Would you pay $100+ for a blockbuster game?

So i read an article on Cnet.com where they spoke to a former Sony Europe president by the name of Chris Deerling. 
 
And he told them that if the current development cycle and cost is maintained a price point of 70 British pounds or 100 US dollars price tag would be inevitable. 
 
So initially i thought wow 100 dollars for a game thats fucking expensive, but then i realized thats what people here in Denmark have been doing for years now  cause our VAT is amongst the highest in Europe (Sucks so much balls). If you go buy them in a physical store that is. You can get the a little cheaper online here. 
 
So i was wondering, if this became a reality that people in the US or England would have to pay 100 Dollars or 70 Pounds for your games, would it change anything? would you think twice about what titles you go pick up? or would you just continue buying games as you do now?

$120 is the price for new PS3 and 360 games in my country, which is $100 US anyway.  And no, I won't pay more than $80 in our local currency, so I wait for a decent price reduction.

100 bucks for one game, regular version? Count me out. I'll pay a 100 bucks for a collectable version but that also depends on what that version offers. If they make new games cost a 100 buck here in the US you'll see an almost over night drop in new games sales. Stores like Gamestop and Game Crazy will have a ball with the used games while stores like Best Buy and Walmart and other retailers that don't sell used games will suffer greatly. 

" $120 is the price for new PS3 and 360 games in my country, which is $100 US anyway.  And no, I won't pay more than $80 in our local currency, so I wait for a decent price reduction. "

if the game prices went up all it would do is kill the casual market and as nintendo has discovered there is a lot more money in the casual market than the core market. Branching out has always been the downfall of video games and making the price 100$ would just completely kill the business. think about it only high end studios with the best games would survive but the total revenue, with such a small market, would make it impossible for the studio to put so much money into the products it produces. Nintendo even with all its backwords thinking still has the best finacial idea. Macking the core system dirt cheap and annoucing it as a true secessor was the best thing it could of ever done. and advertising it to everyone but the gamers that would even pick it up was briliant. In other words game studios are fucking themselffs over if they decide to make game prices hit 100$.

" @oldschool said:

" $120 is the price for new PS3 and 360 games in my country, which is $100 US anyway.  And no, I won't pay more than $80 in our local currency, so I wait for a decent price reduction. "

smart man, i would never go buy a game in a local shop here where i live. It´s just too damn expensive. But i bet a lot of parents do, people who are not aware of how the game market works.  The few times i have visited a EB Games or a Gamestop, when a kid enters the shop with their unaware parents, and they beg the parents to pick up a game, it almost kills me a little inside, that these people are buying a game for so much money, when they could be picking up the same game for a lot less if they did it online, or just went to the right place. "

" @oldschool:   Yeah i import games my self too but for the PS3. Most of the games i buy for that console are imported, cause i can save a lot of money doing that. "

" People have to realise that if they want more and more out of graphics, AI, game length, etc etc, development costs are going to get bigger and bigger, and they have been for many years, to the point most games don't even profit, the only games pulling any serious profit are the small ones that cost little to produce (DS games, indie games, XBLA games, Wii games) or the big blockbuster titles like Guitar Hero, or Call of Duty.  A price rise has been inevitable for a while now, I keep calling it and people keep calling me a 'fucking moron' and god knows what else, but unless consumers are willing to put up with lower graphical quality, and less advancements in AI and other technology, then prices are going to rise whether they like it or not.   I'll continue exactly the same as I am now, buying only the games I really can't live without brand new day one, and waiting for reductions on the rest. It's gonna happen people, get used to it. "

I'd pay $100 if it actually meant better game quality.  If they could make a JRPG as good as Chrono Trigger but with the graphics of Crysis, a Mario game as good as World or 3, an action game as good as Contra Hard Corps, a FPS as good as Doom 1...
 
The problem is most game developers are incompetent, and if they'd be selling a game for $100, it'd probably be something like Madden or World of Warcraft, or The Sims which they know idiots will buy no matter what.

