PS3 games 40 per cent cheaper on PSN

Retail pricing for games has always been a topic for hot debate in India, particularly since console games are priced substantially higher than their PC counterparts. While there are several external factors contributing to this price disparity, chief among them being India’s import duty structure, the fact remains that in this price-sensitive market, most people find console games too expensive.

Publishers and distributors are doing a lot to drop console game prices when they can, but the freefalling Rupee isn’t helping matters, and has seen the standard launch price of Xbox 360 and PS3 games climb from Rs 2,499 to Rs 2,799.

However, the growing collection of PS3 games on the PlayStation Store may come as some respite. A quick browse through the Indian PSN Store reveals that several games are available digitally for far less than what you would pay at a store for the boxed version.

Below are 26 games that are available both on PSN and in stores, and the digital versions are remarkably cheaper – by 43 per cent on average. Of course, these aren’t the only games that are priced lower; just the more high profile games and those that bear the highest price difference to their retail counterparts.

And there are exceptions. Sony’s games are priced the same online and at retail, and thanks to Take-Two’s aggressive pricing strategy in India, some of their games (Mafia II and Bioshock 2, for example) are actually cheaper at retail. But look at the catalogues of other publishers and the price difference is often massive. The best example of this is EA. Bulletstorm, which still retails for Rs 2,499 in stores, is going for just Rs 999 on PSN, while Dead Space 2 (Rs 2,599 boxed) is priced at Rs 1,199 digitally, and you can get all the DLC with it for Rs 1,899.

All of this comes with the obvious caveats. These games are massive; most of them weighing in at over 10 GB. So you’ll need a high speed internet connection with plenty of bandwidth and a generous FUP to make these digital purchases a regular habit.

Here are some of PS3 games that are available both digitally and at retail along with prices for both (PlayStation Store prices in brackets):

• Assassin’s Creed: Revelations – Rs 2,699 (Rs 1,499; Rs 1,199 for PS Plus subscribers)
• Binary Domain – Rs 2,799 (Rs 999; Rs 849 for PS Plus subscribers)
• Bodycount – Rs 2,499 (Rs 1,899)
• Bulletstorm – Rs 2,499 (Rs 999)
• Call of Duty: Black Ops – Rs 2,499 (Rs 1,699)
• Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 – Rs 1,999 (Rs 1,499)
• Crysis 2 – Rs 2,499 (Rs 1,199)
• Dead Space 2 – Rs 2,599 (Rs 1,199; Rs 1,899 with DLC)
• Deus Ex: Human Revolution – Rs 2,499 (Rs 999 with DLC)
• Dirt 3 – Rs 2,499 (Rs 1,499)
• Duke Nukem Forever – Rs 2,499 (Rs 999)
• Far Cry 2 – Rs 1,299 (Rs 999)
• Ferrari Challenge Deluxe – Rs 1,999 (Rs 740)
• Fight Night Champion – Rs 2,499 (Rs 1,499)
• Homefront – Rs 2,499 (Rs 1,699)
• Just Cause 2 – Rs 1,499 (Rs 999)
• Mass Effect 3 – Rs 2,799 (Rs 2,499)
• Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit – Rs 1,799 (Rs 850)
• Prince of Persia Trilogy – Rs 1,499 (Rs 850)
• Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands – Rs 999 (Rs 699)
• Red Faction: Armageddon – Rs 2,499 (Rs 740)
• Resident Evil 5 Gold Edition – Rs 1,699 (Rs 685)
• Saints Row: The Third – Rs 2,499 (Rs 1,899)
• Shift 2: Unleashed – Rs 2,499 (Rs 1,499)
• Split/Second: Velocity – Rs 1,999 (Rs 999)
• Tiger Woods PGA Tour 12: The Masters – Rs 2799 (Rs 1,499)

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