The price we pay for games can be a contentious issue for South African consumers. Often the prices of titles listed by local retailers appear to be grossly inflated when compared with international levels.

Unfortunately additional costs such as shipping, customs taxes and operational fees are not taken into account by the average consumer. These, when combined with the lack of economies of scale that we experience in South Africa, all serve to raise local gaming prices.

This drives a large contingency of local gamers, specifically those who favour the PC as their platform of choice, into the waiting arms of the piracy fraternity.

For those who favour a more honourable approach we at TechSmart have compiled a gaming pricing comparison. This incorporates some of the most popular retailers in South Africa, both online and land based, with regards to game sales.

Among the games chosen for the comparison is a selection of newly released and classic titles on the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC.

Overall one can see that for PS3 and Xbox 360 titles Zaps, which is based in Johannesburg, but which also has an online shopping arm, was the most affordable retailer overall. Local online retailer Take 2 also featured prominently.