Why are JPN Xbox 360 games so expensive?

[InsaneNutter]

Just curious if anyone knows why, especially when the JPN version of the game has been out longer. Take Raiden Figher Aces for example, I thought the JPN version would cost next to nothing but the price appears to go up over time where the cost of the USA version is going down over time.

Raiden Fighter Aces (USA) - ($9.94 new) - http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/XBOX-360-GAME-RAI ... 049wt_1165
Raiden Fighter Aces (JPN) - ($74.99 new) - http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/New-Xbox-360-Raid ... _695wt_939

(cheapest prices i could find on eBay)

Maybe the answer is obvious? but I dont know so im asking you guys
Only thing i can think of is not a lot of places sell JPN games so they can basically charge what they like? or do older games really cost that much in Japan?

[tearsofash]

Vanity tax.

[GaijinPunch]

B/c everything in Japan is more expensive. No shit, imports are cheaper in Japan. I'm not joking.

[nZero]

Not only are games in Japan much more expensive in general, there's a huge disparity in the size of the print run between the US and JPN version of RFA. There are literally tens of thousands more copies of the North American release floating around.

[Lovlime]

i used to buy allot of Music CD's from japan... both new and used. Usually small record labels in japan only press a couple of thousand of copys of a record and in most cases they never make a second press, and if the record gets popular they will rise in price both at the new and used market. If you check japanese stores such as cdjapan.co.jp older items are often out of print. I would assume the same could be applied to japanese 360 market which has always been extremely small.

Also Japanese Shmup fans usually prefer to go to the arcades to play their favorite games, so one could assume that niched Shmups on a niched console is not pressed in that many copy's, and a small quantity of copy's means higher productions costs and that in combination with an already expensive market with generally high prices of games, movies and music probably creates the raised price tag.

With music it is not unusual for a used record to have exceeded the original price to almost the double if it is out of print and was pressed in low numbers.

[Ganelon]

You're requesting an in-demand game that already started at a ~$60-70 MSRP price point. If you wanted a game that nobody cared for and/or something so popular that everybody already has (e.g. Halo), then the prices drop fast. Unfortunately, a new JP copy of RFA won't fit in that criteria.

[Elixir]

RFA is a horrendous example. RFA came out over a year before the US release, included a bonus superplay DVD, and was one of the first really worthwhile shmups for the 360. The US version's box art is different, has completely different leaderboards (because foreigners are retarded and can't get along with Japanese players), was released for a budget price and therefore will sell for even lower.

All online retailers overcharge for their shmups. I'm fairly certain anything seen on Play-Asia, NCSX (lol), Yes-Asia (barf), or Renchi (I'm pretty sure no one buys from here any more) can be found in Japan for under half of what they're selling them for. Basically, look on Amazon.co.jp because they will almost always have the lowest available price from an online store. PAL games are usually the most expensive of all, reaching $90-100 USD per game. Compared to that, importing games can actually be cheaper depending on where you live.

[lmagus]

just buy from amiami if it's available there

it's the cheapest place i find for my shmups

[InsaneNutter]

Thanks for all the explanations, I think i understand why now a lot better

I didn't realize the USA version of Raiden was priced as a budget title, so yes bad example on my part however I do get why games such as DoDonPachi cost as much as they do now.

I did manage to pick that up for £40 delivered to the UK a while ago, which is much better than the £50-60 prices I have seen else where for that title.

Off topic: How to you get Amazon.jp to ship games outside of Japan? I have an account and have added my address as an international address. However i always got some error about them only been able to ship music, dvd's and books internationally according to the translation Google Chrome did.

[Vyxx]

...has completely different leaderboards (because foreigners are retarded and can't get along with Japanese players)

That has to be the reason

[ex.machina]

Off topic: How to you get Amazon.jp to ship games outside of Japan?

You don't.

[Jeneki]

I thought the JPN version would cost next to nothing but the price appears to go up over time

*curses the exchange rate*

[yyr]

just buy from amiami if it's available there

it's the cheapest place i find for my shmups

THANK YOU for the recommendation. I didn't know this site even existed and now I'm about to give them a bunch of money!

[neorichieb1971]

Blu rays in Japan are very expensive. The Crow which i've been after for a while is sitting at $55 brand new without shipping to me in the UK. Most USA blu rays are less than half that when they release.

Yet if the product is available in Hong Kong its nearer the USA price!! That I don't understand at all.

[gameoverDude]

B/c everything in Japan is more expensive. No shit, imports are cheaper in Japan. I'm not joking.

IMO the USA version's region lock (won't play in a JPN system) could have something to do with it. This could bump the demand for the JPN version up a bit.

[Mad Mage]

Yup, most everything is more expensive in Japan. Particularly food, DVDs, Electronics (TVs, PCs, ect), and driving. But it's not all bad! Sesame oil is much, much cheaper in Japan.

Oh, and Shmups are a bad example for comparing game prices because of how the American market receives them. The average American gamers will see a shump and say "less than an hour to beat? Bullshit!" so companies that sell shmups here do so on a budget level and only port the shmups they can license for cheap. It'll be interesting to see how Deathsmiles does here, though even with that, it looks like we are getting a deluxe edition for like $50.

[GaijinPunch]

Blu rays in Japan are very expensive.

Other than anime, they're actually cheap (relatively speaking). Cheaper than DVDs were. You can get most movies, western released subtitled, for example, for 3000 yen quite often. DVD were more for ages. Anime -- forget about it. Still pricey.

Yet if the product is available in Hong Kong its nearer the USA price!! That I don't understand at all.

You don't?

[Skykid]

Blu rays in Japan are very expensive.

