Console Games, Pricing

Why have console software prices become so stringent? Is there a specific mandate or is it an accepted unwavering norm of the current industry? I just think some games would really benefit selling retail for 40$ instead of 60$. It seems some games aren't opposed to charging 70$, so as long as the change is upward in price it’s all good? It seems weird to me in an industry that's growing, were the audience is no longer simply hardcore gamers. You aren't really going to entice a new gamer if every game is 60$ retail. They'll also probably play it as much time as it takes to watch a movie at first, so why not just buy/netflix a movie?

It’s also the reason why i think used games are such a big market now. If you're new to gaming are you more willing to chance 10$, 20$, 30$, 40$ or 60$? Developers now say console used sales are worse than piracy, and i think there's a great point there. The best anti-piracy measure on the pc right now is Netflix and Steam by providing legitimate, convenient, easy options. The thing is consumers are willing to pay as long as you aren't trying to shaft them in broad daylight.

Another point is how some developers blatantly try to shaft their customers by selling unfinished, borked games for full price retail to recoup losses. This practice basically passes on their failure to unknowing "chumps", the customers. Honestly for what bioware did with DA2, I’m only going to buy ME3 used or on steam for a 5$ sale. I'd rather give money to GameStop then bioware at this point, because it was a blatant money grab. But that’s another rant all together.

So in tern i think middleware has a place in the market, but not a full retail price. Sell your first game at middleware cost, then when enough people like the basic concept you make some money. You invest that money into the sequel making an AAA or close game, and sell it for full retail. I think the Witcher is a good example of middleware to full AAA title in the sequel.

So what do you guys think?

I think that games have reached the 60$ mark because they have become more expensive to make. Game's require a lot more assets and resources now and they take time to make. When you spend 3 to 5 years making one game, you want that game to make its money back and then some. That's why game's have become more expensive and will continue to be priced at 60 to 80$ as technology moves forward.

I think that games have reached the 60$ mark because they have become more expensive to make. Game's require a lot more assets and resources now and they take time to make. When you spend 3 to 5 years making one game, you want that game to make its money back and then some. That's why game's have become more expensive and will continue to be priced at 60 to 80$ as technology moves forward.

Also, keep in mind that whole inflation thing.

Developers now say console used sales are worse than piracy, and i think there's a great point there. The best anti-piracy measure on the pc right now is Netflix and Steam by providing legitimate, convenient, easy options. The thing is consumers are willing to pay as long as you aren't trying to shaft them in broad daylight.

The $60 price tag always forces me to buy it during a sale or wait till it drops to 29.99.

I think that as consumers of the gaming industry, we've been incredibly lucky that we've hardly seen changes in our game prices over the last 20 years or so.

I think that games have reached the 60$ mark because they have become more expensive to make. Game's require a lot more assets and resources now and they take time to make. When you spend 3 to 5 years making one game, you want that game to make its money back and then some. That's why game's have become more expensive and will continue to be priced at 60 to 80$ as technology moves forward.

I think that as consumers of the gaming industry, we've been incredibly lucky that we've hardly seen changes in our game prices over the last 20 years or so.

Games are being advertised more and more.

You also can't forget that the publishers want to make a profit as well.

From one of Michael Pachter's "Pach-Attack" episodes:

$60 you pay for a game can be divided as follows:
-$12 - the money earned by a video game/electronics store (Gamestop, Bestbuy)
-$12 - the money that goes to one of the Big Three: Microsoft/Nintendo Sony
-$9 - the money spent on advertising
-$10 - the money that goes to the developer
-$17 - profit to the publisher

Unfortunately, there is a stigma attached to retail games that are below $60. People have a misconception that the lower price is an indication of a lower quality product.

Yup, if they know the consumer will pay it then they will charge it.

There isn't really much benefit to selling a game at less than full price on launch. If it doesn't sell well, they can reduce the price a few weeks later. That means they get a few people buying at $60 dollars, and then more buying at $40. Plus, the psychological impact of "hey, this game was $60 but is now $40" is far better than the psychological impact of "hey, this game is $40". Getting $20 off the original price seems far more appealing than the game just launching $20 less than the standard price of console games. Especially with the stigma that is attached to "budget" titles.

@Yanngc33 said:

I think that games have reached the 60$ mark because they have become more expensive to make. Game's require a lot more assets and resources now and they take time to make. When you spend 3 to 5 years making one game, you want that game to make its money back and then some. That's why game's have become more expensive and will continue to be priced at 60 to 80$ as technology moves forward.

Yeah, cant really think of anything to add to this.

Console games have a base price of around $70 here in Canada, and when you add in tax the games are close to around $100 a pop. I don't recall the last time I bought a new console game, because they just cost way too much. I wait for them to drop to around the $20 bargain bin price before I pick them up.

