Games are too expensive

[Wicky_42]

Eh, I tend to pre-order games these days - comes out at around £27 that way, whilst the new release on the shelf might be £35. Of course, that means the game has to sell itself really well before launch or I'm only picking it up when it hits the bargain bin. Prototype, BC2 and SC2 I pre-ordered, Mirror's Edge I picked up for £5 and was happy with it at that price, thought it'd been a good year or two since launch, heh.

£20 bucks for a mainstream new release would be nice, though I still don't know whether I'd buy any more than I do - I'm a bit more discerning about what I buy as a student than I was when I was living at home.

 

[Stealthygamer]

i always buy used games. last week i say SotC on the PS2 (if you don't know look it up) for only 15 bucks at rogers and i had to pick it up.

 

[Feste the Jester]

Hence why I buy used games but OH NO I'M KILLING THE INDUSTRY.

Though it's better than not buying games at all, yes? I really can't justify spending $120 on a video game.

Where do you live to spend $120 on video games.

 

[AWAR]

Well I dont see it happening anytime soon unless gamers stop buying as many games as they used to.

 

[MegaManOfNumbers]

I remember back in the PS2/XBOX/GCN era where games found the balance between cost and quality. costs ranging from 20-40 bucks a game. THOSE where the days.

 

[Dexiro]

Yeah, even five or ten bucks less would be nice.

Part of the whole "Evil used games, Oooh!!" thing is because their so cheap, people buy them instead.

Of course people would buy them if they're cheaper ;D

Normal games could all be $20 each, but when the used games turn out at $10 people will go for them instead.

 

[iLikeHippos]

Games are infinitely more expensive than they should be.

Games are information, they can be distributed infinitely and should therefore have no price.

Ow yeah, like some newspapers, right?
Wait, what does newspaper do to haul in money for their EMPLOYEES?
Hmmmm... Oh yes, advertisement!

Simply, you'd rather want the games free of charge but with obnoxious commercial breaking in each 5 minutes or having the scenery filled with todays market products?

I can say with full heart that'd be the end of my gaming days.

 

[interspark]

just buy games for the old Xbox and N64, they cost a couple of pounds each and are about ten times better than most new ones!

 

[Kagim]

Games are infinitely more expensive than they should be.

Games are information, they can be distributed infinitely and should therefore have no price.

Ow yeah, like some newspapers, right?
Wait, what does newspaper do to haul in money for their EMPLOYEES?
Hmmmm... Oh yes, advertisement!

Simply, you'd rather want the games free of charge but with obnoxious commercial breaking in each 5 minutes or having the scenery filled with todays market products?

I can say with full heart that'd be the end of my gaming days.

Don't be to hard on him. He is likely still living at his parents home and doesn't understand yet that you can't get something for nothing. That just because games are "information" it still costs tens of millions of dollars to create.

Either that or he is a hippy.

 

[Katana314]

Primarily, I think they need ways of cutting down game costs. It seems obvious a lot of these things like super-advanced graphics and technologies we can't even use well are getting in the way. Maybe someday when we've worked out the best way to have a realistic physics engine, miles-wide arena, and ultra graphical effects actually work towards some gameplay mechanic, we should use them. This AAA-model of trying to get everything on the top-level just isn't working: It makes everything incredibly expensive, and usually means there are so many elements to get correct that there will be horrendous bugs everywhere.

Until then, Metal Slug is better combat than Call of Duty, so they're really better off focusing on making something fun with as little as they need.

 

[Mandal0re]

As long as you dont buy big title console releases as soon as they come out for their full retail price video games really arent that expensive. Try tabletop gaming dude.....

 

[KingsGambit_v1legacy]

$100 USD for any game is exorbitant beyond reason. Any Aussies could possibly comment how much a top title on Steam is? In the UK, PC games vary from £25-35 on release (£30-40 for Special/Collectors Eds.), 360 titles about £5 more, PS3 titles £5-10 more. Handheld games are between £15-25 new at release.

I personally consider ~£30 to be a good and fair price for a top, new title at release, £35-40 for Collectors Ed. and £15 for an expansion (actual expansion, not a handful of maps!). Any more than that I consider greed and would only pay it if it was a Bioware game. If our cousins down under are paying close to $100 USD for a single game, I have sympathies for how insanely you're being ripped off.

 

[DarkDain]

SOME games are too expensive. SOME games are not. Your pick.

 

[F-I-D-O]

I wait for games to be out a few months before purchase, unless I'm willing to spend the money on a game that is practically guaranteed to be good in advance. I purchased C&C the first decade at full retail (think it was around $80 US) because I knew C&C was fun.
As a general rule when I buy games, unless I'm not COMPLETELY excited about it, I wait. The price steadily drops after the first few months, or I buy it used. I was going to purchase MW2, but held off to see what happened after the first few months. I learned it was glitchy online and the single player was incredibly short, and still haven't purchased it.
3D dot game heroes was released at 40 USD, as opposed to the standard 60. It's an incredible game, and would be worth the 60. "The discount" allows more people to purchase it, and for it to reach a larger audience. I would love to see more games at that same price point, but those who sell the game want to get more profit. You get more profit by increasing the price.

Plus, if say 40 USD becomes a standard price, in years we will complain because we will think its to high. If you think a game is to expensive, wait to buy it.

 

[iLikeHippos]

Games are infinitely more expensive than they should be.

Games are information, they can be distributed infinitely and should therefore have no price.

Ow yeah, like some newspapers, right?
Wait, what does newspaper do to haul in money for their EMPLOYEES?
Hmmmm... Oh yes, advertisement!

Simply, you'd rather want the games free of charge but with obnoxious commercial breaking in each 5 minutes or having the scenery filled with todays market products?

I can say with full heart that'd be the end of my gaming days.

Don't be to hard on him. He is likely still living at his parents home and doesn't understand yet that you can't get something for nothing. That just because games are "information" it still costs tens of millions of dollars to create.

Either that or he is a hippy.

Wow. That's something. Defending AND mocking him on the same post. I'm impressed.
At the same time, I don't know if I should feel pity or laughter.


But yeah, no offense. But games do indeed require money, like a book requires paper and ink and a working writer.

 

[Olikunmissile]

A £10 reduction would be very nice but it'll never happen.

 

[Kair]

Games are infinitely more expensive than they should be.

Games are information, they can be distributed infinitely and should therefore have no price.

Ow yeah, like some newspapers, right?
Wait, what does newspaper do to haul in money for their EMPLOYEES?
Hmmmm... Oh yes, advertisement!

Simply, you'd rather want the games free of charge but with obnoxious commercial breaking in each 5 minutes or having the scenery filled with todays market products?

I can say with full heart that'd be the end of my gaming days.

Don't be to hard on him. He is likely still living at his parents home and doesn't understand yet that you can't get something for nothing. That just because games are "information" it still costs tens of millions of dollars to create.

Either that or he is a hippy.

You clearly see that I have the facts straight but withhold the broader perspective in order to see who might understand the point or wish to learn more.

An imbecilic comment like yours is a surprise though.