By gamesindustry.biz.
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php?aid=7480
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php?aid=7480
Videogame prices set to rise on next-gen consoles
- Thread starter passerby
- Start date
Heh only thing though is it may not be 2 or 3 x the games from that publisher which doesn't help them haha
I think they should price by the average amount of hours it would take to complete . A 10 hour game like fable should launch at 20$ . a 40 hour game should be 50$ a fighting game that you can keep playing can move to 60 and so can sports .
I think they should price by the average amount of hours it would take to complete . A 10 hour game like fable should launch at 20$ . a 40 hour game should be 50$ a fighting game that you can keep playing can move to 60 and so can sports .
Remember, this is an investment bank conference. Wall Street is always prodding publishers to raise prices, increase margines. There was another investment bank conference where they pushed Riticello of EA to say it would be possible.
On the one hand, publishers have gotten premium prices for AAA PC games like HL2 and for "special editions" of AAA console games like Halo2 and Madden. But those console games were soon discounted to $37.99 at various outlets.
The reality is that average selling prices have declined as the release schedule gets more and more dense with competing titles. So publishers and retailers gradually lower prices to keep the units moving.
Third-party PSP games are establishing a new high price point of $50 for handheld games. It will be interesting to see how long they can maintain those prices, after the initial craze for the PSP dies down.
The publishers can try to raise prices but if consumers are smart, they can make the publishers blink and the prices should drop to rational levels a few weeks after release.
On the one hand, publishers have gotten premium prices for AAA PC games like HL2 and for "special editions" of AAA console games like Halo2 and Madden. But those console games were soon discounted to $37.99 at various outlets.
The reality is that average selling prices have declined as the release schedule gets more and more dense with competing titles. So publishers and retailers gradually lower prices to keep the units moving.
Third-party PSP games are establishing a new high price point of $50 for handheld games. It will be interesting to see how long they can maintain those prices, after the initial craze for the PSP dies down.
The publishers can try to raise prices but if consumers are smart, they can make the publishers blink and the prices should drop to rational levels a few weeks after release.
quest55720
Regular
I am shocked it took this long to happen. If a game is great like Resident evil 4 a few more dollars would not matter that much to me. I would not pay 59.99 for an average game. At 59.99 I will look for how long it takes to beat if the game is not a GoTY contender.
Johnny_Physics
Newcomer
Resident Evil 4 cost me $88* and I have no problems with paying that price, it's still cheaper than some games released for the SNES/N64.
* that's the standard price for a game in Sweden, but the weak dollar makes it look more expensive. In terms of buying power I would guess the price I payed represents around 60-65 USD, a fair price if you ask me.
* that's the standard price for a game in Sweden, but the weak dollar makes it look more expensive. In terms of buying power I would guess the price I payed represents around 60-65 USD, a fair price if you ask me.
Add to that the extra money you'll need to pay in form of "microtransactions" for all that downloadable content the publishers will want to sell you as the game is released, and which really could already be on the game disc (and maybe even is!) you already paid for 
So it's taken 20 years for gaming to go mainstream, for a mass audience to accept and partake in it - and that's when they decide to start gouging us.
Hmm. Looks to me like a factor that could slow the adoption of next-gen consoles.
Maybe I'm just a simple man, but I'm having plenty of fun with current games on the consoles I already own. I'm in no hurry to bend over and slather on the KY just to participate in the next gen of console games.
Hmm. Looks to me like a factor that could slow the adoption of next-gen consoles.
Maybe I'm just a simple man, but I'm having plenty of fun with current games on the consoles I already own. I'm in no hurry to bend over and slather on the KY just to participate in the next gen of console games.
Common practice among drug dealers, get people addicted with cool prices, then fuck them up with impossibly high prices when they can't get enough. Not that i would know anything about that....
Evil_Cloud
Veteran
Heh, we pay €59.99 over here, about time everyone paid about the same price for the same products IMHO. I wouldn't like a next-generation console launching at $300 in the states, and at €500 in Europe...
i understand that a game like RE4, or even fable, with long development times and big budgets could cost more, but something like, say, a sports game (that gets released every year with a fraction of the work put into it compared to epic titles like RE4 ect) should be in the $20-$30 range. maybe the microtransaction idea would work out nicely for sports game. buy madden football, and every year buy the new season's expansion for $20.
But the profit margin, and hence takings, would be much less. eg. On a £40 game, say £5 is development costs, £5 licensing fee, some more for marketting, the publisher takes something like £5 and the retailer the rest. At £20, there's still some £12 or so costs leaving less for the publisher and retailer. Retailers could certainly take a cut in profits, but that'd be against the business grain.pc999 said:
Personally I don't mind paying more for a game that's worth it. If a £50 game offers 50+ hours of gameplay, that's a pound an hour.
Put that into perspective, what other pastimes are so cheap? How much would you have to pay for an hour of tennis or golf? Hour much does an hour of cinema going or clubbing cost? What about a meal out? I'd rather more of the money go to the devs, so we won't see talent studios going bust whle games retailers expand their international penetration, but I must say games, when sensibly bought, researched before purchasing instead of impulse buying off the shelf, often excellent value for money.
One of the first things you learn in a basic business course is price increases with demand. So, if games are in high demand, the price will raise. They will continue to raise until people become disinterested, and then they will drop again.
Personally, I think most games are overpriced. Most of the people I know who got either the PS2 or the Xbox did so because they could pirate the games. Not all of them, but the majority of them. If the price of games goes up, I doubt any of those people would even consider getting a new system, until they could pirate the games.
I think there's a problem with the way companies spend money making games and movies. If you can't set a price point that people are willing to pay and will allow you to recoup your expenses, you shouldn't be spending so much money making your games and movies. These companies try to justify their prices by telling us the millions of dollars they're spending. To me, that's admitting they don't know how to manage their money. I know they want everything to be cutting edge, and that comes at a premium cost, but if they know the last ten games didn't make the money they were hoping for, then they shouldn't think the next one will be any different.
Personally, I think most games are overpriced. Most of the people I know who got either the PS2 or the Xbox did so because they could pirate the games. Not all of them, but the majority of them. If the price of games goes up, I doubt any of those people would even consider getting a new system, until they could pirate the games.
I think there's a problem with the way companies spend money making games and movies. If you can't set a price point that people are willing to pay and will allow you to recoup your expenses, you shouldn't be spending so much money making your games and movies. These companies try to justify their prices by telling us the millions of dollars they're spending. To me, that's admitting they don't know how to manage their money. I know they want everything to be cutting edge, and that comes at a premium cost, but if they know the last ten games didn't make the money they were hoping for, then they shouldn't think the next one will be any different.