High Prices for games.

Gotta love how companies take our cash in an easy way. I mean, I read in the newspaper that a game costs $2-$5 to produce. That's It. the other is full winnings for them. I am a Wii owner and a 360 owner, and I must say prices are extravagant. first, let's start with the $10 scheme for 360 and PS3 games. The question is, why? For example, Madden gets released for every console out there you can possibly imagine. YET, the DS version is only $30, Wii is $50 and 360 and PS3 is $60. The question is why? The same game, probably same features, yet higher price just for a different console.

Now, $50 Wii games. Yes, why? Twice the GameCube hardware, new GCN games probably cost like $30 already, why $50 for Wii games? Specially those casual ones like Big BRain Academy and Wario Ware. I think a good price point for Wii would be $40.

360 and PS3 games, just because they are HD, doesn't make a valid excuse. Same thing. Why $60? The same features that are on the PS2 version, probably $20 higher. Is there a good reason? Other than making money?

Why PSP titles can be $40, and not the PS3?

One thing's for sure. If the game were to be $40, MORE people would buy it, and the winnings would be higher, regardless the low price. Like I said before, $2-$5 to produce the game. They can make it $35, still make a lot, infact, profits would rise because more people would buy it, and possibly attract new gamers. People are not only alienated how complex they are, also pricepoint is a reason.

Look at Brain Age. Retailed for $20, broke records in Japan. Imaging A Zelda, Halo, or Final Fantasy title retailing for $35 since day one? God, I do see real record shatters there.

Seriosuly, I can see $100 games coming in a future, I'm sure. Gaming is a thing for everyone rght now, but if they keep raising the price, it will become what would be an iMac. a small market for those who has money to spend on it, because not everyone has, if you get what I'm saying.

Discuss. Agree? Disagree? Wanna hear your opinion on this matter.

Gotta love how companies take our cash in an easy way. I mean, I read in the newspaper that a game costs $2-$5 to produce. That's It. the other is full winnings for them. I am a Wii owner and a 360 owner, and I must say prices are extravagant. first, let's start with the $10 scheme for 360 and PS3 games. The question is, why? For example, Madden gets released for every console out there you can possibly imagine. YET, the DS version is only $30, Wii is $50 and 360 and PS3 is $60. The question is why? The same game, probably same features, yet higher price just for a different console.

Now, $50 Wii games. Yes, why? Twice the GameCube hardware, new GCN games probably cost like $30 already, why $50 for Wii games? Specially those casual ones like Big BRain Academy and Wario Ware. I think a good price point for Wii would be $40.

360 and PS3 games, just because they are HD, doesn't make a valid excuse. Same thing. Why $60? The same features that are on the PS2 version, probably $20 higher. Is there a good reason? Other than making money?

Why PSP titles can be $40, and not the PS3?

One thing's for sure. If the game were to be $40, MORE people would buy it, and the winnings would be higher, regardless the low price. Like I said before, $2-$5 to produce the game. They can make it $35, still make a lot, infact, profits would rise because more people would buy it, and possibly attract new gamers. People are not only alienated how complex they are, also pricepoint is a reason.

Look at Brain Age. Retailed for $20, broke records in Japan. Imaging A Zelda, Halo, or Final Fantasy title retailing for $35 since day one? God, I do see real record shatters there.

Seriosuly, I can see $100 games coming in a future, I'm sure. Gaming is a thing for everyone rght now, but if they keep raising the price, it will become what would be an iMac. a small market for those who has money to spend on it, because not everyone has, if you get what I'm saying.

Discuss. Agree? Disagree? Wanna hear your opinion on this matter.

NOA_PATRIOTA

PS3 has already started something like that...I think.

You can't look at the cost of software at a production level, because the cost is in the development. Games cost millions to develop, so it's not really a matter of the disc costing next-to-nothing to make copies. Brain Age cost less to develop, and those savings were in part passed onto the consumer with a budget price relative to other games that cost more to make. Similarly, the DS in general costs less to develop for, and the games cost less because of it. Naturally, the price isn't a direct correlation between development and retail, but that wouldn't be a practical business model. There will typically be a price that the market settles into (last generation we had $50US games and that worked, and people bought $60 games just as well, so that seems to be sticking this generation). This increase could partially be justified by increased development time and therefor costs. No one's going to say, "Yes yes, I want to pay more!" but it's down to whether it's more profitable for the publisher. If a game is released at $30 instead of $60, you'd have to sell at least twice as many copies to make up for it, which is tough to buy, especially considering games eventually just drop to those prices anyway.yodariquo

It's not a valid comparison because the costs don't take into account that some games cost less to produce than others. Every 360 game did not cost as much as Halo 3 to make but the majority of them cost the same. So if a game cost less to produce but still retails for the same, the reduced cost that it took to produce the game is not passed on to the consumer. Not very capitalistic but then again the entertainment industry never has been.

The flat pricing scheme is a rip off in my opinion but then again I'm a PC gamer, so what do I know?

[QUOTE="yodariquo"]You can't look at the cost of software at a production level, because the cost is in the development. Games cost millions to develop, so it's not really a matter of the disc costing next-to-nothing to make copies. Brain Age cost less to develop, and those savings were in part passed onto the consumer with a budget price relative to other games that cost more to make. Similarly, the DS in general costs less to develop for, and the games cost less because of it. Naturally, the price isn't a direct correlation between development and retail, but that wouldn't be a practical business model. There will typically be a price that the market settles into (last generation we had $50US games and that worked, and people bought $60 games just as well, so that seems to be sticking this generation). This increase could partially be justified by increased development time and therefor costs. No one's going to say, "Yes yes, I want to pay more!" but it's down to whether it's more profitable for the publisher. If a game is released at $30 instead of $60, you'd have to sell at least twice as many copies to make up for it, which is tough to buy, especially considering games eventually just drop to those prices anyway.Kantroce

It's not a valid comparison because the costs don't take into account that some games cost less to produce than others. Every 360 game did not cost as much as Halo 3 to make but the majority of them cost the same. So if a game cost less to produce but still retails for the same, the reduced cost that it took to produce the game is not passed on to the consumer. Not very capitalistic but then again the entertainment industry never has been.

The flat pricing scheme is a rip off in my opinion but then again I'm a PC gamer, so what do I know?