Microsoft Defends Games on Demand Pricing
- Thread starter Andy Chalk
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Or, more likely, Microsoft will just axe its games-on-demand service, throw up their hands and say, "We tried digital distribution, but nobody wanted to use it! I guess digital distribution doesn't work!"danpascooch said:
Oh well. At least we still have Steam.
OK, so Microsoft rep, explain Steam that is not only far far more convenient (multiple systems) but much much cheaper too?
This is blatant price gouging in an anti-competitive market. No one apart from Microsoft can sell full games on their platform, there is one and only marketplace and they have no interest in expanding it, merely milking as much as they can out of the few people who use it.
This is blatant price gouging in an anti-competitive market. No one apart from Microsoft can sell full games on their platform, there is one and only marketplace and they have no interest in expanding it, merely milking as much as they can out of the few people who use it.
As if Games for Windows live didnt basically say that steam kicks ass, now this?
Next they will charge money to get shouted at by 12 year olds online.
o wait, they do
Next they will charge money to get shouted at by 12 year olds online.
o wait, they do
"We're charging an extra £10 to £30 for this game so that you can buy it in your underwear. That's fair, right? It's not like we're charging you a subscription for online services"
Steam does the same thing, yet has better prices than retail stores half of the time.
Steam does the same thing, yet has better prices than retail stores half of the time.
this makes me happy i don't have an Xbox >.> i can laugh at crap like this, cause i know for a fact if i did, this would cause rage,
but they're loss, only money they'll make is from the painfully stupid people >.>
but they're loss, only money they'll make is from the painfully stupid people >.>
Nobody buys these anyway. If people are willing to get a digital copy, chances are very high they're just going to pirate it. If it's not on Steam for £5, physical products are just better.
Especially if those people are wanting Halo Reach. Then chances are good they've pirated.
Especially if those people are wanting Halo Reach. Then chances are good they've pirated.
I think most people here are missing the end game ramifications of this pricing scheme. They seem to be taking the same approach oil/gas merchants are taking. While gaming isn't a necessity like gas/oil is, the same logic applies.
They will gradually force prices up and up. They doubled the price in this instance, but its probably more or less to test the waters. For every person here saying they would never pay these prices for games, there are probably anywhere between 2 and 5 people who would, and will. Thus giving Microsoft or any other digital distribution service provider the go ahead to keep spiking prices.
Gaming prices have steadily increased over the past decade, and it isn't going to slow down. So far it has been claimed to be for rising development costs, but it would take an idiot to overlook the fact its all profit motivated.
I prefer steam over any other distribution method, and have over 50 games from them, but I'm not blind as to the failure of steam to live up to the initial promises of lower costs due to brick and mortar or physical materials being eliminated from the equation. Outside of the random and planned sales events, Steam pricing isn't as great as everyone makes it out to be. However it still does knock the pants off just about every other digital distribution.
Long and short of it is this, get used to it. Our hobby has gone mainstream and corporations, publishers, and retailers will suck every penny out of it no matter how unpopular, ridiculous, or outright unethical it might be.
They will gradually force prices up and up. They doubled the price in this instance, but its probably more or less to test the waters. For every person here saying they would never pay these prices for games, there are probably anywhere between 2 and 5 people who would, and will. Thus giving Microsoft or any other digital distribution service provider the go ahead to keep spiking prices.
Gaming prices have steadily increased over the past decade, and it isn't going to slow down. So far it has been claimed to be for rising development costs, but it would take an idiot to overlook the fact its all profit motivated.
I prefer steam over any other distribution method, and have over 50 games from them, but I'm not blind as to the failure of steam to live up to the initial promises of lower costs due to brick and mortar or physical materials being eliminated from the equation. Outside of the random and planned sales events, Steam pricing isn't as great as everyone makes it out to be. However it still does knock the pants off just about every other digital distribution.
Long and short of it is this, get used to it. Our hobby has gone mainstream and corporations, publishers, and retailers will suck every penny out of it no matter how unpopular, ridiculous, or outright unethical it might be.
They attempted it around the start of this generation, and (unlike in the US) it didn't stick. Hence, £40 is the standard, and has been since at least the PS1/N64 era. Ultimately, the end game is to force the price up, but they've been quite unsuccessful at it thus far in the UK.coldalarm said:
this is a mentality that needs to end.
at HOME I could distribute Halo Reach for fucks sake. digital downloads don't have to be cheaper than retail but not more than. especially not THAT much more at least...
at HOME I could distribute Halo Reach for fucks sake. digital downloads don't have to be cheaper than retail but not more than. especially not THAT much more at least...
Uhhhh convenience charge? Lol gtfo Microsoft. Steam is the same thing on a different platform, but the deals you get there are friggin ridiculous.
I've noticed kinect games going for it in shops... and GAME is getting a bit more draconian these days.Delusibeta said:
also; Any price increase at retail can be attributed to Mr Kotic. of course.
Is MS really this out of touch with reality, or am I for thinking people won't pay that much for convenience?
Steam happily fuck you over on prices as well. Unless what you're buying is indie or really old you can expect to pay street price or more.Kevlar Eater said:
The real reason Microsoft are doing this is because they don't want to undercut brick and mortar retailers, who are still a larger sales driver and might consider not carrying quite so much Xbox product if they're being undercut horribly by the platform holder.