They're priced all at around $60 now because we're still buying them for $60. If the sales of video games slowed considerably, they would lower the standard price, I'm sure.  Although I do love game developers who price their games accordingly, like Deadly Premonition, or Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts and Bolts. Even on the original Xbox, one of my favorite games for that system was Phantom Dust, and I think that was priced at 20 bucks when it first came out.

I've noticed that a lot of games come out priced at $60, but wind up on shelves at a discount. For instance, I picked up Portal 2 a week after it came out for $40. Considering the length of that game, I thought that was a much more suitable price point. I think it should be allowed that some games come in at a lower price point. Gamers expect a lot out of their $60, and there have been a number of games that just haven't seemed worth the full price.

It's not just a matter of charging $60 because they can. Most AAA titles are hugely expensive, and they need to charge that much to recoup costs. But they also need to recoup money lost on other non-AAA games. A lot of games simply don't make huge returns. That's why we're seeing a lot of sequels these days, even for games whose sales might not completely justify it. Game development is far more expensive for HD consoles, and the costs of development are only going to go up. That's one reason why I'm unsure if I'm ready for a new generation of consoles right now. I don't want to pay $80 for a game, and I imagine that's what they're going to have to charge to cover the added costs from more complicated graphics and the building of new development platforms.

@Yanngc33 said:

I think that games have reached the 60$ mark because they have become more expensive to make. Game's require a lot more assets and resources now and they take time to make. When you spend 3 to 5 years making one game, you want that game to make its money back and then some. That's why game's have become more expensive and will continue to be priced at 60 to 80$ as technology moves forward.

or so the publishers would like you to think. films cost a shit ton to make, but i can get a dvd for £8.

Games are more expensive because they want our money.  It has nothing to do with the cost of making them.  They know that we will pay that price, and I wouldn't be surprised if $70 and subscription fees are the popular choice for next gen.  

Console games have a base price of around $70 here in Canada, and when you add in tax the games are close to around $100 a pop. I don't recall the last time I bought a new console game, because they just cost way too much. I wait for them to drop to around the $20 bargain bin price before I pick them up.

I'm going to get ignored here (since I'm trying to bring facts up <and those are so inconvenient when righteous anger is involved>, but, whatever)... Prices now are (in real money terms) lower than they used to be... I was going to dig up a bunch of examples and all that, but Ars Technica saved me the touble... Link.

@crusader8463 said:

Console games have a base price of around $70 here in Canada, and when you add in tax the games are close to around $100 a pop. I don't recall the last time I bought a new console game, because they just cost way too much. I wait for them to drop to around the $20 bargain bin price before I pick them up.

That's not really true at all.  The base price for games here is $59.99, but there is the odd game that launches at $69.99.  Though you're basically a sucker if you pay $70 for any game in this day and age.  I paid $39.99 for Portal (base price $59.99) less than two weeks after it was released for the 360.  I just traded in Dragon Age 2 and paid a net total of $15 out of pocked for LA Noire (base price $59.99).  I know there is the odd game that launches at $69.99 (maybe 1 out of every 10 new games), but they only do that to get the odd purchase from someone who doesn't know how you can just buy three $10 games and trade them in for that $70 game at Best Buy, Futureshop, or EB Games.  I do think that more console games should launch at a lower price point and they would probably sell better...I'm looking at you Brink...but those games (non-AAA titles) tend to drop in value VERY fast, so if you can hold off three or four weeks after a game launches usually you can get it for around the $40 mark or thereabouts.  If you're willing to wait a few months you can usually get them for way less than that.  I can't remember the last game that I actually paid $60 for out of pocket for, and I've certainly never paid $70 for a game, unless it's a collectors edition.  

@Toms115

@Yanngc33 said:

I think that games have reached the 60$ mark because they have become more expensive to make. Game's require a lot more assets and resources now and they take time to make. When you spend 3 to 5 years making one game, you want that game to make its money back and then some. That's why game's have become more expensive and will continue to be priced at 60 to 80$ as technology moves forward.

or so the publishers would like you to think. films cost a shit ton to make, but i can get a dvd for £8.

Films have a much broader audience

@Yanngc33 said:

@Toms115

@Yanngc33 said:

I think that games have reached the 60$ mark because they have become more expensive to make. Game's require a lot more assets and resources now and they take time to make. When you spend 3 to 5 years making one game, you want that game to make its money back and then some. That's why game's have become more expensive and will continue to be priced at 60 to 80$ as technology moves forward.

or so the publishers would like you to think. films cost a shit ton to make, but i can get a dvd for £8.

Films have a much broader audience

the gaming industry is one of the biggest right now. 

I've only bought about 5 xbox360 games at full price this generation. I waited for Borderlands to drop in price to $30. After playing it I was kicking myself for not buying it day one. because I got my money and much more out of it. Personally I wait for price drops and follow CAG closely for clearances. 2 years ago target clearanced the limited edition of MW2 for 17.38 and that was 2 months after release while they charged full price for the standard edition. I see this type of thing at target all the time.

