Last week, we all learned how Australia is being expected to pay a ludicrous 6000 Microsoft Points for Mass Effect, as well as other titles. The inconsistent, rather insulting price points for a number of games worldwide has given us a good, clear indicator of exactly how greedy Microsoft intends to be with Games on Demand, but MS has decided to sugarcoat it and give one of the most pathetic PR responses I've seen in a long time.
"No one retailer has the lowest pricing for every product, and our program is about giving people 24 x 7 convenience and selection when shopping for Xbox 360 games," snivels Microsoft. "We're incredibly excited about what Games on Demand means for digital distribution, and will continue to evaluate and evolve the service to meet market and consumer demands."
So, Microsoft basically believes that the convenience is worth the ridiculous price tag. I can't remember correctly, but I don't think Steam games are priced with that kind of mentality. Someone remind me ... do Steam games cost $100, and are we supposed to feel grateful for it?
Absolutely pathetic.
Jim Sterling serves as reviews editor for Destructoid.com, head of the Podtoid podcast, and produces a number of news stories, original features, one-of-a-kind videos. With his passionate argumentative style, controversial opinions, harsh delivery, and dedication to brutal honesty Sterling is a name that you can't help but recognize.
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Contest:
10:20 AM on 08.11.2009
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I'll stick with hard copies, kthxbai.
I don't see how downloadable 360 games are a good idea at all, whether they're overpriced or not.
Microsoft is probably just following SRP in Australia due to publisher agreements... the real issue is why publishers, not Microsoft, feel Aussies deserve to pay more.
wait, what?
also, fuck off sexualchocolate.. no one gives a shit
Not buying said high-priced items.
But then, I guess you don't get that sweet victimized feeling...
By now people have purchased enough of whatever it is we dont want to buy and that is making the average price higher. A reminder is the Xbox Live Arcade prices, when some games cost 800 Microsoft Bucks you told us not to buy it. 800 points is now the new standard which is something I didnt want or pay for because other people purchased it
Also cocks
Still, they are a rip off. For your twenty quid all you're getting is the game, whereas you could just hop to the store and get them in a nice collectors tin for approximately half of Microsoft's price. Then load them to your hard drive anyway, if you so desire. I can't see why anyone would want to take advantage of this service, unless maybe if your nearest game shop was miles away..
Either way, fuck money.
Remember folks...B&M stores don't care about PC gaming anymore. Find me a B&M that has a legitimate PC games section that is larger than a typical GameStop PSP section since CompUSA went under a few years ago. My local best buy even still has copies of Tabula Rasa for sale!
Valve/Steam does not have to worry about catering to the Best Buys and Walmarts of the world for shelf space in their stores or eliminate the cut that the publishers are getting. Microsoft on the other hand cannot undercut the people it relies on to sell their product to the majority of the user base.
Unfortunately those are indie games, the people who you could actually excuse for heavier prices. For a mainstream company like Microsoft it's nothing to them and really as Death by Yeti pointed out people are going to pay for it and pay for it in droves.
I mean for god's sake you're paying as much as ten bucks American for map packs. Not expansions, not even booster packs, but map packs. They know they got their audience by the nuts here and the only way to lower the prices is legitimate competition or if Jim's Crystal ball is not on the fritz a second videogame crash.
With that being said, it is insane that such high prices are being charged but again just don't buy them. Also, Microsoft is entirely in the right with suggesting that their service is a 24/7 service and are free to charge higher for convenience. They know entirely if one person gets the urge to pay that much for Mass Effect at 3 AM on a Sunday morning, then they will roll in the bank.
If you don't like their marketing, Don't buy.
I think Jims major beef isn't the pricing itself, but the BS explaination. The truth in this case would be refreshing to hear..., "We can't sell it for less than Best Buy or we'd piss off one of our biggest customers. Sorry".
And the alternative you have in Australia would be...?
If you pay for a service, the same service that the rest of the world pays for, and the company decides you are going to pay triple what the rest of the world does - for electronic 'goods' - you have a right to be pissed off. The idea that you can just 'not buy it' is irrelevant - the point is that microsoft feels they can actually do this. And it's bullshit, and unless a huge stink is made about it, it wont change.
I for one hope COD.. seven or whatever the fuck it is does AWFUL in the UK... so they can blame piracy, and pretend it's not that the game is just overpriced.
Plus the huge per/GB price of HDD space...that is fuckin bonkers.
Imagine getting a PSP go stolen, all your games would be gone too. And most downloadable content has DRM...
I also chuckled at the FAQ that says their hard drives are 'great value'. £99.99 rrp for a 120GB drive? Don't fucking think so.