Perhaps developers should accept a plateau and keep game costs under control.  The Wii has proved that graphics are not everything. "

" People have to realise that if they want more and more out of graphics, AI, game length, etc etc, development costs are going to get bigger and bigger, and they have been for many years, to the point most games don't even profit, the only games pulling any serious profit are the small ones that cost little to produce (DS games, indie games, XBLA games, Wii games) or the big blockbuster titles like Guitar Hero, or Call of Duty.  A price rise has been inevitable for a while now, I keep calling it and people keep calling me a 'fucking moron' and god knows what else, but unless consumers are willing to put up with lower graphical quality, and less advancements in AI and other technology, then prices are going to rise whether they like it or not.   I'll continue exactly the same as I am now, buying only the games I really can't live without brand new day one, and waiting for reductions on the rest. It's gonna happen people, get used to it. "

"i think that if 100$ becomes the new standard, piracy will also become the new standard for obtaining games. and rightfully so, publishers need to get a punch in the face for them to realize that fuckin over paying customers is not acceptable "

" @The_A_Drain said:

" People have to realise that if they want more and more out of graphics, AI, game length, etc etc, development costs are going to get bigger and bigger, and they have been for many years, to the point most games don't even profit, the only games pulling any serious profit are the small ones that cost little to produce (DS games, indie games, XBLA games, Wii games) or the big blockbuster titles like Guitar Hero, or Call of Duty.  A price rise has been inevitable for a while now, I keep calling it and people keep calling me a 'fucking moron' and god knows what else, but unless consumers are willing to put up with lower graphical quality, and less advancements in AI and other technology, then prices are going to rise whether they like it or not.   I'll continue exactly the same as I am now, buying only the games I really can't live without brand new day one, and waiting for reductions on the rest. It's gonna happen people, get used to it. "

A new game in 1992 is the same price that it is today (in my country at least).   Realistically, games are actually cheap, You are right in a theoretical sense, but consumers don't like over $100 dollar pricing.  Perhaps developers should accept a plateau and keep game costs under control.  The Wii has proved that graphics are not everything. "

" @The_A_Drain said:

" People have to realise that if they want more and more out of graphics, AI, game length, etc etc, development costs are going to get bigger and bigger, and they have been for many years, to the point most games don't even profit, the only games pulling any serious profit are the small ones that cost little to produce (DS games, indie games, XBLA games, Wii games) or the big blockbuster titles like Guitar Hero, or Call of Duty.  A price rise has been inevitable for a while now, I keep calling it and people keep calling me a 'fucking moron' and god knows what else, but unless consumers are willing to put up with lower graphical quality, and less advancements in AI and other technology, then prices are going to rise whether they like it or not.   I'll continue exactly the same as I am now, buying only the games I really can't live without brand new day one, and waiting for reductions on the rest. It's gonna happen people, get used to it. "

I think you're only half right. Many things affect pricing and there are different pricing strategies. Your explanation is talking about cost pricing. You also have to look at supply and demand and what the customer is willing to pay. Usually what the customer is willing to pay wins and therefore you will have to cut other costs so that you can provide them with a price they are comfortable with or you will lose sales.  We are not simply to get used to it. If the price increases to $100 then demand will fall eventually lowering the price until an equilibrium can be reached.  Also i see many games retail for 59.99 US with poor graphics, AI, short length, no replayability even as we demand better quality games. The games are also plagued by bugs. So your point of us wanting better games means we must pay more money doesn't make sense to me because in my opinion games are already expensive at US59.99. "

Absolutely not.

I would NOT pay $100 US for a game; not in any regard. That will make the business of video games seem even more ridiculous than it is today. My parents can't stand when I pay $60 for a brand new game and, honestly, I can't blame them. $60 is a lot of money and when I am paying that much for a object that is only going to decrease exponentially within a short period of time, I can see how frustration can arise. I would never pay $100 for a standard game. Never!! *cue E3 pic*

Consumers will never pay $100 for a game.  It's just intimidating.

