$60 Game Comeback?

[Jonbo298]

Ever since the PlayStation came around, gamers have been used to paying $49.99 for a brand new videogame (save for us hardcore $59.99 N64 guys). Publishers felt that this was the right price point to cover all the costs to develop a game, make some money off it, and still make the consumer happy.

That was then, and this is now. Back in the 32/64-bit era, a game cost in the 1-2 millions of dollars range to develop. That's not so true with the current breed of consoles, where most games cost five times as much to make or more, and while more people are playing videogames than ever, that still doesn't justify the cost of a game being the same price, $49.99. At least, according to one analyst. Here's a snip from the article, with comments from Shiny's Dave Perry:

Several things are driving development costs up:

First, compared to the last generation of consoles, the current 128-bit generation requires at least 40 times as many lines of code to fully exploit its capabilities. And that costs money.

Shiny president Dave Perry says that the more advanced the console, the larger the development team. He should know: Shiny’s “Enter the Matrix” cost more than $20 million to develop.

“To keep pushing the limits, that not only takes more people, but better people,” Perry said. “Great development staff are therefore becoming more and more valuable, and as our industry moves to Playstation 3, Xbox 2, etc., then they will be at a new premium,” he said.

Gamers concerned about a possible games price hike would do well to read the entire artlice (http://www.msnbc.com/news/924871.asp) over at MSNBC. Be aware, though, that the entire article is speculative, and in no way indicative that publishers will increase game prices any time soon. We hope.

http://www.planetgamecube.com/news.cfm?action=item&id=4477

If next gen games are going back to the $60 price point, they better be damn good. Maybe then companies will actually make sure a game is good. But like they said, this is all speculation. Also, will the 3 main console makers try to easen up the process to making a game on their system next gen? Imagine if the "toughness" to make a game made a difference to the price on all 3 consoles. Hell, original PS2 games might've sold for alot more then now. Maybe 'Cube games would be the cheapest or XBox depending on what companies know about the system. But who knows......

[Jason1]

I really hope that dosent happen. 50 bucks is enough for games.

[gekko]

First, compared to the last generation of consoles, the current 128-bit generation requires at least 40 times as many lines of code to fully exploit its capabilities. And that costs money.

Thank you Sony.

I don't blame them. Today's games mostly suck, but it's no surprise, because if it doesn't have good graphics, it won't sell. So you have to spend a lot of time making the game look good, less time making the gameplay good. Then people will hype the game until it's release, say it sucks, and it won't sell very well.

I'll stick to Pac-Man.

[Jonbo298]

Today's games mostly suck, but it's no surprise, because if it doesn't have good graphics, it won't sell.

The one major exception being Animal Crossing;):D

[gekko]

Ya, except Animal Crossing sucked :p

[Stonecutter]

You know.

Much as I want to bitch about this, it actually doesn't bother me. I remember paying 70! for street fighter 2 turbo hyper fighting for the SNES and that was 9 or 10 years ago. 60$ now is probably less than 50$ ten years ago (I can't back that up but it's got to be close).

I've been buying less and less games and when it comes to SC2, halo 2, Fzero GX, and a handfull of others I will be picking up in the near future, I really won't mind.

[CrOnO_LiNk]

As price goes up, demand goes down. It will definitely sell less than before. If Sony stays at $50 per game and Xbox shifts the price at $60, PS2 games would substitute Xbox games and easily take them out the market...

That's what I think, but the demand will go down if companies increase their price.

[Xantar]

Just in case you were wondering, this means Canadians will be paying a little over $80 per game at current exchange rates and assuming that retail prices are simply converted.

And like Stonecutter, I'm not really too worried about this. I only end up buying maybe six games for an entire console generation anyway. At that rate, an extra $10 hardly matters anyway, especially if the console itself comes cheaper like all the consoles have been doing this generation. And besides, I spent $79.99 on Chrono Trigger.

Now if all these economic pressures would just force Acclaim to roll over and die, I'll be a happy man...

[Stonecutter]

Just in case you were wondering, this means Canadians will be paying a little over $80 per game at current exchange rates and assuming that retail prices are simply converted.

And like Stonecutter, I'm not really too worried about this. I only end up buying maybe six games for an entire console generation anyway. At that rate, an extra $10 hardly matters anyway, especially if the console itself comes cheaper like all the consoles have been doing this generation. And besides, I spent $79.99 on Chrono Trigger.

Now if all these economic pressures would just force Acclaim to roll over and die, I'll be a happy man...
Yeah! I forgot about CT. I think that was 74.99 when I got it.

[Professor S]

Yeah! I forgot about CT. I think that was 74.99 when I got it.

I have no problem paying upwards of $70 for a game if it is an excellent game. I would have paid $100 for Halo. Great games will sell no matter what (ok, Steel Battalion didn't sell great, but $200 is above and beyond even Chrono Trigger) Thats why I think it would be a good idea to have higher or lower prices on a game by game basis. If you need to make more profit to make monetary sense for investing many millions of $ into game to make it great, then do it. If not, then sell it for $50 buck or even $20 like in the case of Serious Sam.

