Australian PlayStation 3 owners looking to invest in EA’s new Battlefield Premium service may have noticed a pretty hefty price discrepancy. PS3 owners in the US were being charged $US50, while Australians were being asked for $80 on consoles, despite the fact PC users in Australia were paying the same as those in the US. Now it looks as though EA is planning a price reduction.
It’s been a long process. EA initially advertised Battlefield Premium at the price of $49.99, as seen in the above image. Potential consumers were understandably upset to find themselves asked for $80 when trying to purchase the service on the PlayStation Store.
Shortly after the complaints, EA changed its local advertising to reflect the fact that the $49.99 fee was ‘Origin Only’, meaning that console owners would have to pay the extra dollars for the service.
The problem lay not just with EA but with local pricing on the PlayStation Store, which is negotiated between EA and Sony. After the initial uproar and the petition it appears as though both EA and Sony have agreed to some form of price correction, reducing the price from the initial $80 to just under $65. Still $15 short of the initially advertised price and $15 short of what’s being paid by PC users and console gamers overseas — but still cheaper than the radically marked-up price.
Sony is also offering to refund the difference to anyone who paid the initial $80.
Overall I’d say this is a positive move. It shows that publishers are listening to the problems with local pricing, and while it’s hardly an ideal solution — Aussies are still paying $15 more — it’s a step in the right direction.
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