@Toms115

@Yanngc33 said:

@Toms115

@Yanngc33 said:

I think that games have reached the 60$ mark because they have become more expensive to make. Game's require a lot more assets and resources now and they take time to make. When you spend 3 to 5 years making one game, you want that game to make its money back and then some. That's why game's have become more expensive and will continue to be priced at 60 to 80$ as technology moves forward.

or so the publishers would like you to think. films cost a shit ton to make, but i can get a dvd for £8.

Films have a much broader audience

the gaming industry is one of the biggest right now. 

Yeah but it's not as mass market

@Yanngc33 said:

@Toms115

@Yanngc33 said:

@Toms115

@Yanngc33 said:

I think that games have reached the 60$ mark because they have become more expensive to make. Game's require a lot more assets and resources now and they take time to make. When you spend 3 to 5 years making one game, you want that game to make its money back and then some. That's why game's have become more expensive and will continue to be priced at 60 to 80$ as technology moves forward.

or so the publishers would like you to think. films cost a shit ton to make, but i can get a dvd for £8.

Films have a much broader audience

the gaming industry is one of the biggest right now. 

Yeah but it's not as mass market

modern warfare 2 sold a bajillion copies first day, and minecraft made like 33 million. two examples from opposite sides of the industry. games are a pretty big deal, and yes, they are vastly overpriced.

yes, prices are kind of crazy. $60 for a new game is kind of bad. some of the games like you said are half assed games. there are just problems with the game that barely get fixed. there are just a bunch of updates after updates once the game is finally launched and things.

@Toms115 said:

@Yanngc33 said:

@Toms115

@Yanngc33 said:

@Toms115

@Yanngc33 said:

I think that games have reached the 60$ mark because they have become more expensive to make. Game's require a lot more assets and resources now and they take time to make. When you spend 3 to 5 years making one game, you want that game to make its money back and then some. That's why game's have become more expensive and will continue to be priced at 60 to 80$ as technology moves forward.

or so the publishers would like you to think. films cost a shit ton to make, but i can get a dvd for £8.

Films have a much broader audience

the gaming industry is one of the biggest right now. 

Yeah but it's not as mass market

modern warfare 2 sold a bajillion copies first day, and minecraft made like 33 million. two examples from opposite sides of the industry. games are a pretty big deal, and yes, they are vastly overpriced.

Call of Duty has become mass market, which is not the case for all games

@Yanngc33 said:

@Toms115 said:

@Yanngc33 said:

@Toms115

@Yanngc33 said:

@Toms115

@Yanngc33 said:

I think that games have reached the 60$ mark because they have become more expensive to make. Game's require a lot more assets and resources now and they take time to make. When you spend 3 to 5 years making one game, you want that game to make its money back and then some. That's why game's have become more expensive and will continue to be priced at 60 to 80$ as technology moves forward.

or so the publishers would like you to think. films cost a shit ton to make, but i can get a dvd for £8.

Films have a much broader audience

the gaming industry is one of the biggest right now. 

Yeah but it's not as mass market

modern warfare 2 sold a bajillion copies first day, and minecraft made like 33 million. two examples from opposite sides of the industry. games are a pretty big deal, and yes, they are vastly overpriced.

Call of Duty has become mass market, which is not the case for all games

ok, crazy. you believe what you want to believe.

I think that games have reached the 60$ mark because they have become more expensive to make. 

Ok, so if a new release is $60 in the USA, why do I, as an Australian, need to fork out $110 for a game?

Don't tell me the shipping costs add to it, because it doesn't cost $50 to ship per game, especially considering that it would be bulk-shipped ; the Aus dollar is stronger than the U.S at the moment, but we still have to pay extortion-like prices from retail. Yeah, I know I can buy it from e-bay and all that jazz, but I want to know why it is just and fair for us Aussies to pay so much. Other retail stores like JB Hi Fi are more reasonable, and price new releases between $78 - $90, but I have recently noticed that after a few weeks they put the price back up to $100!

Fuck this shit... I'm so over it.

As I've said before, gaming is becoming a rich man's leisure.

Console games have a base price of around $70 here in Canada, and when you add in tax the games are close to around $100 a pop. I don't recall the last time I bought a new console game, because they just cost way too much. I wait for them to drop to around the $20 bargain bin price before I pick them up.

Theres a market for games, and we keep on buying them. Alot of games i notice in the UK sell for like £39.99 in retail stores like Game, but alot of online retailers do offers that sell for £30, then maybe 2 weeks later the retailers lower also to £30. If you are prepared to wait a month tops, you will be able to get the game for £30 or less. Many non casual games will do this, but the hardcore games like myself need the game on release. I personally feel they should reduce retail games by at least $10...instead of waiting a week or two to reduce prices due to lower sales, just do it straight out the gate.