Slashdot Mirror
Console Game Prices Going Up?
The Bungi writes "MSNBC is running a story that I found interesting in light of the previous article here on Slashdot predicting hardware prices will likely fall. The MSNBC piece is quoting analysts that think software prices might go up by about $10 for a new title. The reasons? Among others, more complex games and anti-piracy measures built into the media. Get ready for $60 Halo II."
I remember paying $70 for Phantasy Star IV, and $60 for any RPG on the SNES. $50 prices on games is not really that bad nowadays, considering inflation and all.
On the otherhand, there is Nintendo, who just lowered their fees for 3rd publishers. Sega is releasing alot of their exclusive GameCube games, for $40 (Viewtiful Joe, and Billy and the Giant Egg, come to mind). Now this is a great price for some kickass games (the demos rocked). $40 for a brand new Sega exclusive game.
Hell yea.
$60? Count yourselves lucky. Game (UK retail chain) and Electronics Boutique (the UK retail chain bought out by Game, not the US one) charge 65 to 70 EUR here. Even PC games are up to 50 EUR a go :(
(Even second hand games are 45-50 EUR)
Fortunately there are some independent shops which don't charge such stupid prices.
Pretty straightforward: hardware price going down, software price going up. Give away the razor, sell the blades. Especially when the development cost of the razor has been paid for by early adopters.
Jesus was all right but his disciples were thick and ordinary. -John Lennon
Don't tell me we're back to this. Your statement is simply not true at all. X-box and Ps2 have been sold at a loss, but the Nintendo Gamecube, Gameboy Advance, and the Gameboy Advance SP have NEVER during their entire life cycles yet been sold for a loss whatsoever. Nintendo is making the Gamecube's right now for only about $50, so even giving away a free game, they still make over $50 a console sold in profit.
The original Gameboy Advance, they were able to lower the cost point of that down so low that they reduced the price of the system when it was still selling like hotcakes. I may be wrong, but I don't think any manufacterer has ever done anything like that before. That would have been like Microsoft selling Halo for $20 after it hit a million copies sold.
The GBA SP is still selling at a profit and always has.
Also, your post makes it seem like you're saying that selling games is pure profit, but it's not. Of a $50 game, between $2.50 and $5 goes to the store that sold it, another $20 or so to the company whose console it's sold for, then the rest back to the developer, to cover the cost of production, design, and manufactering.
And losses for the two consoles being sold at a loss are supposed to currently be over $50... so no, one game does not make up for selling a console at a loss. Normally, It is 6-8 games that is considered the point for breaking even.