Shocker! Most people don't like paying $60 for a new videogame

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Home Captain Obvious

9:19 PM on 09.08.2008, Justin Villasenor

65 comments | 7236 views

Shocker! Most people don't like paying $60 for a new videogame photo

#Captain Obvious #Money #News

Instead of just sitting around grumbling about not being able to afford all the great releases coming out in the next few months, GameDaily called up some gamers to listen to them grumble about not being able to afford all the great releases coming out in the next few months. Specifically, they asked console owners how they felt about Xbox 360 and PS3 game prices being set at a default of $60, compared to last generation’s $50. Understandably, not many people were all that happy about it.

Based on the national sample’s responses: 43 percent said that they would wait for games to drop in price before they’d buy them, 30 percent said they’d buy more used games, 23 percent said they would buy fewer games, 17 percent said that they would rent more games, and 17 percent said that they’d pay full price so long as it was for the “right game.”

Along with the above data, GameDaily produced another magical chart that shows purchasing trends based on gender and age. It looks like guys are far more likely to shell out $60 for a new release than the ladies are.

How has the ten dollar price hike affected your videogame buying habits? Has it lead you to buy more games for the PC and Wii, where they still retain a sub-$50 price tag?

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next 50 comments

60 comments | showing # 1 to 50

Gameboi

Games are expensive, but then again, most hobbies are. While I don't like the prices, I can understand them. From marketing, to programming, to actually pressing the disks-- it's an expensive and risky undertaking.

Why not reward those who do great work?

grafkhun

I don't like the ten dollar bump that next-gen games got, this has caused me to wait for more price drops but I've still gotten lots of games at full price. hell when I bought DMC4 at a gamestop they didn't have any standard copies and they only had special editions. So I just shelled out the etra dough because I didn't want to wait for more standard editions to be in stock.

I gueess for me, I'm in that 17% who will pay full price for the 'right game'. What I hate though is how some DS games are 40 dollars, TWEWY for example. TWEWY was the only exception I made and I will never buy another handheld game over 30 dollars again... except for TWEWY 2.

Trowble

So far, I've fallen somewhere more along the lines of waiting for the prices to drop and buying more used games. I only paid full price for a few games this year. Before this generation, I rarely put buying used games in into thought, now it's a top choice. Not to go off topic, but I imagine that Gamestop has the most to gain out of the top percentages from that sample, buying and selling.

comradetrotskii

It may be time has eroded my memory but I'm pretty sure that here in the UK we actually pay less for games now than we used to.

RRP for 360/PS3 titles remains at the the stupid £45 - £50 but for the most part new games start as low as £35 if you find the best price. That's roughly the same as what we were paying last gen but much less (especially taking inflation into account) than during the preceding generations. Fuck I remember spending half of my 'berry money on Street Fighter II for the SNES at the ridiculous price of £65 (about $110 now but probably closer to $95 then).

So I feel happy as fuck, especially now that I don't have to pick 'berries for three weeks to buy one game.

The Amazing Shenazin

yeah 60 sucks, 50 was bad enough

I say, lower it to 40!!!!

Puppy Licks

In Australia we pay about $100 for our games, so stop bitching :P

Dexter345

I guess I'm in the minority, since I'm fine paying $60 for a new game as long as it's worth it.

Jakysan

I'm an American videogamer, and I hate the $60 price. I can honestly say I've bought FAR fewer more games new than I did last generation. For this current system lineup, I have been waiting and then getting games. Like, just a couple weeks ago I finally picked up Burnout Paradise. Its amazing, I wanted it when it came out, but I didn't have the extra $60 at the time. $29.99 I could handle.

World Eater

I do think it's a little ironic the major publishers bitch about the second-hand video game market but are also charging a 10 dollar premium for next-gen titles. Businesses control the costs and customers control the value, and the market then sets the price. If the used video game market is blowing up and eating into your revenues, it means the price you've tried to artificially impose on the market is unacceptable, and people are turning elsewhere.

TrailerParkJesus

I'm part of the "wait for price drops" and "buy used" group.

Everybody likes money. Game companies want mine, but I'd like to hold onto it as much as I can. Charge too high and you don't get as much or any at all.

