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EA has priced FIFA 13 at Rs 3,499 on PS3 and Rs 1,799 for PC, one of the publisher’s Indian distributors has revealed.
Milestone Interactive, who distributes EA’s Playstation and PC releases in India, confirmed the prices to retailers over the weekend.
In addition to the aforementioned PS3 and PC prices, prices for the PS Vita (Rs 2,799), PSP (Rs 1,799) and PS2 (Rs 999) versions of FIFA 13 were also revealed. The price of the Xbox 360 version, which will be distributed by Redington, is not yet known.
The price of FIFA 13 is a steep hike from that of FIFA 12. The PS3 version sees a substantial 40 per cent rise from last year’s Rs 2,499 price, while the PC version has received a massive 80% price increase from FIFA 12’s Rs 999 pricing.
To put that into perspective, the PS3 version of FIFA 13 will cost more in India than it does in the US (based on current exchange rates); a first for EA releases in India. It’s especially surprising considering EA’s early stance on console game pricing in India. The publisher had established Rs 2,499 as the ideal price for new console game releases, even prompting Sony to drop its first-party game prices from Rs 2,799 to toe the line. Other third parties soon followed suit as well, making the Rs 2,499 price point the industry standard.
While this price increase for the console versions could be down to India’s struggling Rupee, the Rs 1,799 price for the PC version is harder to comprehend, especially in a country where Rs 999 has become the norm. Additionally, since EA’s PC games are replicated and packaged locally, they aren’t subjected to the same customs and import duties that the console versions, which are wholly imported, face.
The Rs 3,499 price for console games isn’t unprecedented though. The Call of Duty games have been retailing at that price for a while, although Activision’s other games have been priced lower. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim was also released at Rs 3,499 in India.
It is likely that EA will also follow this pricing strategy for its upcoming releases, Medal of Honor: Warfighter and Need for Speed: Most Wanted. We’ve contacted EA to get a better idea about the reason behind its new pricing strategy, and we will update this story as we know more.
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