Xbox Gaming in South Africa

There's been lots of talk lately on whether the poor Rand/Dollar exchange will effect pricing, and unfortunately, change is happening sooner than expected. Retailers have received word that Megarom (a major local distributor) will be releasing new pricing for games released after the 27th of October. No word on how much the price increase will be.

Although some gamers have reported that pre-ordering is the best route, most - if not all - retailers will change their pricing if the price changes significantly. Unfortunately, pre-ordering won't stop the effects of a major increase but I'd still recommend it on the chance the increase is small enough for the retailer to take the hit.

[UPDATE] I've just got off the phone with Megarom and I can confirm the price increase is not as bad as some have expected. Titles released on or before the 27th of October will not be effected. So games like Far Cry 2 will stay the same. After that, games by Activision, such as Call of Duty: World at War and Quantom of Solace, including Fallout 3, will increase to R679, with Ubisoft games, Tom Clancy's EndWar & Prince of Persia, expected to come out at R699. In general there will be a R80 - R100 increase across the ball on most titles. Megarom also reminded me that if the Rand strengthens and settles, pricing will be adjusted accordingly. Oh, and before I forget, Guitar Hero: World Tour will not be affected!

[UPDATE 2] Just got word from Ster Kinekor, who distribute for publishers such as Midway Games, that their pricing will not change until the new year. This means titles such as Mortal Kombat vs. DC Comics, Rise of the Argonauts and Blitz: The League 2 won't change in pricing.

How will the price increase effect your buying intentions this summer. If it's R100 extra for a game, will you still buy the amount intended? As soon as more information becomes available, I'll update this post.