I think this could lead to even more great games coming out, because developers would feel they would be able to both maintain their profit ratios while investing the time and effort if making a work of art.

[Joeiss]

Yeah, us Canadians pay 92 bucks for a 79.99 priced game. So if the prices go up 10 bucks... Well, I think that is a little too rich for my blood. I will definitely be picking and chosing games more selevtively than before.

[Stonecutter]

I have no problem paying upwards of $70 for a game if it is an excellent game. I would have paid $100 for Halo. Great games will sell no matter what (ok, Steel Battalion didn't sell great, but $200 is above and beyond even Chrono Trigger) Thats why I think it would be a good idea to have higher or lower prices on a game by game basis. If you need to make more profit to make monetary sense for investing many millions of $ into game to make it great, then do it. If not, then sell it for $50 buck or even $20 like in the case of Serious Sam.

I think this could lead to even more great games coming out, because developers would feel they would be able to both maintain their profit ratios while investing the time and effort if making a work of art.
Yeah, but if you do that....


Would anyone buy a game that sold for less than the maximium? Lets say games went up to 80$ Would you want to buy a game that sold for 50$ Isn't a developer who slapps a 50$ price tag on their game basicly saying that "we made an inferior product"?

[Professor S]

Yeah, but if you do that....


Would anyone buy a game that sold for less than the maximium? Lets say games went up to 80$ Would you want to buy a game that sold for 50$ Isn't a developer who slapps a 50$ price tag on their game basicly saying that "we made an inferior product"?

You have a point, but aren't developers already doing that now? $20 games are becoming more and more common, and I wouldn't call Serious Sam an inferior product. Its just not deep enough to warrant $50. I also don't think the $80 games would be that common, but instead be more like the $20 games are now. I think the added price we be more of an indication of a superior product, than giving the impression that the $50 games are inferior.

Its like going out to eat. Most of the time you go out to eat once you're older its to a sit down place, like Appleby's or Bennigans. But every once in a while you want to go to a really nice place like Le Bec Fin (Philly high class Frenchy). Now Le Bec Fin is a superior restaurant, but you don't really think of an Appleby's or Bennigans as inferior. Its still good, but doesn't have all the trimmings that Le Bec Fin has that ou are willing to spend that extra money on every once in a while.

Just because a select few things are special, it doesn't make everything else bad.

[Seven7]

Alot of games here are what, $69.99-79.99 to as much as $89. plus even, while some new games are sometimes as low as $59.99 or so, such as the new Tomb Raider game.

If games were to go up a fair bit like 10-15 dollars Cdn then I may only buy very few new games now and good used games will be more sought after.

[manasecret]

I still don't understand Candanians bitching about game prices over there; I mean, isn't everything over there a higher number price than it is in Amrica?

How much is a value burger there? Or a movie ticket? 24-packs of Bud Light?

Anyway, Ikaruga is only $40 and it's a fantastic game! ...it's just all 2D and not exactly an 80-hour RPG. :)

[GameKinG]

I hope not. I have 20 gamecube games and many more purchases in mind.

[Stonecutter]

I still don't understand Candanians bitching about game prices over there; I mean, isn't everything over there a higher number price than it is in Amrica?

How much is a value burger there? Or a movie ticket? 24-packs of Bud Light?

Anyway, Ikaruga is only $40 and it's a fantastic game! ...it's just all 2D and not exactly an 80-hour RPG. :)
...Not to mention the fact that the canadian dollar is only worth about 75cents and they have nationalized healthcare.

[PureEvil]

...Not to mention the fact that the canadian dollar is only worth about 75cents...

Right. Which is only good if you have American money to exchange for the lower Canadian rate.

Living here, if you have 75 cents, it's 75 cents Canadian. If you have 75 cents American though, it's a dollar Canadian, which is advantageous. The weak Canadian dollar is in no way good for Canadians (Excluding certain business aspects, but who cares about that); thus the bitching.

[Stonecutter]

Right. Which is only good if you have American money to exchange for the lower Canadian rate.

Living here, if you have 75 cents, it's 75 cents Canadian. If you have 75 cents American though, it's a dollar Canadian, which is advantageous. The weak Canadian dollar is in no way good for Canadians (Excluding certain business aspects, but who cares about that); thus the bitching.
Yeah, but you're still paying only 60$ (US) for a 50$ (US) game. <If the game is priced at 80$ canadian

And that extra 10 (im guessing) is coming from the insanly high canadian tarrifs/taxes, but as I said, there's your free healthcare.

It all balances out.

[Joeiss]

Well, there are no tariffs from stuff coming in from America to Canada, stupid! NAFTA NAFTA NAFTA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

lol

Umm.. How much in minimum wage in the states? In Ontario, it is 6.85 i believe. So I guess if yours is lower, than it is all good.

But the thing is, for those who don't work, you get like 20 bucks from an aunt from your birthday. In America, you only need like 30 more bucks, but in canada you need like 60 for bucks. See the diff?

[Stonecutter]

Well, there are no tariffs from stuff coming in from America to Canada, stupid! NAFTA NAFTA NAFTA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

lol

Umm.. How much in minimum wage in the states? In Ontario, it is 6.85 i believe. So I guess if yours is lower, than it is all good.


