Canadian Video Markeplace pricing unearthed
by Richard Mitchell 
{ Dec 7th 2007 at 5:30PM }
Microsoft's Canadian Xbox 360 guru, Jade, has unveiled some new details on the Canadian version of the the Xbox Live Video Marketplace launching next week. First, there will by 37 movies available at launch including films like 300, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and Ocean's 13. As announced before, there will not be any television programming available, with no clear reason given as to why. Of course, the most important part is the price. For Library titles (read: old), standard definition runs 310 MS Points, while high definition movies will cost 460 MS Points. For Current titles (new releases), SD movies will cost 460 points and HD will cost 610 points. In other words, Canadians are paying significantly more than Americans, who pay 240 or 360 points for older films, and 360 or 480 for new releases. So, Canadians spend nearly $9 on an HD new release compared to $6 American. For what it's worth, Microsoft claims the prices are "comparable to what you see in Canada for other video on demand services."Find a list of all movies that will be available at launch after the break.
Warner Bros.
Babylon 5, The Lost Tales: Voices in the Dark
TMNT
300
Lucky You
Homie Spumoni
Wiggles: Getting Strong!
Believers (UNRATED)
Return to Haunted Hill (UNRATED)
The Reaping
License to Wed
In the Land of Women
A Dennis the Menace Christmas
Ocean's Thirteen
December Boys
Amadeus
Creepshow
Enter the Dragon
Everybody's All-American
The King and I (1999)
Krush Groove
The Man with Two Brains
The Neverending Story
Risky Business
Wyatt Earp
Maple Pictures
Borderline Cult
Air Guitar Nation
The Condemned
Delta Farce
Bug
A Few Days In September
Pirates of Ghost Island
Holla
Cutting Class (1989)
MPI
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre
Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer
Henry 2: Portrait of a Serial Killer
Spider Baby
[Thanks DjDATZ]
Get a WordPress.com Blog
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Feedback @ Dec 7th 2007 10:20PM
Not from Canada or USA myself, but thats a pretty BS excuse when other Live content (Live arcade games) and themes are the same points price the world over...
shane86 @ Dec 7th 2007 5:38PM
wow Canada are being fleeced.
Andre @ Dec 7th 2007 5:46PM
Comparable my ass. You can rent a new release DVD at Rogers Video for $4 + tax.
evilbyte @ Dec 7th 2007 5:49PM
ouch, totally getting fleeced ... Microsoft's data must be way out of date
evilbyte @ Dec 7th 2007 5:53PM
BTW ... I use Bell's HD service ... I can rent HD movies for $6.99. I'll pass, Microsoft!
Wolfrider @ Dec 7th 2007 5:55PM
How I love exchange rates. When the dollar is down. Prices go up. When the dollar is up, prices go up. Oh M$ you tickle me so.
xenocidic @ Dec 8th 2007 9:02AM
simple economics; Prices are always sticky on the way down.
priznat @ Dec 7th 2007 5:59PM
I look forward to this service, so that I might ignore it much like other ridiculously overpriced video-on-demand services.
So we pay more for MS Points than the US AND have to spend more of these points to rent a movie? Wow, what a deal. Thanks MS!
Vager @ Dec 7th 2007 5:59PM
We always get fleeced. Its a fact of life here. Hence why half the country goes to the US to shop for the holidays.
WTangoFoxtrot @ Dec 7th 2007 6:01PM
MS always astonishes me with the numerous ways it finds to fleece its customers more and more each day !
Aaron McNair @ Dec 8th 2007 4:21PM
I was excited about this till I heard the price even Rogers who gouges with 7.99 a hd movie on demand looks like a good deal. With the Canadian dollar at par or stronger this is complete BS.
BlackBeltJones @ Dec 7th 2007 6:05PM
Good, Canada deserves it for being Canada. The worst part of it is that now Knuckles will complain about it on the podcast and then bring up the Canadian dollars strength compared to the US dollar like every other podcast since they US dollar dipped.
CalabreZ @ Dec 7th 2007 6:15PM
I'm not sure if you're sarcastic or stupid.
amart @ Dec 7th 2007 8:06PM
yah... he's definitely just stupid... really stupid.
aZTEKv2 @ Dec 10th 2007 1:35PM
wow, i think he's being serious... noooo it can't be. can it?
