Why we pay top $ for games.

The Joker

The Joker

Thread Killer MKII
Let's start with piracy:
The thing is, Piracy mite be out of hand but the video game industry is super lucrative. I always thought that companies would be worried about piracy but the more I look at it the more it seems that they don't give a crap!!

Read this following artical.
http://www.webwire.com/ViewPressRel.asp?aId=85827

Why do we pay upto R1000 for a title:
Gaming companies know that the drones(fools like me and you) will keep buying because we are addicted to games and gaming. We all say, there is no way im spending that on a game(im one of those people) Yet we always end up buying it..WHY????
Im sure there are quite a few guys on the forum that'll agree with that. TELL ME IM WRONG?

The only way pricing will drop for all platforms is if we, the gamers, the drones, stop feeding our gaming addiction

Your thoughts on this subject will be greatly appreciated guys!!
 
Well I can say one thing, as much as I like games I suspect I'll be buying even less in this current climate. If other people have the same sentiments as me then the gaming industry could eventually feel the knock on effect of their pricing. While I hope a scenario like that plays out it appears that as times get tougher people depend more and more on gaming to provide them an escape from it all.
 
I don't pirate games nor do I buy a lot of titles ...... I primarily got an Xbox so that I could start renting games instead of paying the ridiculous prices. The more they go up, the less games for PC I buy and the more I rent for Xbox ..... bloody greedy buggers won't get my cash.
 
Let's get the ball rolling with some waffle form phoenix, shall we?

Joker, can you provide information as to how much money goes into developing a game, paying artists, programmers, etc, marketing costs, bribing journalists to come and give favourable previews of games and then the distribution costs of the games in question.

I think we need to ascertain just how much of a profit game developers and publishing houses are making before we lay into them. ;-) [Not trying to picj a fight, just wanting to clear things up, you see,]

I do know that the reason console games tend to be more costly than their pc counterparts is because developers have to pay the likes of Microsoft, Nintendo and
SONY royalties.

As for weening ourselves off our gaming addiction, I am not sure that I could go without games altogether. What I would probably do if I thought that my boycotting new game releases [which I do anyway] would make a difference would be to revisit old favourites and poke around for free games or relatively inexpensive games on the internet.Granted, many of these don't have the spectacular graphics of some many commercial games, but that is only part of what makes my gaming experience pleasurable.Had I a credit card I would probably have bought and downloaded few Popcap games by now, but their java equivalents aren't bad.They're also free to play.
 
Isengard said:
Well I can say one thing, as much as I like games I suspect I'll be buying even less in this current climate. If other people have the same sentiments as me then the gaming industry could eventually feel the knock on effect of their pricing. While I hope a scenario like that plays out it appears that as times get tougher people depend more and more on gaming to provide them an escape from it all.
Click to expand...

That's exactly what is needed. People should stop buying the over priced games(i don't really see this happening)before we will see a change!!
Its sad but true!!
 
I guess this applies with CPU's and GPU's, and then again any product on the market! I am sorry to say but this is how supply and demand works :\ I am not agreeing with it, I am just saying that this is how it is.
 
phoenix said:
Let's get the ball rolling with some waffle form phoenix, shall we?

Joker, can you provide information as to how much money goes into developing a game, paying artists, programmers, etc, marketing costs, bribing journalists to come and give favourable previews of games and then the distribution costs of the games in question.

I think we need to ascertain just how much of a profit game developers and publishing houses are making before we lay into them. ;-) [Not trying to picj a fight, just wanting to clear things up, you see,]

I do know that the reason console games tend to be more costly than their pc counterparts is because developers have to pay the likes of Microsoft, Nintendo and
SONY royalties.

As for weening ourselves off our gaming addiction, I am not sure that I could go without games altogether. What I would probably do if I thought that my boycotting new game releases [which I do anyway] would make a difference would be to revisit old favourites and poke around for free games or relatively inexpensive games on the internet.Granted, many of these don't have the spectacular graphics of some many commercial games, but that is only part of what makes my gaming experience pleasurable.Had I a credit card I would probably have bought and downloaded few Popcap games by now, but their java equivalents aren't bad.They're also free to play.
Click to expand...

Finally a debate..lol!!
You can't offend me dude,this is what this thread was made for:D
I am currently doing research into the topic but I can tell you that the gaming industry is expected to reach 68 billion dollars by 2012
It'll basically triple in the next 3 years, and that when the rest of the world is suffering from a global economic meltdown!!

"Analyst Anita Frazier for the research organization revealed some rather interesting statistics throughout the presentation, one of the most striking of just how many gamers are out there now: turns out this year we've got 61 percent more than we did last. Interestingly, 58 percent of the U.S. population from 13 and up plays video games, this keeping in mind people spend more on games than any other entertainment medium (27 percent)"


Gaming industry rakes in more than 20 Billion in 2008

It’s hard to tell from all the closures, layoffs and other bad financial info we talk about all day but according to research firm NPD Group, the video game industry pulled down huge profits in 2008.

