Are Games too Expensive
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Topic started: Tue, 6 Oct 2009 16:52
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Sab
Anonymous
Tue, 6 Oct 2009 16:52
Higher price? More piracy! Nice tactic.
Wed, 14 Oct 2009 20:22
Nice feature, Paul.
Indeed, talk about being stuck between a rock and a hard place. Obviously, many of us gamers forget that in this industry, the gears of business turn and churn out our games behind the scenes. As a young gamer (30 is young to me, so sod you), I like to know as many facets of the industry as possible. I remember those days of 16 bit SSF2 very well. Back then there was next to no second hand market, so many of us were stuck with games priced high, for as long as a console was on sale officially.
The result of this, for many gamers, is that we purchased less games back then, because of such awful prices (by the time the SNES officially died, I had about 12-14 games, most of which I got in sales. With the rise of the internet, many of us got sick of that crap, and turned to Ebay and such. Used games are like mana from heaven, especially to kid gamers, so I'm sure that even at present, where the big publishers want shot of this model, at the expense of retailers, I think that the pre owned business will just migrate online. Just think about it for a second. Even if stores were closed and jobs lost, from Game to Gamestop, it would only take the likes of those parties, to group together and buy an online outfit like Goozex, which is primarily aimed at pre owned games. There's nothing to stop this happening, and if this 'messiah' like push for a DLC future comes to pass, it more than likely will.
If you want a good example of this kind of thinking, look no further than Woolworths. The greedy bastard bankers and their recession killed off an established 100 year old brand store. Many jobs lost, shops close and a river of tears flow. Where are Woolworths now? Strangely, while cutting back they have adjusted, and are now selling the unique thing they were known most for.....their awesome pick and mix candy selection, which they sell online. This might yet keep them alive to fight another day. Strange, but true. Poor comparison, you decide.
I think that Bobby Kotick is a cock to be honest. He's probably a nice chap in real life, be he should put that cocky persona he's waving at customers away. As much as we hate corporate bullshitters, bullshitting us, he should know where to draw the line at times. Sure dev costs are high, but not for all games. The advent of Live Arcade and XNA, PSN and Wii Ware, offer cheap dev alternatives, to try out new ideas etc. If more used these means first, costs could be cut.
As for the prices in relation to piracy, that's a hard ship to sink, but other measures can be taken, without stiching the customer up. I think a good one that no one has tried, is to encourage gamers to buy, even if they import a copy of a game, its still a legal sale of goods and they are still getting paid, rather that than nothing at all for a game. They don't have to shout about it officially, but don't come down hard on those that do import a game, as Sony did with PSP owners for buying from importers Lik Sang. And hey, look at that, PS3 and 360 have low piracy rates, due to both systems being region free, but leaving it up to the developer, to choose whether to keep that loop open or not. On PS3 its pretty standardly open, and 360 not so much.
Oh yeah, I heard an interesting piece on some who pirated Batman AA. Apparently when a pirate version was played, part of the code in the game makes it unplayable, creating a glich where Batman's cape won't let him glide, something vital to playing the game. A nice move by Rock Steady, and we may yet see more tactics like this in other games. If done right, it could cut piracy a lot.
But I digress, would I pay £60 for a game? No, I wouldn't. I'd always hunt for a reasonable price, the same way I will with MW2, and other games before it.
Indeed, talk about being stuck between a rock and a hard place. Obviously, many of us gamers forget that in this industry, the gears of business turn and churn out our games behind the scenes. As a young gamer (30 is young to me, so sod you), I like to know as many facets of the industry as possible. I remember those days of 16 bit SSF2 very well. Back then there was next to no second hand market, so many of us were stuck with games priced high, for as long as a console was on sale officially.
The result of this, for many gamers, is that we purchased less games back then, because of such awful prices (by the time the SNES officially died, I had about 12-14 games, most of which I got in sales. With the rise of the internet, many of us got sick of that crap, and turned to Ebay and such. Used games are like mana from heaven, especially to kid gamers, so I'm sure that even at present, where the big publishers want shot of this model, at the expense of retailers, I think that the pre owned business will just migrate online. Just think about it for a second. Even if stores were closed and jobs lost, from Game to Gamestop, it would only take the likes of those parties, to group together and buy an online outfit like Goozex, which is primarily aimed at pre owned games. There's nothing to stop this happening, and if this 'messiah' like push for a DLC future comes to pass, it more than likely will.
If you want a good example of this kind of thinking, look no further than Woolworths. The greedy bastard bankers and their recession killed off an established 100 year old brand store. Many jobs lost, shops close and a river of tears flow. Where are Woolworths now? Strangely, while cutting back they have adjusted, and are now selling the unique thing they were known most for.....their awesome pick and mix candy selection, which they sell online. This might yet keep them alive to fight another day. Strange, but true. Poor comparison, you decide.
I think that Bobby Kotick is a cock to be honest. He's probably a nice chap in real life, be he should put that cocky persona he's waving at customers away. As much as we hate corporate bullshitters, bullshitting us, he should know where to draw the line at times. Sure dev costs are high, but not for all games. The advent of Live Arcade and XNA, PSN and Wii Ware, offer cheap dev alternatives, to try out new ideas etc. If more used these means first, costs could be cut.
As for the prices in relation to piracy, that's a hard ship to sink, but other measures can be taken, without stiching the customer up. I think a good one that no one has tried, is to encourage gamers to buy, even if they import a copy of a game, its still a legal sale of goods and they are still getting paid, rather that than nothing at all for a game. They don't have to shout about it officially, but don't come down hard on those that do import a game, as Sony did with PSP owners for buying from importers Lik Sang. And hey, look at that, PS3 and 360 have low piracy rates, due to both systems being region free, but leaving it up to the developer, to choose whether to keep that loop open or not. On PS3 its pretty standardly open, and 360 not so much.
Oh yeah, I heard an interesting piece on some who pirated Batman AA. Apparently when a pirate version was played, part of the code in the game makes it unplayable, creating a glich where Batman's cape won't let him glide, something vital to playing the game. A nice move by Rock Steady, and we may yet see more tactics like this in other games. If done right, it could cut piracy a lot.
But I digress, would I pay £60 for a game? No, I wouldn't. I'd always hunt for a reasonable price, the same way I will with MW2, and other games before it.
Thu, 15 Oct 2009 14:39
Joji wrote:
But I digress, would I pay £60 for a game? No, I wouldn't. I'd always hunt for a reasonable price, the same way I will with MW2, and other games before it.
i think £60 for a game is crap but then they no that we will and willing to spend it the only way that games don't stay at the high price is if people don't buy but is that going to happen NO i all so remember the prices that of the 16 bit era i ended up renting from a little game shop wich all so was cool for imports then buying the game meny mounths down the road when the games were put in to ex rentel but still payed a lot for em (mum and dad lol )
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