Who here enjoys spending $60 for a game that might suck? Hmm… no hands raised.
Game prices for the XBox 360 and PS3 are for the most part set in stone for the “next generation,” clocking in somewhere between $59.99 to $69/$79 for “premium versions” that have unfortunately cropped up in stores. And aside from a Nintendo promise that Wii 1rst party titles will be $50, there has been little news on third party titles (and VC titles, for that matter).
So, it was with some degree of satisfaction that I read a critique today from GameIndustry.biz (UK-based, so get out your conversion charts) about rising next-gen game prices. It’s more about the XBox 360’s influence than anything, but if it means less expensive games I’m all for it. “Twenty pounds, the level software hits on budget re-release, is often cited as the ‘impulse purchase’ level […] Thirty pounds, even thirty-five at a stretch, is a price an affluent consumer will pay for a game which they spot on the shelves while browsing. Beyond that level, you’re into the realms of purchases which are serious money […] and once you hit fifty pounds consumers are going to be asking very tough questions about the actual value of the entertainment experience they’re buying.” Tough questions, GameIndsutry says, that are as of yet unanswered by today’s developers. I happen to agree.
But it’s worth it, vendors say. “In some cases, this almost rings true – but in the vast majority of Xbox 360 games currently lining shelves at retail, these arguments are hollow and blatantly false. Many publishers in the last nine months have released games simultaneously on Xbox 360, PlayStation 2, and PC, with the Xbox 360 version costing significantly more than its peers – and it has been blatantly apparent to even the least technical of gamers that the Xbox 360 version is a tarted-up port of the PS2 version. By no means does the gameplay experience or the development cost justify the price premium.”
I believe I’ll be paying $50 (and below?) in the next few months, roughly $30 a pop for my DS, and I’ll be content doing so. But maybe that’s still too high, or is it not enough? How much game do you think you should get for $50, $60, $70? What say you, Infendo?
I'm a cheapskate. There, I said it.I usually wait for a game's price to drop at least once before buying, but I will hold out for super deals (like when TRU had 2 Players Choice" games for $30.00). For the DS, I have picked up about half my collection at full price, but that price is alot less than a console game, and I thank Nintendo for keeping 'em under $40.00. This may all change for me when the Wii hits, though. You see, I bought a GC late in the game, so there is a huge library of good old games to pick from. Not so with the Wii, andf I WILL have one at launch, and I think I can justify $60.00 CAD for games. Anything more than that, and my impulse buying will be severly reduced, and I'll do alot more research to pick out the cream of the crop. So ya, in short, $60.00 CAD is max, though I'd prefer $50.00.
Remember, when converting UK prices that us British gamers pay ridiculous rip-off prices.The games industry should seriously try and reduce the cost of games to around DVD pricing. If that means scaling back on the budget then so be it. This will never be a truly mainstream industry unless impulse purchase is commonplace.
im willing to pay a pretty good price for a game that i at least know got some good ratings. it takes a lot of work to make a game, and the company has a lot of people they have to pay for making it, so i think its worth it. i think 50 is pretty fair.
I base my purchase off of how much enjoyment I assume I'll get. For something like a Zelda title, where I know I'm going to spend months playing it, I'm willing to shell out $50. For GameCube, the first (and still only) full price title I bought was Chibi-Robo. Seeing the promo stuff and previews I knew that it was a game I had to buy right away and that I'd get a lot of enjoyment out of it. I was absolutely right.I have also come to GameCube late in the game and so have benefitted from used titles. (Metroid Prime for five bucks!)For Wii, there are a lot of titles that I'm willing to pay full price and a ton that are definitely rentals.
A comparison just popped into my head:Game prices should be like car prices. It doesn't seem right that a Lexus like Zelda should be the same price as a Chevy Aveo like Odama.
I basically am a used-game-buyer (ebGames my heroes 😉 ) but in the early time of a system and in cases I think it's worth it I buy the games for the new price.However, that rarely happens. Lego Star Wars II and the new Zelda will probably have a good chance of being bought full price by me.
Most new games I'll buy from places like amazon which are generally about 20% off shop prices. For my cube I've been getting loads of ebay lately as theres just been so many cheap great games. Picked up Metroid for a fiver delivered and various other games for a few quid. As for my wii, well I'll get 1 or 2 games to start with and then wait for the reductions online.
I don't think video game prices should come down to DVD levels, since the DVD will keep you 2-3 hours entertained, maybe 4-6 with the extras.$50.00 is definitely fair… Also consider that the $60.00 price for Xbox 360 titles comes down far faster than those of any Nintendo platform, especially when buying used! Want a great deal on games? Just buy the best two at launch, finish them, then buy the next two best games when they come down in price. This will be roughly six months later for me, if I stick to finishing the first games I buy before getting the next ones!
Hopefully we'll see a large range of prices with the popularisation of console digital distribution (that's the virtual console to you and me).I'd be willing to pay 2 pounds for NES, 4 pounds for SNES and 8 pounds for N64. New digitally distributed content should be no more than 8 pounds.For boxed Wii games, I'd prefer a price range of £15 to £40, with most games around the £20 to £30 mark. I'd pay £40 for Mario, Metroid and Zelda, but not much else.
