Sony selling "pirate quality" GT5 game in Brazil

[wuemura]

This is the official release of the GranTurismo 5 game on Brazil, game code BCUS-98114SA:

This is the box:

1. Dirt and finger prints found in a brand new game.

2. This is the disk artwork, no the camera it's not out of focus, it's that blurry

3. A close up of the print, it's so low quality that looks like a pirate copy of the original.

The art in the disc has washed out colors, the Sony logo is blurry and out of center, etc.

This is how Sony treat us over here, we pay more than double the retail price in US and they give us a pirate quality product. I've tried to change to game to another one at the store, but for my surprise and for the store sellers, a brand new, sealed, game have the exact same print problems AND FINGER PRINTS ALL OVER. We had the option to buy, a much cheaper, US version. But we want to support Sony Brazil game market, by doing the right thing instead of buying from the "black market" and that is what we get.

Many of us tried to talk to Sony Brazil, Sonystyle Brazil, Sony DADC Brazil, local news papers and Sony aren't taking any position about this.

Shame on you Sony to sell us this garbage, and same on me to believe in Sony Brazil.

 

[SB-Corey]

it could happen to be that that was a bad "batch"

but if it's pirated... u could get them into real ****!

 

[otago]

Somebody played your game before you, it's somehow popular in some game stores

 

[FlameWater]

every one of these games were handmade in a sweat shop by a five year old. They spent over 20 hours detailing and encrypted each copy and hand painting every label for $.50 an hour LOL

 

[KilzoneStrife]

WOA! Im sorry Brazil. Im in South Africa, we got the exact same copies (even sig editions) as Europe. Is it the same in Brazil? Does Argentina, Uruguay etc get the same copy?

 

[MiniMarco]

Quit complaining, you guys get all the hot babes.

 

[Grayfox]

my signature disc looks perfect
but i have the AU version

 

[Devedander]

The obvious quesiton, is it possible that IS a pirate copy?

 

[TheMarco]

Quit complaining, you guys get all the hot babes.

Very true...

 

[Novice]

Quit complaining, you guys get all the hot babes.

LOL

 

[Gabkicks]

Quit complaining, you guys get all the hot babes.

 

[RiskyTrousers]

From what I understand anything sold in Brazil must be "made in Brazil". This would make selling anything in Brazil very costly and a huge inconvenience for any foreign manufacturer be it cell phone OEM, Automobile or game company.

What companies do to get around this law is to ship products practically finished less a few screws installed in phones, doors not installed in cars etc.

I believe that what Sony did to get around this is to ship the disc and case separately and have their "factory" in Brazil finish the product, hence the fingerprints.

Asgar

 

[imaweirdo]

There's a reason why you can exchange games for the same exact title within 30 days.

 

[gaming25]

every one of these games were handmade in a sweat shop by a five year old. They spent over 20 hours detailing and encrypted each copy and hand painting every label for $.50 an hour LOL

NOT THE KIDS TOO KAZ, KEEP PREMIUM DETAILS FOR PD. lol!!!!!

 

[iNoob]

Some countries do this to cut costs. Say in India, PC games are cheap due to the level of pirating. Therefore if they make it cheap people will go out and buy it. I think this is the case. Also, not sure, don't quote me on this but aren't Gt5 copies printed locally usually?

 

[Grayfox]

i think that is a standard disc, not a premium one

 

[Razgriz_2142]

Some countries do this to cut costs. Say in India, PC games are cheap due to the level of pirating. Therefore if they make it cheap people will go out and buy it. I think this is the case. Also, not sure, don't quote me on this but aren't Gt5 copies printed locally usually?

yup im pretty sure that Europe disks are printed in Austria and American ones are printed in America lol.

Wouldnt surprise me if Sony is doing the same over in Brazil abliet a lower quality control.As long as the disk wasnt scratched,and worked absolutely fine i wouldnt care.

But it could be cost cutting to try and combat rife piracy which is prevelant in countries not as developed as others and usually the less developed haave fairly lax laws on the subject.

i've had cd's like that and been dissapointed with a couple CD's namely ones trying to use that new fangled case Warner or Universal was trying to introduce.So i've slowly switched over to MP3 by bands on those labels due to playback issues or crappy quality allround.

