YEs racist. Here's the news
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/cms.dll/html/uncomp/articleshow?msid=129379
NEW DELHI: Electronics major Sony launched game console PlayStation
2 in the country at Rs 17,900 -- almost double its grey market
price. Despite the PS2's high-entry cost, company officials are
confident about invading your living room.
"PS2 console prices are high because of the 66 per cent customs
duty. We have launched it officially as there is a potential market
for it in the country," said Tim Stokes, heading distribution
markets for Sony Computer Entertainment Europe (SCEE).
SCEE has appointed Mumbai-based Milestone Interactive Software to
distribute the PS2 and its gaming software for the Indian
region.
However, industry analysts said Sony has a tough battle ahead with
the grey market, in addition to intense competition from Nintendo's
Game Boy Advance and Microsoft's XBox, which are abundantly
available in the smuggled goods market.
In addition to playing audio CDs and PSl and PS2 games, the PS2
console can also be used as a DVD video player. But you can
playback region 2 DVDs from European countries.
While 200,000 people own PS1 in the country, Sony officials
estimate a penetration of 20,000 PS2 across the country. "Majority
of them are unsatisfied customers as they end up spending the
original PS2 price in the first six months," said Jayant Sharma,
chairman of Milestone, which develops as well as distributes third
party publishers software including PS1 and PS2 game consoles in
India.
Sharma said they did trial runs after buying PS2s from the grey
market. "In the first three weeks we had to spend an additional Rs
3,000 to make it work. It is not a good proposition buying in the
grey market."
However retailers in Palika Bazaar tell a different story. "We have
satisfied customers repeatedly coming to buy PS2 gaming software,"
said a retailer who sells a dozen PS2 consoles each day.
While gaming prices have been strategically brought down to Rs
1500-Rs 3000 levels by overseas game publishers and distributors in
order to capture mind share among the teen buffs, it is available
for a couple of hundred bucks in the booming grey market.
Games like Eye Toy, Formula One 2003, Final Fantasy X, Tomb Raider,
Lord of the Rings are best sellers this month in India. In general,
titles in action, adventure sports, violence and wrestling generate
interest in the Indian market.
Milestone plans to set up PS2 kiosks in office and entertainment
complexes to market the product.