Game console price cut needed, says Activivision CEO. How about games?
- Thread starter whome0
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quest55720
Regular
I don't see the big deal about current game prices honestly. I remember paying 99 dollars for phantasy star 4 on the genesis. If a game is high quality I don't mind shelling out 59.99 especially with multiplayer giving games a much higher replay value. I do think some publishers would be smart to lower the price of lesser quality games. If we compare games to movies we don't have it nearly as bad. Blu ray movies go for almost 2x the price of SD DVDS.
And what country are you from? Here in the States, its not even close to that. DVD's are normally $20, and Blu Rays are normally $25-$30. Often times you can find them very close to DVD prices. I bought I am Legend on blu ray for $19 on amazon the first week it came out, the same site had the DVD version for more.
I think it's the usual rip-off Europe thing. Amazon and Play prices are a good £10 more expensive for BRD over DVD.
woundingchaney
Regular
At retailers I usually see dvds at around 15.99 usd and BD between 25-30 usd. Much like you I usually use Amazon to pick up any "must have" new releases or visit the local comic book store that sells them used.
Getting back on topic. I think Activision is right. $300-$600 range puts the 360/ps3 out of range of an impulse buy type purchase and lots of consumers. $279 is still a lot to ask, for a console that has a reputation of being gimped. (deservedly or not). The current price range for these 1-2 year old consoles is close to launch type prices from previous hardware. Despite great sales this generation needs $199 ps3's and 360's.
quest55720
Regular
Go to best buy and walmart on tuesday and check pricing for yourself. That is where the vast majority of people purchase movies. Even worse is catalog titles going for over 30 dollars.
I was talking about Walmart. The only week you get a break on DVD prices, are the first few days at walmart. After that, they're $20.
The new release prices for blu ray are, AvP is $28, 27 Dresses is $28, and Water Horse is $27. No Country for Old Men is $22, National Treasure 2 is $24 (so is the collectors edition), I am Legend is $19. Where as the DVD version with the alternate ending (BD has it) is $23.
Making a blanket statement that blu rays are "almost 2x the cost" is silly. At least in the States. I understand in other countries, prices arent the same.
And if you shop online.. you can get BD versions for barely $5 more than the DVD version, most of the time.
quest55720
Regular
I just checked the local best buy ad. Here are the new releases that are on both DVD and Blu. PS i love you and First Sunday DVD price 16.99 Blu price 29.99. I would say that is close enough to 2x as much for me.
The local walmart ad did not list any movies for this week. I checked the website and they do have much better prices than BB on Blu but I am not sure if those are the same as store prices. Walmart is also higher on DVD prices than best buy.
The price of games is dramatic at the moment!
Current retail price for a xbox360 game is about €62 and if I convert that to my old currency I'm getting almost the same amount (fl. 136) as for the first PC game I bought (F117A stealth Fighter).
Although it's easy to spot value (some stores sell PGR4 for €40 while FM2 is still full price.. and that came with my bundle) a new xbox 360 game costs about one third of the new console, which is ridiculous.
Where does that €15 premium come from that distributors ask over the PC version (RD:Grid is €65 on the consoles and €50 on PC)?
It's about time that last years top-titles drop to mid-range fast...
Current retail price for a xbox360 game is about €62 and if I convert that to my old currency I'm getting almost the same amount (fl. 136) as for the first PC game I bought (F117A stealth Fighter).
Although it's easy to spot value (some stores sell PGR4 for €40 while FM2 is still full price.. and that came with my bundle) a new xbox 360 game costs about one third of the new console, which is ridiculous.
Where does that €15 premium come from that distributors ask over the PC version (RD:Grid is €65 on the consoles and €50 on PC)?
It's about time that last years top-titles drop to mid-range fast...
Part of it goes to the console companies who demand a license fee, unlike PC games where no fee is required.
Why is that games stay at retail price in the US, but online retailers always undercut on launch in the UK. I'm under the impression that UK retailers get much more freedowm to set their own prices, than in the US. I haven't bought a PS3 games above £35, and I usually get them for £30 - new and around launch. That's 1/12 of the price I paid for the console - which seems more reasonable. It's also the cost of the PS2 games I've bought. If I went into HMV I would be paying much more.
Regardless, how we as individuals feel about today's retail pricing, the market itself has shown that the masses have no problem dealing with the prices of consoles or games. The market is seeing sales at record pace in terms of revenue generated with the majority the sales dollars coming from PS3/360 titles and $400+ consoles.
Then they're not priced too high. A product is worth what people will pay. The theoretically optimal price is the one that maximizes profit, although this may not be the actual selling price. In this case, 60 euros seems to be an appropriate price. People buy the games, and developers make money. It's just basic economics.
What matters is the price of something relative to your salary, not the exchange rate. Goods are cheap in Mexico. Of course, $17,000 a year is also considered a fairly comfortable middle class salary for a family of four. So when complaining about getting "butt-raped," remember that when the dollar drops, Americans' salaries don't go up. A $60 game is the about same fraction of my salary that it was a couple years ago before the currency drop. And unless your boss cuts your pay every time the dollar drops, the price of a game as a fraction of your salary hasn't changed, either.
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If the cost of goods goes up as a result of the dropping dollar value, than the percentage of disposable income that a game represents is increasing. That is, if Joe P. has £100 per week to spend on 'stuff' and that includes £90 of shopping, a £40 game is a month's labour. If the cost of shopping increases to £100 per week due to the exchange rate, that £40 game becomes impossibly expensive. So it's not tied to salary particular, but buying power. As a real example, the price of petrol in the UK is galloping up at an insane rate. People are spending a few hundred pounds more each year on fuel then they were last year. Thus the price of games is going up in relative terms of how much money people have to spend on things they'd enjoy.
tongue_of_colicab
Veteran
Well in Holland prices of games go up, salaries hardly increase, living expenses go up and the actual amount of money that can be spend goes down.
Also, about the price of the dollar, that is funny. We in europe always used to hear thing are more expensive her because of the expensive dollar. Now the dollar isnt worth alot compared to the euro and now we hear stuff is more expensive because of the high euro price. No matter what, if you are in europe you will always be paying more for some reason.
Quite simply, higher costs, and VAT. The US is one huge uniform market, giving it a big retail advantage.
Well, we certainly didn't all get 20% pay raises here when the Xbox 360 launched! Either way, people are buying the games (as you say), so the price is apparently OK. If people stop buying the games, or if publishers have to raise prices beyond what the market will tolerate in order to make a profit, then you have a problem.
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