9 replies to this topic

[tyree]

does anyone think console game makers realize that over 50 dollars is too high for a game. how much more can the price be raised and still be expected to sell

[Reedbeta]

Well, the thing is...people complain that $60 is too much for a game, but then they quite often knuckle under and buy it anyway.

Console game publishers don't care too much whether people complain about their prices; they care whether people pay their prices.

Plus, AAA games have really enormous development costs - with marketing included it's easily tens of millions. Add that to the consoles being sold at a loss and the console maker needing to recoup their investment. They have to charge a good chunk of money to have any chance of breaking even.

Issues like this are why a lot of people think that the next console generation may well be the last.

(BTW, moved the thread to the Business sub-forum since it seems to fit. )

[fireside]

I'm really surprised that the general population has that much money. I certainly don't. I buy games that are about 3 years old or more for the pc. It seems like console games don't drop very fast in price either. I don't have a console and don't plan on getting one. I have to say, I do enjoy playing some games with a controller. It's quite a bit more comfortable, and I wouldn't mind playing on a big screen tv. I think some of these games are actually worth the money when you consider how many hours of play time they give. It will be interesting to see how things turn in the future. Steam is getting more popular and I think that worries console manufacturers.

[Stainless]

I never pay full price for a game.

I either wait a while till the price drops, or get one second hand, or in some cases I get them free from the developers.

In the old days the high price was justified by the amount of piracy, "Do the piracy tango, do the tape to tape and shake it all about", now they don't even bother to say anything.

Most of the time I don't mind, but certain franchises really annoy me. Modern Warfare II tried to impose a RRP of £75.00 (about $120.00), the retailers refused to play ball. Good for them.

I look at some games and cannot believe people will pay £10.00 for them never mind the average or £40.00

I really don't mind paying a bit extra for quality, I'm quite happy to spend an extra £30 to get a bottle of champagne that tastes nice rather than buying a cheap bottle that would be better used sprinkled on my chips. It's when they throw some second rate crap onto the market and charge full price for it that I get annoyed.

[jbadams]

In my local area, it costs $18 (or higher for the larger screens, if you need a new pair of 3d glasses, etc.) for a ticket to a movie at the cinema, and most movies last between 2 and 3 hours. Personally, I think this is too much and avoid going to the cinema unless there's something I think will really be worth the "big screen experience" or unless I'm given a ticket as a present, but enough people are willing to pay this price that the cinemas sell out many sessions and do a booming business.

Compared to $18 or more for 2-3 hours of entertainment, $100 (that is, roughly five times the price of cinema entry -- and yes, new video games cost us that much here in Australia in spite of a very similar value to our currency) for a game that will provide 50 hours or more (that is, at least 5 times the amount of entertainment) doesn't seem so unreasonable.

As Reedbeta says, if people are willing to pay these prices they will continue to be charged, and there are a lot of costs to be covered when you consider distributions, royalties, and the astronomical development budgets now spent on these titles.


Personally, I'd much buy a good indie game and the occasional puzzle or arcade-styled game for my mobile devices. If you're not happy with the prices of new AAA titles, then don't pay them and instead seek out one of the many cheaper sources of games; indie games, older titles, games for mobile or tablet, etc.

Reedbeta, on 28 January 2013 - 09:22 PM, said:

Issues like this are why a lot of people think that the next console generation may well be the last.

Honestly, "a lot of people" have been saying such things about every console generation for as long as I can remember. I'll believe it when I actually see it.

We have however had an interesting shift, with modern consoles taking on the role of multi-purpose devices -- they're now used as media centres, network storage and various other purposes along with playing games, and are essentially a different type of PC. They've changed a lot, and have very little in common with the consoles of our childhoods; games can be updated and have DLC, they browse the web, they fill the role of DVD or Blu-ray player in many houses.

[TheNut]

As far back as I can remember prices have always been around that area. I remember NES and SNES games costing just as much, and a few even going for $70. PC gamers have enjoyed a relaxed system where new releases usually settle at 50, sometimes 40. Or if you use Steam, you have daily deals, weekend deals, holiday deals that are bottom of the barrel cheap. It sets a whole new comfort zone that makes it difficult when you purchase something at full price.

Personally I don't mind the price as long as its justified in terms of game quality and who gets the money. I often give indie devs full price rather than discount because I know they get most of that money. It's when you have people like Rob Kotick enter the picture creating unnecessary tension with customers that things start to get a little heated. That your money doesn't go to developers as much as it goes to impress shareholders and bonuses to executives is where I draw the line.

[Stainless]

That's why I left the game industry the first time.

I was handed a copy of the minutes of the meeting of the board of directors for a well known old company.

Item 1 on the agenda was "Another way of reducing the royalties paid to developers"

They expected us to work 24 hours a day because they had paid for advertising before the game was ready, then invented ways of ripping us off.

[tyree]

I know full well the price of development. but something has to give, games are inching ever closer to 100. regardless of the country your in. development cost are going to have to come down. software developers should never make the mistake hardware manufactures make. by pricing out of reach

[rouncer]

the new thing out is the f2p mmo's, only if you want to be a member of the community do you ever pay, seems like thats the route ill go.

[silkroadgame]

Of course they will think $50 is high,so we need to make something more awesome and worth this price!