Most of them are coming down to 20-30$ after a few weeks anyway. It's just a question of WHEN you buy the game. I rarely buy games on release. I prefer to buy them on sale.

"I think its bullshit that he is trying to justify 100 bucks that way.  Blockbuster games do cost more to develop but they fucking make more money than other games.  If we even think about the games selling for 50 bucks, because thats what the game companies get back after a little goes to the store, then they make so much money, that kind of price in Europe cannot be justified except by greed.  I am paying 100 bucks for the Call of Duty Prestige but seriously, this kind of pricing is not justified. A game sells 1 million copies at 50 bucks, then thats 50 million, I doubt some games cost that much to make.  Then there are those that dont sell well but of course they are not good games and dont cost as much. "

" Consumers will never pay $100 for a game.  It's just intimidating. "

Considering MGS4 was 9800円 in Japan when it came out, and I was one of the many idiots who bought the game at launch...I'd say yes.  I have paid $100 for a game and loved it.

Considering that 99% of high budget "blockbuster games" are embarrassing, narratively, no. But generally I would pay that much for a well done interactive experience, yes.

I will be buying a lot less games if the price ever increases that much. Those developers better hope their game is fantastic because unless it is the best I wouldn't be buying it.

This discussion has gotten way too "involved" for me to contribute decently. However I will say this. If SEGA make Shenmue III, I would happily part with over £200 for just the disc.

I think I'll put it in better words: With the current state of gaming, no. But I do believe that video games can be something worth paying 100 bucks for.

" Considering MGS4 was 9800円 in Japan when it came out, and I was one of the many idiots who bought the game at launch...I'd say yes.  I have paid $100 for a game and loved it. "

PS3 games are 8000円 minimal in Japan.  Hyped games are over 9000円...people here pay close to $100 for games since the PS3 came out.  So $100 games for me are normal now.  :-\
 
It sucks so much.

Nope, I'll pirate them. The market will correct itself. Fact is the companies are all pulling massive profits every year so they can afford to keep making the games they are at the current price point. No way in hell am I going to feed someone else's greed.

Maybe each game should be priced individually taking their demand and quality into consideration. 
This would be better than some fixed price point. 
That way you can predict your sales and costs better. 

" PS3 games are 8000円 minimal in Japan.  Hyped games are over 9000円...people here pay close to $100 for games since the PS3 came out.  So $100 games for me are normal now.  :-\  It sucks so much. "

" Nope, I'll pirate them. The market will correct itself. Fact is the companies are all pulling massive profits every year so they can afford to keep making the games they are at the current price point. No way in hell am I going to feed someone else's greed. "

Absolutely not.
 
There's been a recent trend in the UK to make more popular titles like Modern Warfare 2 more expensive than usual and I'm 100% against it.  The £10 price increase that the 360 and PS3 brought in was understandable and I don't mind paying £40 for quality games, however, I only ever pay that much for games that I know will really be worth it..  For anything else, I wait for them to drop to at least £30.  Asking £55 for Modern Warfare 2 is just a joke, and there's no way I'm going to start paying that much for any game.
 
If publishers want to make games more expensive.. then throw out a limited edition, give us a fancy box and some free bits of tat to collect, and if it's a game I care about enough, I'll cough up the extra cash.  But even then, games like MW2, Halo, God of War, Mass Effect, etc..  I can understand why big games like this have collectors editions, but is anyone going to pay the extra money for a Need for Speed limited edition?  Every game seems to be coming out with one nowadays, and when they're giving away extra ingame content you can't get otherwise.. then screw it, chances are I'm not going to buy the LE and if I miss out on content because I don't want to pay more, then I probably won't buy the game at all.  I'm getting a little side tracked now, but bottom line:  Limited Edition games can come with all the free crap they want, but you shouldn't miss out on IN GAME content by not buying them.

