How long can video games continue this "Wait for sale" trend?

[Specter Von Baren]

So, something that was said by a lot of people in the 'Higher Prices for Next Gen Games' thread ( https://forums.escapistmagazine.com/threads/higher-prices-for-next-gen-games.545/unread ) was that people barely ever bought any game that wasn't on sale. I'm starting to wonder just how long this trend can continue before something changes that upsets this.

I really can't put my finger on exactly what it is I'm worried about, and I'm not just talking about AAA games, because a lot of the games people buy in these bundles and sales are smaller indie games. It just doesn't seem sustainable as a constant trend, I dunno, is anyone else feeling the same way?

 

[Ezekiel]

No, I don't feel the same. Too many people continue to buy at $60. They don't want to wait. I wish it were unsustainable. I would have no problem with the AAA market crashing badly, vanishing for a couple of years and coming back with new perspective. I barely even want to play any of them as they are.

 

[BrawlMan]

It can continue for a long while. See the economy we are in right now? Not everyone is going to afford or can't afford games pricing at $70. I know the Sega Genesis, super Nintendo days, and neo Geo days especially were really expensive, but this is getting ridiculous. But I know in those days, not everyone bought at full price as well. I remember back in 2012, I found a Sears catalog of the first line of a Sega Genesis games. Golden Axe cost $89. A game you can beat in an hour and a half to two hours. Let that sink in.

 

[Worgen]

It can continue for a long while. See the economy we are in right now? Not everyone is going to afford or can't afford games pricing at $70. I know the Sega Genesis, super Nintendo days, neo Geo days especially were really expensive, but this is getting ridiculous. But I know in those days, not everyone bought at full price as well. I remember back in 2012, I found a Sears catalog of the first line of a Sega Genesis games. Golden Axe cost $89. A game you can be an hour and a half to two hours. Let that sink in.

I remember hearing that old games were really expensive but I honestly don't remember ever seeing them over $50 bucks. Then again I was really young and might just not have noticed. I did rent way more games then own back then.

 

[CriticalGaming]

I buy every game that I am interested in, when it comes out. But I can afford to pay 60 bucks for a new game pretty much whenever I want.

Just because people wait for a sale on the core product, doesn't mean they aren't spending way more money on lootboxes, or whatever other bullshit is within the game later. So I think it's largely a myth that people never pay full price for a game.

I mean I have friends that have shitty jobs or no jobs and still pay full price for games because they have poor judgement. But they still pay full price which is the point here.

 

[BrawlMan]

I remember hearing that old games were really expensive but I honestly don't remember ever seeing them over $50 bucks. Then again I was really young and might just not have noticed. I did rent way more games then own back then.

During the 16-bit days, you most likely saw a game on sale, or the rare budget title. You can thank Sony for the standard $50 pricing for CDs. When Nintendo 64 was around, I saw a games go higher than 50. Some games were at 50, but good luck if you're planning to buy an RPG. Sometimes those wouldl go for 70 to $90.

 

[ObsidianJones]

Never assume everyone knows or feels like you do.

I love the Borderlands series. I love it. I chose not to buy Borderlands 3 because of how I dislike the Epic store, Supmotto, and how Randy is... well, Randy.

From a lot of bluster and anger... I seem to be one of the few people who actually stuck to his guns.

This is the offshoot of the "We'll Boycott!" culture who immediately caves when the shiny is in grasp. The people who wait for sale will not be harming anything. Because other people will gripe as they always do, but then do their consumer duties with slavish devotion.

 

[SilentPony]

No video game is worth full price. Not one, never at any point. Mostly because 'full price' is just the bullshit number the publishers decided they wanted to charge. It doesn't reflect man-hours, production and shipping costs, marketing, server costs, nothing. Its just the number all the publishers got together and agreed they could charge.

So as far as Im concerned sales are the market correcting the publishers. Sales are the real price, the price publishers can sell it at but refuse to. 50% off, 75%, 90%. Those are what the games are really worth.