If new games were $40, I'd be more willing to buy brand new on launch day, but as it stands I'll be waiting for price drops while I play last year's games. Works for me.

GummyTumor

No, Sir! I don't like it..

I haven't noticed myself buying less games, tho. It's quite the opposite. I think I've already purchased more new games for this generations consoles, then I did for the last generation.

Shin Oni

I wouldn't mind paying 60 bucks if I knew the game was long, good, and wasn't just whoring out graphics. I'm kinda glad now I do more catchup than new game buying. By the time I finish the games I have to catch up on, the stuff I want drops.

Demtor

For me, 50$ seemed like such a more manageable number as I'm lazy in my monetary calculations. 50 bucks a pop, two at $100 a month figures in to my apartment rent, car payments, food... etc etc. Shit was much easier to manage. You add an extra $10 here and there, plus the increase in hardware costs with the online purchases and/or HDMI cable for that HD flatscreen TV I saved up for and eventually, shit starts adding up.

I can definitely say I've boughten MUCH fewer games for this generation of systems than the last. But a good argument could be made for the graphical quality increase we've seen. PC gaming demands for graphics have found themselves on my consoles systems. So much so that I'm almost ditching PC gaming because its just too much money for me to keep up with when a single console will do the same thing almost. Grrrr! Need a real job...

IceMax

I've yet to pay 60 dollars for a new game thanks to the internet

Fogo

It's been awhile since I actually bought a game at full price (last one was COD4) and I have to agree with most people that the 10 dollar hike does suck. That doesn't mean I don't buy as many as I used to in the previous generation as things like XBLA and PSN exist to give me awesome retail game experiences at a fraction of the price of a disc based game (ie: Braid and Castle Crashers)

Shin Oni

it's strange how much a difference 10 bucks can make.

I never had a problem payin $50 for a game..sucked or not. but adding 10 bucks for some reason makes me 3rd leg cringe a bit...

ninjikiran

I use ebay now often, I usually buy a game that i wanted a month ago that cost $60 for $30. Play it, beat it and sometimes sell it during prime time ebay selling hours for more then what I payed. I did this with Lost Odyssey where I bought it for $27 shipping included and sold it when I was done with it for $36 since I ship for free I just take the shipping money and put it in my pocket lol.

snotrocket

I now wait for games to drop in price, unless it's one of those that all your friends end up getting and you HAVE to have it, but those for myself are 1-2 games a year. I actually enjoy waiting for the price to drop, I get to check out some decent games for under $30 and have started to mass a collection of PS3 and 360 games that I normally wouldn't give the time of day.

Waiting for games to drop in price allows me to spend my $60 still, but get more than 1 game out of it. I'm able to check out crap I normally wouldn't and expand my gaming wisdom which is pretty wicked.

DanlHaas

Okay, I'm not going to tell you to quit bitching, but I think it's important to consider more of the history of pricing before jumping to conclusions about publisher extortion. Back when the SNES launched in 1990, those games were $50 new, and people were happy to pay it. If those prices had increased in direct relation to inflation, a game today should cost just under $80.
Considering how much cost goes into creating a AAA title today, $60 really is a deal.

Aziel13

honestly its like come on take a quarter of my paycheck
I don't need it

Jetsetlemming

I haven't bought a new console game since 1998 (Ape Escape represent!).

whormongr

@ comradetrotskii - there is no shopping around in the US - the prices are fixed at the time of launch- you need to wait for a price drop or the title to become upopular if you are going to buy it cheaper

Dr Milkdad

I've bought more games this generation than last... but I have job now...so, yeah.

faultymoose

A new release PS3/360 game in Australia ranges from $110 - $120. That's about $97 U.S.

Stop complaining O_O

joemoemino

A game is worth $60 if I play it enough. Mass Effect was worth it since I played it for over 100 hours. GTA IV prolly wasnt since I got pissed at the missions and stopped. Lost Odyssey I never finished and Ninja Gaiden II wasnt enough awesome.

faultymoose

Joemoemino: I finished Mass Effect in about 14 hours (main quest line, about 15 side quests). Understandably, I felt my $100 price tag was WAY too much. It would have been okay if the side missions weren't repetetive, low budget crap.