...Anime -- forget about it. Still pricey.

Akira was almost £100. I walked the fuck away.

Yet if the product is available in Hong Kong its nearer the USA price!! That I don't understand at all.

You don't?

Hong Kong is a tax free port for electronics and one of the worlds largest import/export gateways where businesses get their hands on surplus stock and wholesale goods at lesser duties than elsewhere. They also consume loads which is good for business all round.

[jugu]

just buy from amiami if it's available there

it's the cheapest place i find for my shmups

THANK YOU for the recommendation. I didn't know this site even existed and now I'm about to give them a bunch of money!

I've purchasing from play-asia and yesasia for a while, but I'll give these guys a shot. Thanks for tip!

jugu

[dcharlie]

No shit, imports are cheaper in Japan. I'm not joking

yup, almost all of time buying the western version of Japanese games on import from the US is MUCH cheaper.

Especially now that Asobit and Medialand are really slashing import prices. $48 for a brand new US or Asian game?
I can see how Messe stay in business because they tend to have some deals and more extensive stock, but GMH are pushing $88 as a standard for US imports. Crazy.

Other games of course just get different release profiles : Deadly Premonition $19.99 budet title in the west, $78 title in Japan as Red Seeds Prolfile.

[Elixir]

Other games of course just get different release profiles : Deadly Premonition $19.99 budet title in the west, $78 title in Japan as Red Seeds Prolfile.

Oh god, don't remind me of this. They went as far as to region lock the US version to US-only, then release it in Japan for almost four times the price.

I actually wanted to play this, but it's really only worth $20.

[InsaneNutter]

It'll be interesting to see how Deathsmiles does here, though even with that, it looks like we are getting a deluxe edition for like $50.

I honestly don't think that will do very well in the USA, a random Japanese girl flying about shooting stuff is not most peoples idea of a good game.
I could see something like DoDonPachi been a lot more appealing to US / UK audiences.

Take Espgaluda 2 for example, I think thats a great shump but im not really keen on all the Japanese girls in it, of course I still enjoy the game i'm just saying if you were a plane / tank or helicopter it would be even more appealing to me. A few friends of mine have said the same, although i think ill be in the minority here thinking that so ill be quiet..

Im not really a hardcore shump player I just enjoy playing certain series such as Raiden, DonPachi and a few other randoms like Espgaluda.

[ROBOTRON]

The crafty dealers of import games....I've been warning people about this for the last 6 months.

[Mad Mage]

I don't feel like play-asia makes a killing on their new games. The prices seem only five or ten bucks (at most) more than in Japanese shops. Their shipping is cheap and if you use a five or ten buck coupon (common) they really aren't making much money. I don't know what the original store mark-up is, but if it's anything like in the U.S., it's only 500 or 1000 yen.

[dcharlie]

i get the feeling Play-asia possibly make a killing on the Asian versions of games. When i go on business to HK and i hit up the Wan Chai stores, the prices are insanely low for X360 stuff.

[originalz]

i get the feeling Play-asia possibly make a killing on the Asian versions of games. When i go on business to HK and i hit up the Wan Chai stores, the prices are insanely low for X360 stuff.

Yeah, games in HK are only like $30 new. Play Asia used to sell Asian 360 games for $40, but I guess they realized people would buy them for $50. Hell, some of the bigger Asian games are $60!

PA sucks now that they don't do free shipping to Japan!

[Mad Mage]

Look, I know little about Chinese or Korean game prices. I know they are cheaper than Japanese games. I do wonder if those who claim these game are like $30, are looking at bootlegs, but I wouldn't know.

Regardless, when it comes to Japanese games, having lived in Japan for a year and bought many Japanese games in Japan, I can say Play-asia is not ripping importers of Japanese games off.

[dcharlie]

I do wonder if those who claim these game are like $30, are looking at bootlegs, but I wouldn't know.

all original titles, properly sealed that work on stock J-X360s. They are the real thing. If i wanted bootlegs that ran on chipped machines? Lol, yeah the price is going to be a lot lower than $30!

I have used Play-asia for about 4 years and i'm HAPPY with their service, any issue i've had with them they have resolved PROMPTLY and given me great responses. I have no problem with them at all and , as i wasn't affected by the Mushi incident as i live in Japan, then i have yet to have a bad experience with them.

All i am saying is that they are making a mark up over the local game prices, i mean... that's how they make their money! I have NO qualms with that, just noting that i was surprised at how cheap games were in HK (as long as you didn't shop at HMV and stick to Wan Chai)

People are just saying, as good value as they are the relative reality of the actual prices is quite an eye opener. Not so much for Japan, but more so for Asian softs.

[Elixir]

Yeah well, it's a supply and demand sort of thing. Play-Asia are guilty of overcharging, and I can prove it. Say, just compare their prices to Amazon.jp instead. All of their hardware is massively overpriced, just look at all the different limited edition DS/PSP consoles and what their price is compared to their retail price.

But I don't think there's really any other reliable distributor of Platinum Hits (which is like, Platinum Collection for Japan, but for China) or Asian English releases that sell to an international scale apart from them, so you're paying for the ability to actually obtain them as well. I tried finding an Asian English release of Tales of Vesperia last month and came up empty, so I said fuck it and resorted to getting the JP version instead.

But yeah, that's pretty much how it is.

[dcharlie]

well, i can't comment on their dealings with Japanese games to other locations because i don't use them for that. Just for importing US/Asian games into Japan.

Though given recent prices in Akihabara (Asobit/Media land leading the way) there is little to be gained - cheaper to go to Aki and get the games AND faster.

Though i am sure all that will change at some point, but it's great being able to get import products for $48 or so.

Long may it continue.