtra-vision stores,
three in Dublin and one in Galway, not knowing the console’s price, saying
that they were not informed of the price and it was not in their
system. Only one location was taking preorders with a 20 euro deposit,
another Dublin store told us that they are only taking orders for the
PSP, while the store who was taking preorders boldly stated that the
Xbox 360’s price — which was revealed on Wednesday - would not be
announced until two weeks before the launch.   

Smyths, GameStop, and World of Wonders, all quoted the official
recommended prices for the Republic. While one ‘Game’ shop told us that
they have been given the lower prices of 299 and 399 euro from their
head office, but warned that this may change. In addition, the ‘Game’
store said that they had taken 15 pre-orders on Saturday alone, and
that they expect to fill their quota within a week, possible two.

WEEE - retailers to take back old consoles

Games
consoles, and other hardware, are among the items covered by the new
Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) directive. The WEEE directive,
which will require retailers to accept old electrical and electronic
products, comes into affect in the Republic this Saturday.

Retailers will be obliged to offer this service free of charge, but
it is only on a one-for-one and like-for-like bases. “the WEEE must
be of a similar type or have performed the same function as the new
item purchased. For example, [retailers] are not obligated to accept a
microwave if [the] customer has purchased a toaster” states a Department of the Environment document.

Retailers, as well as producers and importers, of ‘Electrical and Electronic Equipment’ should already be registered as such.

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