Also, I'm sick of hearing the bullshit about how games are expensive due to piracy. It's the other way around.

parrothead

I don't like it, but for the good games I'll pay. I feel like I got my monies worth on GTA IV, MGS4, Uncharted, The Orange Box, CoD4, Ratchet and Clank:Future Tools of Destruction.
I will say that it has caused me to buy less games, I only buy the ones I know will be good now instead of taking a chance on some.

The picture cracked me up, btw

Blind assassin

Canada is in between in pricing I guess. Despite our currency being withing the range of equivalency to the American dollar our games get an extra $10 tacked on (on some games, Brawl is $49.99 but shit like Madden 2085 is $59.99). This only seems to be the case on consoles though since when I go to ebgames.com and check to see that Trauma Centre 2 is $29.99 I find that it's $29.99 in stores.

rice cracker

I almost can't justify buying games at $60 anymore. Lately I have been playing XBLA games and buying used. I just picked up Ninja Gaiden 2 for $25 from a guy at work. I couldn't imagine buying it at full price. Sometimes you can find some good deals on clearance. Just have to be lucky though.

whormongr

@Blind assassin- it's actually more like $3 (about 5% depending on the day) I will be up in canada for my honeymoon in november, so I have been paying attention to the exchange rate to see how much having a moron like bush in office here is going to cost me there with the decline of the dollar. With the exchange charges I will be paying around 10% more- still wouldn't be $10 on a game more like $6 if I bought it there, though I don't expect any "canadian exclusives" that I would have to buy while I am there.

ChrisFurniss

Video games back in the 80's and 90's were regularly $65-$75. For an NES or SNES game. We have it good now.

comradetrotskii

Whormongr: You can't even find them cheaper online at launch? That sucks balls.

Just so we're clear ('Cause I know where these discussions can go) I'm not trying to stir up antagonism about price differences, I was just relating my experience as a game buyer in the UK to this US focused article.

mr spooky

Do you think kids have that much money just to buy gta:4 and halo 3.

GohanGVO

Truth be told, I am a cheap ass gamer no matter the platform. Unless the deal is too tempting (like Portrait of Ruin's free pre-order + free shipping at GameStop), I always wait for either a price drop or a deal.

whormongr

@comradetrotskii nope, prices are fixed- that's the way it goes around here- it was declared legal by a US court a while back that manufacturers have the right to dictate prices to retail establishments, so if you go to any store- best buy, wal-mart, target, gamestop, etc. that carries new games it will always be $59.99 at launch - go figure that our politicians in office go on and on about the "free market" but they allow price fixing by IP holders- it is pretty ridiculous.

Porta

Sigh... AUD $109.95 on average for a new PS3 game, how is that fair on the southern hemisphere gamers.

109.95 AUD = 88.5652 USD
Live rates at 2008.09.09 06:03:56 UTC

That's nearly 50% more than what you pay in the states!
You can't tell me that it costs $28.5 extra PER GAME for them to be shipped down here. OUT RAGE I SAY!! OUT RAGE!

Burnt Meatloaf

I clearly recall most launch games in my area selling for $60-$80 for the Playstation and N64. My dad wanted Half-Life 2 when it came out, and that cost me $65. Hell, I paid $50 for some of my NES games when they were new, and adjusted for inflation, that's quite a lot more than today.

If you want to see new game prices go back to the sweet $40 spot like during the late PS2 era, then you just have to wait another couple years. Early in the lifespan of a console, games cost more, and they always have.

The problem is not price. The problem is whether the games are good enough to justify that price. The 360 is just getting by in this regard, but the PS3 is the system having the problem.

That said, I usually wait for the price to drop to $40 before I buy. It's not like it really takes that long in this market.

PetiePal

Back in middle/high school I use to buy a crapload of games. Literally every time a really good release came out I either had it pre-ordered or I was out to get it that weekend. No longer...the really big games that get great reviews are few and far between these days but because of the price hike I now wait for most games to get very cheap unless there is substantial XBL potential (GTA IV, Halo 3, COD4) and I'd like to be in on the Friday Night Fights etc.