 

[speedgear]

they seem not pirated , just fast copy production.

 

[speedgear]

Quit complaining, you guys get all the hot babes.

not really , ive been 2 times in holidays in brasil ," the hot babes" , 80% are hot till they make 20,s , and 5% of the "hot babes" , come to Portugal to work in strip clubs.

 

[wuemura]

they seem not pirated , just fast copy production.

A pirate copy of any game has a much better print quality

 

[jimmywizz]

From what I understand anything sold in Brazil must be "made in Brazil". This would make selling anything in Brazil very costly and a huge inconvenience for any foreign manufacturer be it cell phone OEM, Automobile or game company.

What companies do to get around this law is to ship products practically finished less a few screws installed in phones, doors not installed in cars etc.

I believe that what Sony did to get around this is to ship the disc and case separately and have their "factory" in Brazil finish the product, hence the fingerprints.

Asgar

Are you sure? not even China has that kind of lock on global free trade.

 

[risuku13]

i think that is a standard disc, not a premium one

LOL. Nice one! *Checks PS3 discs.

 

[Marcelo1994]

Guys i live in Brazil and everything here is expensive. The g27 in USA costs $299, in Brasil it costs $850

 

[Ramosis]

From what I understand anything sold in Brazil must be "made in Brazil". This would make selling anything in Brazil very costly and a huge inconvenience for any foreign manufacturer be it cell phone OEM, Automobile or game company.

What companies do to get around this law is to ship products practically finished less a few screws installed in phones, doors not installed in cars etc.

I believe that what Sony did to get around this is to ship the disc and case separately and have their "factory" in Brazil finish the product, hence the fingerprints.

Asgar

Man, you are completely wrong. The import taxes may be high here, but there's no restriction to imports. It is just Sony Brazil is lazy, inexcusable.

 

[Marcelo1994]

Everything here is expensive!!!!!!

 

[Brunol]

Some countries do this to cut costs. Say in India, PC games are cheap due to the level of pirating. Therefore if they make it cheap people will go out and buy it. I think this is the case. Also, not sure, don't quote me on this but aren't Gt5 copies printed locally usually?

What you say would make sense if the game turned out to be cheap. It isn't, it's almost USD 120.0

 

[Ramosis]

What you say would make sense if the game turned out to be cheap. It isn't, it's almost USD 120.0

And to think that I opted for "GT5 made in Sony Brazil". In the end I will get a pricer, later, low-quality product. Nevermore I will buy a Sony Brazil game....

 

[speedgear]

"ordem e progresso" progress??????? with those prices??

 

[Brunol]

From what I understand anything sold in Brazil must be "made in Brazil". This would make selling anything in Brazil very costly and a huge inconvenience for any foreign manufacturer be it cell phone OEM, Automobile or game company.

What companies do to get around this law is to ship products practically finished less a few screws installed in phones, doors not installed in cars etc.

I believe that what Sony did to get around this is to ship the disc and case separately and have their "factory" in Brazil finish the product, hence the fingerprints.

Asgar

You're kind of wrong.
On one hand, it is common to have only "assembly" lines, importing the pre-made product and only finishing it over here to reduce taxes, although it doesn't make such a difference on the final price. It happens often in cell phones, as you said, and in motorcycles. On cars, recently only Mercedes did this on the old C-Class, which was a export product only.
Where you're very wrong is on "anything must be made in brazil". Imports are allowed, even though some specific products still have high taxes, reflexes of old "domestic industry protection" policies. Rubbish, as we all know.
On the specific case of video games, it wouldn't make any difference, in terms of consumer prices, if the game was imported or produced over here. The import taxes are high, but the "tax over industrialized product" (IPI, here), are high as well, 70%, if I'm not wrong. That's why it is so expensive to have a PS over here.
Sorry for bad english

 

[wuemura]

Yes, this is not a cheap product, it cost $118.00 dollars to be exact and buying in the official store. If I choose the "gray" market I could buy the same game at about $80.00 to $90.00 dollars at the hand of smugglers.

I've choose to buy from Sony Brazil not because is "made in Brazil" but, stupid as we are, want to support our own game market that is starting and that is what we got.

I don't know why kotaku Brazil is not on with this story, I've bought the game at Uz games.