article on game prices - set to increase?

[lord of the mark]

http://money.cnn.com/2004/09/29/comm...ming/index.htm


your thoughts?

[Kassiopeia]

This will certainly encourage pirates to actually buy games.

Oh wait.

The Doom 3 and WC 3 numbers are moot, both have a solid core of fans who are by now at the age where they can afford the newest installment, plus there's the whole multiplaying thing - although Doom 3 did downplay it. However, not so with WC3.

What I found most -worthy was that in the article someone said it costs 10 megadollars to build the game, and another 10 to *hype* it. For the love of god, 50% of the budget to marketing?!

Of course, I hope some companies will refuse to raise the prices. Competition

But then, here in almost-but-not-necessarily-quite-Europe console games are usually closer to the 60 euro than the 50 euro marker when launched, over it even, PC games are at the 50 euro marker - and an euro is worth, what, 1.20 dollars. So we're being ripped off already.

[lord of the mark]

Originally posted by Kassiopeia
What I found most -worthy was that in the article someone said it costs 10 megadollars to build the game, and another 10 to *hype* it. For the love of god, 50% of the budget to marketing?!

I presume that includes the money to buy shelf space (at least here in the US, retailers get not only the margin of the retail price over the wholesale prices, they also get payments for the space itself. Dont pay for the shelf space, and the retailer puts the game on the shelf when it suits THEM - want a large, prominent display - you pay extra) Still, it does sound high. Oh, and im not sure were licensing fees for console games figure in here.

[Nostromo]

So you would accept to pay 300$ for Morrowind?

[General Ludd]

Keep charging more and making ****tier products.

[Moral Hazard]

Products aren't getting ****tier. Currently there are two price plateaus for games $20 budget and $50 for regular games. I don't see a lot of game companies resisting price increases, in a branded market this could be viewed as a sign of inferiority. I don't think it holds for games which are generally well informed purcases.

The article is off base however concerning price stability. The prices at least for Computers have been slowly rising. 10 years ago $35 was a common price for new computer games. I think further back $30 was common. The prices already have begun increasing to $55 for consoles.

If you think about the number of people who work in the various aspects of marketing a game. There are actually more people involved, and most of them are skilled. Advertising is very expensive. Plus this might include distribution. I don't think it does because I've studied the financials of a lot of gaming companies and distribution and marketing generally outweighs development.

[Pythagoras]

I bought Morrowind GotY for Xbox - 17 bucks. I'm not complaining. I tend to wait a while for the price to depreciatte to a point where I'll break down and buy it, unless its some game I'm eagerly awaiting (ie Civ3).

[DrSpike]

I don't really care if games prices go up slightly. Maybe companies will properly test for bugs with the extra cash.

Probably not though.

[DrSpike]

You cut off the end of my post.

[Adagio]

IF they release the games with less bugs and more hours of fun, than what the average (proffesional) game has these days, then the price increase could be tolerable... but I doubt it'll happen

If they want to discourage pirace they should lower the price

And for God's sake, please lower the money spent on advertising

[Urban Ranger]

I agree with Osweld. I hardly buy any games these days.

[Imran Siddiqui]

For the love of god, 50% of the budget to marketing?!

Well when you have a 'console war' you need to convince people that yours is the better one.

Yes, they are

Your argument falls on the fact that the original Deus Ex was released in 2000 and is therefore basically in the same 'age' as the sequal. It was just a bad sequal, not indicative of the quality of games.

Besides, games like Morrowind, Fable, Ninja Gaiden, Gothic II show that games are not getting worse, but may indeed be getting better.

[duke o' york]

Given the choice of games that you had when the X-box launched, then I can't really be that surprised that things are getting better for you.

[lord of the mark]

Originally posted by Moral Hazard
.

The article is off base however concerning price stability. The prices at least for Computers have been slowly rising. 10 years ago $35 was a common price for new computer games. I think further back $30 was common. .

so their statement that $50 was the standard price for 2 decades is NOT correct? Ive only been playing PC games for 6 years, and never buy first release games. Are we getting into the distinction between the first release price, and the price later on? IIUC $35 is still not an uncommon price for most games once theyve been on the market a couple of months - only the biggest sellers stay for long at their release price, no?

[lord of the mark]

Originally posted by Comrade Tassadar
I purchase a game on the basis of how much I'm going to play it - a dollar per hour. Thus, if it gives me at least 20 hours worth of playing time, I'll pay 20 dollars for it.
Most games do not reach this level.

Thus, I don't buy most games

wait long enough, and you can buy games for well under $20.