It's time for us to do something about game prices. (1 Viewer)

[Morgan Jolley]

The main idea is that publishers try to get as much for a game as they can, then once they think they're not getting any more sales, they lower the price slowly so they can get as much as possible.

I'm willing to pay $50. You're willing to pay $40. Someone else, $30. So when the game comes out, I get it. A month or two later, you get it. Then 3 months after that, the other person gets it. The company just made $120 in revenue. Had they released it at $30, they would have gotten more sales all at once, but only have made $90.

Brian-

Maybe they started developing them at the same time, created one engine, worked with both games but focused on 3, released 3, then used their knowledge from 3 to modify the engine and finish it? All I remember is what I read in the interview/article/whatever it was. And it said that work on VC was started before 3. This could be planning stuff, early demoes, or whatever.

Maybe what you said was true, that 3 was going to be in the style of 1 and 2. Soon after, they started planning VC, then moved 3 to the PS2 and developed one engine for both games at the same time. So VC was planned for PS2 before 3 was, though 3 was being developed first technically? I dunno.

 

[Allen_Appel]

I'm willing to pay $50. You're willing to pay $40. Someone else, $30. So when the game comes out, I get it. A month or two later, you get it. Then 3 months after that, the other person gets it. The company just made $120 in revenue. Had they released it at $30, they would have gotten more sales all at once, but only have made $90.

No, by the time it reaches $30, I've already rented and finished it and they've made nothing from me. If it had been $30 to begin with, I'd have bought it.

 

[BrianB]

I give up, Morgan. Between the two of us, who is most likely to have personal knowledge of the development of GTA3?

 

[Masood Ali]

Bottom Line: The industry needs a standard price, and the $50 mark is a nice middle-ground between the consumer and the developer.

If you want to buy a game within the first week of release, you must expect to pay $50. You can wait for a sale, if you don't mind holding off for 3 to 4 weeks. Wait for a clearance if you can hold out for 3 months. Buy it used online on eBay, Half.com or right here on HTF if you want alternatives for a deal on a game. Buy a used copy at Blockbuster, Hollywood, GameCrazy, GameStop, EBWorld, Babbages...

There are endless options; if your think your time is worth finding or waiting for a deal, then go for it. Otherwise, pay your $50 and be happy.

 

[Jeff Kleist]

Hate to say it Morgan, he's got you there

 

[Iain Lambert]

I suppose that other than present-buying, the one thing that Fairplay are really right about on the increased sales thing is that they would get more brand-new sales and less second-hand ones (perhaps why EB don't seem particularly interested?)

After all, how many would trade games in if they only got £5 or so for them, and how many would be prepared to wait until second-hand ones were around if the brand new ones were more affordable?

 

[Morgan Jolley]

Brian-

I'm not saying you're wrong, I'm saying what I saw in the interview.

 

[BrianB]

Maybe what you said was true

 

[paul h]

Jeez Morgan, you made some comments about GTA, Brian told you the facts then you still came back with another post questioning what he said, based on an article you read somewhere...you may not of actually said he was wrong but you sure suggested that much.
As for game prices, i still remember the glory days when a full priced game was £9.99 and you could snap up gems like Warhawk on the C64 for £1.99

 

[Iain Lambert]

Hmmph. I wish I could find Buffy for less that £30, let alone $10. Not that I've got my XBox yet.

 

[paul h]

Best price i've seen is from cdwow, £31.99 delivered

 

[Iain Lambert]

Paul - Consider yourself warned about CD-Wow's games - they ship the Australian PAL releases over. There's nothing wrong with them, but you stand a pretty good chance of catching import duty charges. All of a sudden you can go from paying rather less than high-street titles to even more than them. Since the limit is £18 they are normally fine for CDs and DVDs however.