Games were $40-50 for PC, PS2, N64, XBox and Gamecube in my area. Never higher, sometimes even lower. The simple fact is I've bought less and less games as I've been forced to curtail my spending due to it just not being "worth it" anymore.

SpencersGifts

*PetiePal

Well thats because we get older my friend. When were young its always mommy and daddies money. If not that, its money we saved up from birthdays and holidays. If you actually even worked for it, it was either chore money, or mowing lawns.

But the minute you actually have to put in a 40+ hour work week, and have other bills to pay; hell even a husband or wife OR babies momma, you'll have less and less to spend on games.

Yes, I miss the times of yesteryear, but thats because I had 8 hours a day if I wanted to spend on playing video games. I remember pulling all-nighters just to beat a certain game. I cant even remember NOW when the last time Ive beaten a game that took longer then 10 hours to beat. RPG? Hell no.

So yea, getting older comes with responsibility and less game playing. It blows, but its true.

Timmeh

I've probably bought 2 or 3 games new for the 360, and a handleful for my PC because it's generally cheaper. Just ain't worth the money half the time these days with the state they are shipped in.

To all those comparing prices to the cost of SNES games or whatever, the market is many, many times bigger than it was in earlier generations so no, we aren't getting a good deal. That's why the games industry keeps reporting bigger and bigger profits despite economic conditions.

Emrah

In Turkey, GTA 4 costs 160 dollars or so. Some new games sell at about 105 dollars, some 140, some 160. They blame taxes for it, but it doesn't explain why games are fixed at 60usd elswhere, they manage to come up with different numbers.

You have to sh*t gold coins here not to import games..

hjd uk

Whingers, XBox360/PS3 games are $80 in UK. Wii games are about $70. TS.

Jim

I often wait for games to get cheaper, but if the game is right I buy it right at launch for full price (often a special edition).

personally 20-40 bucks is my limit for new game if it costs more it's not a "impulse buy" anymore.

Murumasa123

Even though games are $80 in the Uk quite a few, since about 3 years ago, are around the 30 quid mark and PSP games rarely hit £25.
Im mostly happy to pay but dont have to as the internet provides me with the Collectors editions for aroudn the same price.

B-Radicate

Well... I have GameFly now and have only purchased 3 games this entire year (RSV2, Smash Bros., and GTAIV) compared to last year when I bought AT LEAST one game a month. And I haven't been happier. What does that tell the industry?

ajaxender

Here in NZ, pc games are normally around $100, and 360 and ps3 games are $120. Thats roughly $75 and $90 US, i think (maybe a bit less now, our dollar has dropped since i last checked prices).

So yeah, the price of games reduces what i buy! I mostly buy games from Steam, and in particularly the sweet $10 indie games, since im a sucker for something simple but clever and addictive. ESPECIALLY if it has pretty colours and sounds.

Rosseh

The higher price makes me feel like I'm missing out on something. Last generation, and those before it, I would pick up games that looked or sounded interesting. You could also return a game if it sucked and people wouldn't really question it. But now price and policy has changed I find myself increasingly on the lookout for the best titles I can get for my money.

Basically, all I have are 9s and I miss the days when I would play average but entertaining games like Neo Contra.

lubczyk

The "NexGen games cost more to make" is BS. If that's the case why are PC gamers still paying $50 for new cutting-edge games like S.T.A.L.K.E.R and Crysis?

Publishers on the PS3 and Xbox 360 are just charging $60 a game because they can get away with it. Just like they can get away with $50+ for an extra controller.

digitaldemigod

I hate the $60 price too. I am also more broke than I was last gen, so once in a while I buy a game new, but only for stellar games like Bioshock, GTA4, or Orange Box.

I have been taking advantage of Gamestop's used games A LOT more. Actually, before this gen I never bought a used game. Mostly due to problems with my PS2 and my xbox not reading scratched discs at all. But now I've got the Edge card and I usually get lucky and someone has returned a new release within a week of release and if I'm really lucky Gamestop has the 25% off a used 360 game... combine that with the edge card for 35% off. I got Bad Company 8 days after release used for $37. I picked up Soul Calibur 4 last week for the same price.

lubczyk

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