Aussies and Europeans fume over PS3 price

THERE IS A BIT of a barny brewing over the price of Sony's PS3 which will ship in some places at a much higher price than Japan and the US.

It seems that Australians will have to pay £400 while the Europeans will have to stump up £425. The Japanese only had to pay £253.531 and the US £307.72.

Sony is bending over backwards to justify the huge price difference. It claims that in the case of Australia it is because the nation is too small compared to the US.

According to the Sydney Morning Herald, Sony's managing director for Australia and New Zealand, Michael Ephraim, reckons Australians have to realise that they live in a country with 22 million people, three million kangaroos and 110 million sheep. The US supplies product to 300 million, which creates very different business dynamics, particularly as most of its population does not go baa or jump up and down a lot.

While some might accept that argument, one has to wonder what the justification for the price difference is in the EU which is equal to the United States as the world's largest economy. Then wonder why the US is still nearly £50 higher than Japan.

EU and Aussie punters were told that they would have to pay the price for Sony's cock-up over distribution and wait a couple of extra months for their PS3 to arrive.

Now the PS3 is set to arrive in the stores it seems that Sony is determined that the EU and Australian should pay over the odds for the privilege. Sheesh Kebab. µ