 

[09philj]

I suspect that fairly casual players are much more likely to pay full price for games than serious enthusiasts, and that they account for a lot of the market. People who buy fewer games overall and spend more time using each one purchased are going to be more comfortable paying higher prices than the average Escapist forums user, who will play a significantly greater number of games, and can't justify paying full price for something they will probably play through once before moving onto something else.

 

[Specter Von Baren]

Never assume everyone knows or feels like you do.

What kind of logic is it to see someone ask, "is anyone else feeling the same way?" and assume that they believe everyone else feels like they do? If I believed everyone else felt the same way then I wouldn't ask the question.

 

[SilentPony]

What kind of logic is it to see someone ask, "is anyone else feeling the same way?" and assume that they believe everyone else feels like they do? If I believed everyone else felt the same way then I wouldn't ask the question.

That's exactly what I thought I would say.

 

[Houseman]

related:

 

[Specter Von Baren]

related:

 

[XsjadoBlayde]

Don't worry about it. Is just videogames. Worry about entropy, that's the real bugger. We'll all be dust soon enough and that dust will become nothingness and that nothingness will remain for eternity. In the vast deathly expanse of just above absolute zero, there's nothing capable of caring or even remembering videogames.

 

[SilentPony]

Don't worry about it. Is just videogames. Worry about entropy, that's the real bugger. We'll all be dust soon enough and that dust will become nothingness and that nothingness will remain for eternity. In the vast deathly expanse of just above absolute zero, there's nothing capable of caring or even remembering videogames.

Speak for yourself. When I turn to dust Im gonna be inside my 40k cosplay suit and become a haunted suit of ghost armor. And Ill remember video games. I'll be standing, walking dusty tomb trapped for all eternity until the stars go cold remembering video games.

 

[Chimpzy]

I don't think the buying preferences of the average Escapist user is any kind of barometer for the wider gaming audience. No user base aimed at gaming enthusiasts probably is. Tho I feel it seems way more common to "wait for sale" on the forums/sites I lurk that have an older user base i.e. 30+ people with jobs, but also all those adult responsibilities like rent, bills, kids, etc.

While I can only speak for myself, my purchase behavior certainly changed after I started working. More disposable income, yes, but not so much I can afford to splurge willy nilly, and less time to spend on games because of those aforementioned responsibilities. Forced me to become much more discerning. I imposed a strict €60 a month budget on myself, and any leftovers don't roll over to the next month. So if I'm to buy a full priced game, I try to be damn sure it's worth the asking price. Otherwise, I start waiting for price drops and sales, or checking if I can get a cheaper deal elsewhere. Minimizing risk. Make that budget last.

That's kind of adorable. You should keep it this way.

 

[XsjadoBlayde]

Speak for yourself. When I turn to dust Im gonna be inside my 40k cosplay suit and become a haunted suit of ghost armor. And Ill remember video games. I'll be standing, walking dusty tomb trapped for all eternity until the stars go cold remembering video games.

That's one helluva healthcare plan. Albeit a bit lonely.

 

[gorfias]

I think the last time I bought new, full $60 was Bioshock Infinite. Been a while. But if they make a game I must have right away? I'll do it.

But Bioshock Infinite has been not only in huge sales. It was on PS+ . At least on single player games, if you can wait, you should.

Multiplayer? I'm not into them but know if I were, I'd be concerned if I don't jump in at ground level, in a month, I'd never get value for the game as early adopters would trounce me.

 

[Dalisclock]

Don't worry about it. Is just videogames. Worry about entropy, that's the real bugger. We'll all be dust soon enough and that dust will become nothingness and that nothingness will remain for eternity. In the vast deathly expanse of just above absolute zero, there's nothing capable of caring or even remembering videogames.

But will the dust buy videogames for full price? And then MTX?

Serious questions that must be asked.

 

[SilentPony]

That's one helluva healthcare plan. Albeit a bit lonely.

Maybe but even in death we must social distance. Can't have ghosts get the Covid-19 virus