Well, considering the crap they expect me to enjoy, no. However, if the said game is revolutionary, addicting, has more than 20 hours of game play, and has great replay value that doesn't consist of just multiplayer than yeah.

Neo Geo games used to cost as much at $300 a decade ago.  But, to answer the question, "no".  I am not going to pay that much for a game...unless, it's on the installment plan.  Ha!  Actually, if you count WOW then I've already paid well above $100 for a game.  But for a single player console title, the answer is no.  The Witcher Directors Cut dropped to under $30 on Steam, this past weekend there was a sale of Warhammer 40K and Company of Heroes at $10 each, today there is a sale of 10 indie titles for $30.00...that makes each game $3.  Battlefield Heroes and Quake Live are free, not to mention all the other free-to-play games on the internet.  If games want to cost a $100, I can find other option on the cheap to satisfy my needs. I have the time and would rather save the money.

If i can run around naked with Night Vision Goggles, then hell yeh!!

Well, a brand new PS360 game costs the equivalent of $98 here in Sweden... so not only would I pay $100 for a new game, I've done it a number of times. I really hate when Americans complain about games being expensive... they often get games that we Europeans get later(sometimes not at all), and they get them for $40 less. Stop your fucking whining. 

" Well, a brand new PS360 game costs the equivalent of $98 here in Sweden... so not only would I pay $100 for a new game, I've done it a number of times. I really hate when Americans complain about games being expensive... they often get games that we Europeans get later(sometimes not at all), and they get them for $40 less. Stop your fucking whining.  "

$100 for a game... My immediate reaction is no way in hell would I pay that much for a DOMESTIC title. However, I import A LOT of my games, about 1/2 to 3/4 actually, and am paying pretty close to that now, or more than that with some special editions. For instance, the Fate/Unlimited Codes Special Edition ran me $110. So I can't say I won't pay $100 for a game. Would I pay that much for a domestic title here in the USA? Well, I'd have to think about that since whether or not I would would probably be largely dependent on how much more it would cost to import. What I can definitely say though is that I would be buying far fewer new/current gen games.
 
On sort of a generic note,  if the price point did become $100 for a game I think a lot less people here in the United States would be buying games, or would be buying them new. Then again whose to say the secondary market will even exist for whatever the current gen consoles are when this happens, and who knows what the economy and inflation will be like then.

$100 for poor college students and jobless teenagers? Woohoo! :( 
 
Maybe in the near future though.

If a game came out today that I wanted and it was $100, I could see myself getting it. Think of a game like Modern Warfare 2 to come out with the game only and it being $100. It would still sell. Not all games should $100 but I could see some major games getting the $100 price tag.

If they could make more profit selling at $100 then they would already be doing it.  The thing is, if you're going to play 200 hours of MW2 multiplayer then yeah, $100 is totally worth it.  But you have to figure that a decent chunk of MW2 sales will go to people that will either never play multiplayer or will play maybe a few times - in which case you will be asking those people to pay $100 for a 5 or 6 hour campaign, which most will just dismiss out of hand.  If they want to start jacking prices, maybe they need to start thinking about 2 SKUs for games like this; a 'Full' version and a SP-only version.
 
The development costs need to come into line with what the public are willing to pay for the product (which for most aint $100), not the other way around.  They've had years to become more efficient at making these games, they don't need to keep re-inventing the wheel every time they make a game.  Modern Warfare 2 should cost significantly less to produce than Modern Warfare 1, for example.
 
Bioshock 2 is a perfect example - nobody was asking them to put multiplayer in, yet they went ahead  and spent time and money on doing it anyway.  Will it sell significantly more than if they hadn't bothered?  I doubt it.
 
Publishers need to start skewing toward making more (quality) content for existing tech, rather than constantly making new tech every time they make a game.