Pricing that doesn't make any sense

[CyberAkuma]

The Sony PSP Go costs more than an Xbox 360 Elite or a PS3 Slim.
The Nintendo DSi costs more than a Wii
The iPhone 3GS costs more than a Mid-to-High-Range laptop

Downloadable games cost just as much or often more than he same game hard-copy retail.

Downloadable movies online cost more than the DVD on a store.
e-Books cost more than hard-copy books. (in Sweden at least)
Downloading albums online cost more than the hard-copy Album in the store.

Old and used games at GameStop cost $5 less than the very same game spanking brand new.

PC games cost $5-$10 less than a console game... AND the PC version gets released MONTHS after the console version gets out.

Does the pricing on any of these things make any form of sense to you?
If yes - explain how.

Or post more examples of pricing that doesn't make a lick of sense.

 

[TheNamlessGuy]

DELETED

 

[Unstoppable Wall]

Well to me they make no sense neither does the price I got Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 at, it was $80 US at one store and ended up costing me just over $40 US at another, I was shocked, wondering why the hell they were selling it at that price, but wasn't really going to complain. But still...weird.

Peace,War,Love,Hate,Chaos and Greed
-Unstoppable Wall

 

[Cpt_Oblivious]

Pricing never makes sense. I picked up my copy of Dark Messiah of Might & Magic: Collector's Edition for £5 cheaper than the normal edition.

 

[Frankydee]

Yea I've noticed that myself.

on a slightly similar note, I was going through a local VW dealerships website on the new stock section and found a Jetta Sportwagon TDI for over $280,000. I emailed the guys asking if it drives itself and gives foot massages.

Apparently it doesn't but they were willing to give me a $250K discount if I wanted it.

 

[rockingnic]

I thought iPhone 3GS doesn't go above $400? I'm sure all mid-high range laptops are like at least double that. The DSi and the Wii kinda makes sense since the wii is just a hard-drive basically and the DSi has more technology behind it. The only price that doesn't makes sense is that console games are $60 while PC are still at most $50.

 

[Trickster7135]

Let me take this statement by statement:

The Sony PSP Go costs more than an Xbox 360 Elite or a PS3 Slim.
You know laptops cost more than desktop computers right? Its because squeezing so much performance in such as small object costs a lot of money. Same deal here.

The Nintendo DSi costs more than a Wii.
Same point as last time.

The iPhone 3GS costs more than a Mid-to-High-Range laptop.
You pay a premium for name brand and newness. Car values drop 40% after two years, even if they have little to no use. And Apple laptops cost way more than an iPhone 3GS.

Downloadable games cost just as much or often more than he same game hard-copy retail.
I've never come across that, or do you mean hard-copy retail stores selling things below standard prices?

Downloadable movies online cost more than the DVD on a store.
Really? And here I thought torrents were free lol.

e-Books cost more than hard-copy books. (in Sweden at least)
Its a gimmick, so its value is whatever people will pay for it. If money really matters, you'll borrow from a library or buy a book and resell it.

Downloading albums online cost more than the hard-copy Album in the store.
Torrents are free.

Old and used games at GameStop cost $5 less than the very same game spanking brand new.
They still have to make a profit, you know?

PC games cost $5-$10 less than a console game... AND the PC version gets released MONTHS after the console version gets out.
So PC games cost less, and come out later... whats the problem here?

Does the pricing on any of these things make any form of sense to you?
If yes - explain how.
I did.

Or post more examples of pricing that doesn't make a lick of sense.
lrn2 economics.

 

[Lift]

Most of these either do make sense. or you are incorrect.

The Sony PSP Go costs more than an Xbox 360 Elite or a PS3 Slim.

Supply and demand. The demand for the 360 and PS3 is greater than the PSPgo. Its the same reason diesel fuel is more than gasoline (that's petrol for you euro types)

The Nintendo DSi costs more than a Wii

See above.

The iPhone 3GS costs more than a Mid-to-High-Range laptop

I could sum this up by saying "It's a mac" but I can do better and really don't feel like getting flamed. I don't know about high end, but your right many good mid range laptops for that price. But none of them will have the iPhone os or have a 3G antenna, except for some net books. Any other overage can be supported by the fact that your paying for sise, and that whole supply and demand thing.