I'm willing to pay full price for a game when I know I'll be getting good value for it. (Zelda games automatically fall into this category, for example.) And if there's a major third-party game coming that I'm anticipating, I'll gladly shell-out $50 for it.. especially if I like the developer and want to see more titles from them for Nintendo's console.Otherwise, most of the games I buy are from the bargain bin. I can be a real miser when I'm wishy-washy about games. $20 is about right for an impulse buy.
$70 is far too much.Then again, I remember When 'Sonic & Knuckles' was released for the Genesis back around '95 and I paid around $65+ USD on the launch day [including tax]. that seems absurd, but at the time it was the upper echelon of gaming – bring it down a little and an experience like that was surely worth $50.I'll buy a few games at $50 these days – such as Metal Gear, Silent Hill or some of Nintendo's flagship titles if they promise long term play. But I often wait for the prices to drop if the game promises anything less or if I'm only mildly interested.Also, I don't mind paying good money for good games – that makes sense – but to have invested a signifigant amount of money into the hardware [console] only to be jerked around by endless accessories raising the initial cost, accessories that should be including with a system [hard drive, mem card, 2 controllers].
Checking Amazon and EBgames, I noticed that the highest price for a New Release GameCube title is now $40. I couldn't find any new/upcoming titles that cost $50.
Here in Mexico, stores rise prices so much, people gravitate to piracy, at least the hardcore gamers. I bought most gamecube games I own at $60-$70 range. And finding games at $40 is like a massive deal! Xbox games are cheaper a $40 mostly but real popular ones like Fifa or Grand Theft auto go for $80 and that's why if, pirate version is available everyone pays the modder. It just like the music business, If they are making bigger budget games and passing the cost to consumers, people won't stop buying their products, they will just look for cheaper ways to get them. Just look at the Ps2 market, how many have been sold? like 100 million or something? tell me the name of the game that has sold 25 million? 1 in every 4 owners….
As a consumer I am happy at paying $50 and below. BUt if you are a game designer you may view it diffrently.Zelda will sell systems. That is why they justfy the extra man hours Nintendo has put into the game.It's a business guys, not a candy store.
I have a serious problem… I simply cannot pass up games that grab my interest. I HAVE to have them at launch (like Zelda, big name RPGs, and when I get a sports itch). That said, my addiction to new things has made me numb to the 50 dollar tag. But 60 bucks… somehow crosses the line of what a game should cost for me. I know it's only 10 bucks more, but it also means more in taxes, which I can't stand as it is. I mean, I've paid 75 dollars for a game before (WoW Collector's Edition), but I got a hardcover art book, a CD, and a bunch of other crap that made it worth the extra 15 bucks. To me, 50 dollars is fine for most games. But ig a game is 60 or more, it'd better have some extra content or something packaged with it. I got Auto Assault for the PC for 60 bucks Limited Edition and it came with a shiny nice pair of mic-headphones to use with the in-game voice-chat. THAT's a deal.
I have payed full price for VERY few games in my lifetime:Half-Life 2Metroid Prime HuntersZelda: Ocarina of TimeThe ideal price for me is around $10. If I have to wait 4 or 5 years, then fine. I'm getting the same game experience at 10-20% of the cost.
Basically, I've bought a lot of DS games because at £25 i find it really affordable so i really dont want to be spending more than £30 for a game. I'd likely pay for triple A games – but really, i'll spend more on games accumativly if they're cheaper. Rather than buying a few choice titles and missing out on games like phonix wright and katamari.
N.O. i feel awkword forking over 50 dollars for a game sometimes. 60 to 70?! no way! thats absurd, i would much rather buy something else that has way better value for that price.
What I dont get is how can a third party company justify pricing their product at full price if the game/software is not full price worthy. Take for example all these licensed character games to cash in on movies and shows. They really are not that great of games. I hate seeing so much space taken up by poorly done games just to bank in on a license. That is annoying and it upsets me because too many companies aren't taking any chances on producing a brand new IP. I think their should be a space in the store for cheap games, and games trying to cashin on movies. If i recall mr Iwata knows what consumers do. they wait for the games to drop down if the game isnt worth paying full price for them. This should be a signal to many Companies out there that if the game doesnt justify itself to a full price than there not going to sell it. But if its well priced maybe 29-39 than its at impulse. I dont what you guys think?Rafael VA, US
Bildo, one thing to consider is that those games that cost $60 or more do come packaged with a LOT of extras: the game studios usually have to add a costly-licensed soundtrack to it, movie-quality cutscenes, big-name actors for the characters' voices, etc…It's like having the CD soundtrack and a DVD integrated into the game!Rafael: There are game studios out there that take risk in bringing mostly original IPs and gameplay to their game collection (i.e., Atlus), but they simply don't attract the impulse-buyers that much!I think it is a responsibility of the gaming internet community, such as in blogs like Infendo, to do the word-of-mouth recommendations that raise the chances that the truly original games get noticed!
$50 works out around €40. I would love if they cost around that price but on amazon.co.uk they are costing around €73($93) and on play.com they priced at €79($100).Micrsoft are not releasing vista here for sometime, the PS3 is not been releasd till next year and now we are been screwed by Nintendo.