One of two things is happening and it doesn't matter either way.

Either the games come direct from japan to BOTH the US and Canada, or since japan is the country of origin you're still paying the tarrif. If you've ever shipped something internationally you know you have to list all the contents of what you are shipping, the countries the items were purchased in AND the country the items were manufactured in. In this case, Japan, or possibly china is the country of origin. Either way, tariffs still apply since it originally comes from overseas.

I believe the minimum wage varies from state to state. In Illinois its 5.35$ an hour.



But the thing is, for those who don't work, you get like 20 bucks from an aunt from your birthday. In America, you only need like 30 more bucks, but in canada you need like 60 for bucks. See the diff?

Uhhhhhh....

Think about what you just said.

If 20$ was actually 20$ you'd need the same amount of money. Its just that your basic monetary unit is worth less than ours and thus your aunt gave you less money than my aunt.

[Stonecutter]

I hope not. I have 20 gamecube games and many more purchases in mind.
But at that same rate, you'd still be able to buy 16 games at 60$ each.

Seeing as how you already own 20 games, I'll bet you have 4 games that, though you might not regret buying, you wouldn't buy again given the chance.

And if not, I'm sure you can come accross an extra 240 to get those extra 4 games.

[BlueFire]

I hope they don't do this. My mom usually buys my games... and knowing her, she won't be happy to see $60 dollar price tags..

i need a job... lol

[Joeiss]

Uhhhhhh....

Think about what you just said.

If 20$ was actually 20$ you'd need the same amount of money. Its just that your basic monetary unit is worth less than ours and thus your aunt gave you less money than my aunt.

But it is all relative. $20 is like the basic currency that people give and receive. When I get 20 bucks I don't say that I need more to equal that of the American 20 dollar bill.

[gekko]

I think the whole argument is that it balances out. In Canada, everything costs more money, but you also make more money. Forget Canada and the US, too little difference.

Let's take the US and Japan. Games generally run 5800 yen. Everything costs thousands! In the US, some kid may make $5 an hour, but in Japan, they would make 580 yen an hour. Everything costs more, but they make more. Both work for 10 hours and they have a game.

Now back to the US and Canada. The US dollar is worth more because we can buy more with it. $1 will buy us 1/50 of a game, so when we go to Canada and turn in a buck, we should be able to buy 1/50 of a game in Canada too, and that amounts to more than $1 Canadian.

It's not that you're paying more for the games, it's just that it costs more. Just like Japan isn't paying more for their games, even though they cost over 100 times as much. Of course, it's probably a lot more complicated than that when you get into currency exchange rates.

Anyway, currently...
$1 US = $1.3489 CDN
$50 US = $67.44 CDN
$50 US = 5972 yen

$60 US = $80.93 CDN

It's not costing you anything more than it's costing us. In fact, you would get the game $.93 CDN (or $.69 US) cheaper than us if they raised the prices.

[Joeiss]

Yeah, if it is 59.99 American, it would most likely be 79.99 Canadian. But the thing that I do not understand, is that most games right now do cost 79.99. But what I don't understand is that when we pay 59.99 for a game, how much do Americans pay? 39.99? or 44.99?

[gekko]

Americans pay $49.99 for games. A select few come out for $39.99.

When you pay $59.99, it would be about $44.50 US.

[Seth]

I've got a question for the yanks. When you're buying a 355 ml pop from a pop machine....do you pay 1 buck american?


Also, most of the games up here range from 49.99 to 79.99. Enter the Matrix costs me 69.99 cdn. Usually the only games that'll cost me 79.99 are on the PC. Warcraft 3 being one of them.(atleast used to)


Actually, right now Canadians get the better deal as far as games go. Most of the games from my local Walmart are 59.99. A lot of the games that are a year old down around 39.99 to 49.99.

So ya, we're getting the better deal now.

I think i'll have to boycott gaming as a whole if the price goes up to 80 bucks a game cdn. While gaming is fun...a single game usually doesn't last me that long. I'm not that much of a gamer,, so say SSBM costs me 60 bucks cdn...i've put about 15 hours max into that game. That's 4 bucks an hour for playing a game, not including the price of the console, extra controller(s), and all the other stuff that goes along with gaming.

Very few games are worth 80 bucks to me. Meh, hopefully one of the console companies will keep their game prices at 50 american and take the losses.

[Stonecutter]

I've got a question for the yanks. When you're buying a 355 ml pop from a pop machine....do you pay 1 buck american?


12 oz cans of pop vary greatly depending on where you buy them and what brand you buy. If you to a walmart and buy the sams club brand you can get them for 50 cents (at least you used to be able to a short time ago.) At my school we have a deal with coke with cans costing 65 cents. Most Coke/Pepsi machines in public range from 75 cents to 1$.

I've seen 20 oz bottles in public from $1.25 to $2.75.

[gekko]

Man, I haven't used a public pop machine in ages, but they should still be $.50.

I've bought a 20 oz bottle of coke for $3.75 :( Most I've ever seen.