Downloadable games cost just as much or often more than he same game hard-copy retail.

Since when? I'm a regular Steam user and simply don't see this. Often I find the opposite true. And if their is a difference, It would have to be the fact that their tied to your account so you can re-download them if worse comes to worse. Not to mention that pesky supply and demand.

Downloadable movies online cost more than the DVD on a store.
e-Books cost more than hard-copy books. (in Sweden at least)

Cant say because I don't download them and I don't live in Sweden. My guess supply and demand.

Downloading albums online cost more than the hard-copy Album in the store.

If your referring to I tunes, that's just what you get.

Old and used games at Game Stop cost $5 less than the very same game spanking brand new.

THEIR USED! Do i relay have to explain this? You don't know what the previous owner has done hence you cant know its true condition. Its the same with used cars and refurbished electronics. Do you relay WANT them to charge more for used games?

PC games cost $5-$10 less than a console game... AND the PC version gets released MONTHS after the console version gets out.

What game? When I got dragon age it was the same price as retail and released the same day. With most games the difference is time spent porting, and by that time the value of the game has gone down. Also, since PC players spend way more on hardware it rely gets balanced out.

When you get right down to it SUPPLY AND DEMAND!!!

 

[Insideout Ink Demon]

Most of these either do make sense. or you are incorrect.

Old and used games at Game Stop cost $5 less than the very same game spanking brand new.

THEIR USED! Do i relay have to explain this? You don't know what the previous owner has done hence you cant know its true condition. Its the same with used cars and refurbished electronics. Do you relay WANT them to charge more for used games?

i think what he was getting at, is that the price gap between new and used should be greater than $5
i may be wrong tho

 

[Lift]

Maybe true, but its about 10-20 percent, assuming its a new game valued at 50 bucks. That seems fair. Also I find it depends on many things, not the least of witch is how long its been around.

I can remember when the demo for MGS2 was released with Zone of the Enders. And game stop was selling the used demo for like 35-40 bucks. That's a shame, because Zone of the Enders is now a sort of cult classic.

 

[The Anhk24]

I went to Best Buy to look at a game, it was 30 US dollars. I then decided to go to a store that said everything was 80% off. They had the same game for 20 dollars. According to my math the game should've been 6 dollars

 

[similar.squirrel]

Pricing and marketing works on the assumption that we're all idiots. Doesn't make sense to rational beings.

 

[LWS666]

i can't add anything that has already been said, i just wanted to be a part of this thread.

 

[MarsProbe]

Pricing that doesn't make any sense? Pretty much any piece of avatar clothing/accessory available on XBL then.

Doing some quick calculations, I worked out you could buy yourself a pint, or a sandwich if you're hungry, for the price of a lightsaber for your avatar to wield.

 

[Eliandarion]

And then we get VAT on top of it in Sweden >.<

But really, it's mostly that some of these things are either new, and thus not in great production (ebooks etc) or nobody bothers to change the prices (buying games online - a store needs to physically get rid of items, so they sell them off for cheap to make room for newer games), or just supply/demand.

//El

 

[Tekyro]

Modern Warfare (that is, the first one, aka CoD4) is still being sold at the original price in Scotland.

 

[Lift]

Pricing and marketing works on the assumption that we're all idiots. Doesn't make sense to rational beings.

So your saying that idiots can understand what rational people can't?

I'm not going to claim to be an economist, far from it, but what isn't to be understood? I here this kind of thing a lot from friends and peers, and It makes me scratch my head more than the actual subject mater. It does not work on the assumption that your an idiot it works on the assumption that if something is priced as a price you would pay for it you will buy it! And chances are you have because your posting on a video gaming website.

I'm sorry if It seems like im trying to hijack this page but what isn't understood about pricing? im not saying you need a bachelors in economics to post on this topic, hell I work in aerospace, but its not like this is dificult to understand. It's simple suply and demand, It's as simple as economics get.

 

[Banana Phone Man]

TF2 was being sold for £2.50. Valve wont make much money but as a marketing deal it will have attracted many new customers if they hadn't already got the game.