Terd Ferguson @ Dec 7th 2007 6:19PM
"comparable to what you see in Canada for other video on demand services."
So, by that statement is MS trying to just be like other video on demand services or do they want to be the leade? Obviously they don't give a rats ass about leading in Canada.
I guess I'll just download it for free and watch it on the xbox since they added xvid support. You fleece us, we fleece you.
Wolfrider @ Dec 7th 2007 10:05PM
Amen!
CharleyTony @ Dec 7th 2007 6:24PM
The DIVX support kinda kills the whle purpose of Downloading movies doesnt it ? What do they do about it ? They make it even pricier !!!!
Like we dont get screwed enough with our 1400 MS Points at 20$ (plus taxes = 23$) when the US gamers get 1600 for the same money since the canadian buck is pretty much on par with the US one nowadays. At least tell us if you need those 200 points to translate sh*t into french !!!
Trevor Smiley @ Dec 7th 2007 6:30PM
i would have been happy with the US prices (especially since our dollar is at par). But with the higher price tags, I'll just go across the street to BlockBuster.
todd @ Dec 7th 2007 6:47PM
now you guys are bitching about the pricing? geeze, you waste money on gas going to the store and you gotta haul your butt out in the cold, personally I love the vid marketplace. AND if you look for deals on cards you can make out well, I took advantage of those buy one get one 1600 cars a while back and have over 8k of points. Transformers this weekend and Oceans 13 later... Be happy your finally getting it.
fanboih8r @ Dec 17th 2007 5:18PM
Are you kidding? You're actually okay with paying almost 10 bucks for an hd movie that expires? Are you mentally handicapped or french? Anyone who pays these ridiculous rates, deserves to lose every penny they have. And you sir, are an idiot.
evilbyte @ Dec 7th 2007 6:51PM
or you could use something like canflix.com and get movies & games delivered to your door ... >8)
CDN Crockett @ Dec 7th 2007 6:53PM
I pay $5.25 after taxes for a new release at out local video store.
Van Faulk @ Dec 7th 2007 7:05PM
What i don't get is the old/ new distinction. Why is it like that in Canada but not the US?
Kash @ Dec 7th 2007 7:46PM
Wow, that is horrible.
The Canadian Dollar is the same as the US. And we still pay more!
No thanks, I wont be ordering a single video from Microsoft.
I pay $5 for my movies when I rent. So that whole thing that it is the same as other services is bs.
Come on microsoft, don't be so ignorant.
truthseeker @ Dec 7th 2007 8:19PM
Does MS not communicate with the Canadian consumer. Clearly when it comes to online pricing strategy they do not understand the market. This is American ignorance at its best.
Mark @ Dec 7th 2007 9:44PM
I'd love to be able to watch Heroes on my Xbox 360, but I have a sinking feeling that if Microsoft could offer TV up here, they would. This is usually the part where people start screaming... about the CRTC and Canadian broadcasters.
kakoschris @ Jun 17th 2009 9:34PM
I was looking forward to this at one point awhile back, now I can see that I definitely will not be using this service since it lacks what I would have used it for - TV shows... (thanks for divx/xvid though!). The pricing scheme sucks @$$, we already pay more for the damn M$ points than the US (One of the things I like about my PS3 is the fact that Sony let's you charge the amount you see (for a game or whatever else they sell) in real dollars straight to your visa, none of these stupid points (MS and Nintendo).
This is lack of vids is probably a result of the recent propaganda that says Canada is responsible for 50% of worldwide movie piracy..... (they fear our h@x0ring skills!)
Oh well....
agelgamer @ Dec 7th 2007 10:09PM
Wow. For a feature I was envious of, sorry MS but I'll pass. There's no way I'm going to pay $9 for a download.
Not to mention our stronger dollar (for now). Seems extremely steep.
Rogers On Demand movies are $5.99. That's quite a huge difference.
As for BlackBeltJones... you're an ignorant prick who makes Americans look worse than they actually are.
Ignorant people piss me off.
mike @ Dec 7th 2007 10:11PM
lol I find this extreamly funny. Microsoft finnaly comes out with the service and its extreamly overpriced. Ill be shocked if the service is not cancled within 1 month here in canada.
we already pay more DOLLARS for our points via the US despite our even dollar, but now we have to ALSO PAY MORE POINTS. there giving us a double wammy of overpricing lol.
