Call of Duty: Elite priced for Australia

The initial announcement for Call of Duty: Elite divided fans--some were excited by the service, while others questioned what it would actually add to the Call of Duty experience. However, two weekends ago Activision won over fan support for the service when it announced the pricing structure and, more importantly, indicated that a one-year subscription would come free with the Hardened Edition of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3.

While Activision initially left out pricing for Call of Duty: Elite Down Under, the megapublisher today revealed local pricing. A one-year subscription will set Aussie fans back A$64.99 for PlayStation 3 users and 4,000 Microsoft points for those on Xbox 360. At this stage, no pricing for the PC version of Call of Duty: Elite has been announced.

If you compare that to the US pricing, Aussies are paying $14.99 more for the service. GameSpot AU has asked local Activision reps for comment on the price discrepancy, but we have yet to hear back.

While the inflated price of Call of Duty: Elite in Australia might be a bit of a kick between the legs to Aussie gamers, it's important to remember that those who purchase the Hardened Edition of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 will receive a free one-year subscription to the service. Aside from all of the statistical services that Call of Duty: Elite offers, subscribers will get free access to all four DLC packs for Modern Warfare 3. Given that the previous Call of Duty DLC expansions usually retail for around A$23.95 in Australia, it's fair to speculate that you'll still be saving money by signing up for Elite.

For more information on what the Call of Duty: Elite service offers, check out our coverage from the Call of Duty XP event.