According to NPD’s stats, computer, video game and peripheral sales added up to $21 billion in 2008 with entertainment software comprising up to $11.7 billion of that. That’s a jump of more than 23 percent from 2007, although it probably does little to console the numerous people in the industry that lost jobs recently.

Also interesting to note is that more than half of those software sales are considered “family-friendly” titles rated Everyone 10 and under by the Entertainment Software Ratings Board. Teen-rated games made up 26.7 percent of sales and mature-rated games accounted for 15.9 percent of sales.

Nintendo, which has been working to corner the family and casual market with its Wii home console and DS portable system, has to like looking at those numbers. Make no mistake, the most familiar and typically well-received mature franchises are still doing just fine. Grand Theft Auto IV and Call of Duty:World at War were among 2008’s best sellers.

Software sales on consoles amounted to $8.9 billion, selling 189 million units. PC games sold $701 million worth, moving 29.1 million units and portables earned an impressive $2.1 billion by selling 79.5 million units.

In further analyzing the numbers, NPD Group’s stats show that the rich are getting richer. In the NPD report, industry analyst Anita Frazier said when this console generation launched in 2005, the top 20 games of the year sales wise made up 9 percent of overall sales. In 2008, the top 20games accounted for 15 percent

This artical is also a good read.
http://www.videobusiness.com/article/CA6631456.html

So even though they are closing down plants and people in the gaming industry are losing their jobs. I qoute"The rich are getting richer"
 
They are definitly raking in huge amounts of profit mate.
They are still putting out awsome titles and they'll keep doing it because they get paid top dollar for it. Do you think any business that's running at a loss would push up the prices and risk losing more clients??? Definitly not mate!!
 
Well the production cost of making games has gone up a lot the past couple of years. I remember paying R250 for Mortal Kombat Trilogy way back in 1998.

To be honest A movie ticket in the states costs $12.50 A Game $40-60

Here a movie ticket is R40. Compare that to a game of R400-R600. ;) (not relevant but does give some perspective to the situation)

BTW, I can go into a whole economic explanation as to why most games are expensive and will continue to be. But it basically comes down to the fact that they don't know how to manage money.
 
SpoOkie said:
Well the production cost of making games has gone up a lot the past couple of years. I remember paying R250 for Mortal Kombat Trilogy way back in 1998.

To be honest A movie ticket in the states costs $12.50 A Game $40-60

Here a movie ticket is R40. Compare that to a game of R400-R600. ;) (not relevant but does give some perspective to the situation)

BTW, I can go into a whole economic explanation as to why most games are expensive and will continue to be. But it basically comes down to the fact that they don't know how to manage money.
Click to expand...

So please explain dude??
 
SpoOkie said:
Will type it out tomorrow morning and post it :p bit lazy atm. Don't know all the terms off by heart as well.
Click to expand...

Its cool mate..all input is much appreciated. As you know this is a hot topic and we need some answers..even though i think its inexcusable to charge what these companies charge:D
 
I don't want to hear anymore excuses, piracy this, current generation development costs that. If they want to sell more games and keep us gamers happy they better take a hard look at their current pricing schemes.
 
Isengard said:
I don't want to hear anymore excuses, piracy this, current generation development costs that. If they want to sell more games and keep us gamers happy they better take a hard look at their current pricing schemes.
Click to expand...

+10
I agree with you completely mate.
 
Well, if you look the facts, massive companies like EA and THQ are posting massive losses at the moment.

I do agree that anything over R400 for any game is probably too much, but that's just my opinion. Developers have to start looking at alternative ways of making cash, for example, in game advertising.

I will never pay R900 for a game. R700 is pushing it. In fact, if I see a R400 price tag on a PC game I walk away.
 
Xmnsx said:
Does a group like that exist or are u gonna start one phoenix?
Click to expand...

Not that I know of, Xmnsx.

I think it would need a snappier title or perhaps a clever acronym though.

Bandwidth concerns aside, what are your views on Digital Distribution Platforms such as STEAM,PSN,Xbox Live Market Place [not sure of the name] and WiiWare?

I have heard that there are several pretty good games to be had for reasonable prices
[Braid being an example] in such places.

I would imagine that this medium would cut distribution costs and perhaps even marketing expenses as news of worthwhile games finds its way around online communities.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Tinman said:
Well, if you look the facts, massive companies like EA and THQ are posting massive losses at the moment.

I do agree that anything over R400 for any game is probably too much, but that's just my opinion. Developers have to start looking at alternative ways of making cash, for example, in game advertising.

I will never pay R900 for a game. R700 is pushing it. In fact, if I see a R400 price tag on a PC game I walk away.
Click to expand...

That's a brilliant idea mate!!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top