Good thing im a Pirate and dont care one way or the other, arg.
Tony @ Dec 7th 2007 10:35PM
All of these prices are freaking horrible to begin with. Especially when the files stop working 24 hours after the first play. At least give me 48 for these prices.
Dr. Funbags @ Dec 7th 2007 11:23PM
Hmmm, HD torrents or 7$ downloads. I wish Canada had a choice.
Kogen @ Dec 7th 2007 11:33PM
Maybe they should start advertising PS3s on the dashboard too. It seems they don't want money.
jesse @ Dec 7th 2007 11:46PM
wow this is so ignorant microsoft it almsot makes me want to switch to ps3 and i dont even like ps3 why do you keep screwing canadians around so disappointed in xbox right now and its my favourite console ever
Sky Shark X2 @ Dec 8th 2007 2:07AM
Perhaps the pricing is because they don't expect as many users in Canada or maybe there aren't enough to make a profit on the US's price system for the video content.
SadisticHam @ Dec 8th 2007 5:26AM
That's rather odd, they announced the UK pricing awhile ago and it's very very reasonable, it actually competes with our TV service that's been offering film rentals for years now.
I can only presume there info is out of date, they've no reason not to have competitive prices with your other services, it's not a hate for Canadians stop and think for a moment - What do they have to gain for making it over priced? There going to lose customers.
Adam @ Dec 8th 2007 10:42AM
I've been trying to find the UK pricing for ages, i knew it had been announced but im either too stupid or too lazy to find it, any chance of a linkage if you know one off the top of your head? Tres appreciated!
Silent @ Dec 8th 2007 4:20PM
Bull. Rogers Video (Canada's main video rental service outlet) actually charges only $5.49 to rent HD-DVD & Blu Ray titles. Needless to say, it's been saving me a ton of cash as newer HD-DVDs often go for $40 here in Canada while Blu-Rays are often $30+.
That said, just finally having it available here is nice. Currently the video content on Canada's XBL is a UFC match, some snippet from some Avengers cartoon, an ad for Pontiac, and an episode of Viva Pinata. Bleh. Maybe they'll start releasing trailers and music videos again to download. Main thing I'm waiting for are the TV shows though.
Penguin Warlord @ Dec 8th 2007 5:57PM
One step forward, two steps back.
CharleyTony @ Dec 9th 2007 12:00AM
hey guys , my local video lets you rent 2 NEW dvds for 2 days for 5 $...
and for series I can rent the whole case (one season usually) for 8 - 10 $ and they let me keep that one for a whole week !!!
come one microsoft... you can do better than this ,, local video store are what you are competing with, not other digital distribution services
Tom @ Dec 10th 2007 10:11PM
i live in canada and i can pay 3 dollars to see a new release on Shaw On Demand and M$ thinks that 5 something dollars is comperable. I guess i wont be buying any movies from you guys microsoft. And another thing, with the Canadian and American dollars so close in value, there is no reason they should be charging us differently. We pay 70 dollars for new video game releases where as you guys pay 60.
bran @ Dec 9th 2007 5:21PM
Thank you Microsoft for fair pricing!.......... oh wait.....
WorldSpawn @ Dec 10th 2007 12:38PM
I was pretty excited to use this service. But with those prices I'll boycott it.
Edgar Doiron @ Dec 12th 2007 7:51PM
Through my digital terminal, movies are only 5$ for new release (SD)
fanboih8r @ Dec 17th 2007 5:25PM
You can rent an HD-PPV for 6.99 with Shaw, and if you have HD, you probably have a PVR(Personal Video Recorder). So you can permanently own an HD movie on your box, for less than a rental. I work for Shaw, so it's actually half price for me, but regardless, it's a no brainer. I now refuse to purchase ANYthing through XBL, exception maybe being new COD4 maps. Cause that game is worth it. Heroic map pack? Who GAF?
fanboih8r @ Dec 17th 2007 5:25PM
I h8 this stupid point crap. It's just a way for them to disguise their overpriced crap. Over $15 for an Xbox original download that you can pick up used for half the price or brand new for about the same. And you can hold it in your hand. DLC will never be what the M$ thinks it will be. Never.