Local game prices compared

[Stefan9]

I sure wish that the bandwidth problems would go away in SA. This will cause a serious drop in PC Games prices at least and if it doesn't the stores will just fade away. All the online resellers and even the producers themselves are distributing games cheaper or with weekly specials. Pickup the whole Unreal collection from Steam today for R122... This includes all the Unreal games including the latest one. The big problem however is the amount of bandwidth to download them all ... ouch

No it won't . Only the steam weekend special are really cheaper than the retailers in the us. Retail shops force the publishers to keep digital distribution pricing the same. The reason most people on us forums use digital distribution is because of the convenience and preloading not because of the pricing. Normal pricing is actually for most part the same between digital and normal retailers which is totally screwed up but the normal retailers won't stock games if the digital version is selling for a cheaper price.

PC games are priced about right in SA maybe a little cheaper than the US and europe.

[crazydude]

No it won't . Only the steam weekend special are really cheaper than the retailers in the us. Retail shops force the publishers to keep digital distribution pricing the same. The reason most people on us forums use digital distribution is because of the convenience and preloading not because of the pricing. Normal pricing is actually for most part the same between digital and normal retailers which is totally screwed up but the normal retailers won't stock games if the digital version is selling for a cheaper price.

PC games are priced about right in SA maybe a little cheaper than the US and europe.

Most reatail stores in teh US said that if a game is priced lower at an online distribution site, they simply won't stock it!

[fabrulana]

No it won't . Only the steam weekend special are really cheaper than the retailers in the us. Retail shops force the publishers to keep digital distribution pricing the same. The reason most people on us forums use digital distribution is because of the convenience and preloading not because of the pricing. Normal pricing is actually for most part the same between digital and normal retailers which is totally screwed up but the normal retailers won't stock games if the digital version is selling for a cheaper price.

PC games are priced about right in SA maybe a little cheaper than the US and europe.

Not really check out Blues News website for almost daily specials from various online distributors. Steam is hardly the only one there's Gog, Gamersgate, Impulse, Direct2Drive etc. There is no reason to think that there won't be more in time and each of these are trying to beat each other's specials. Distributors will ignore this to their own peril in the case of PC games. It's like the record companies who tried to ignore MP3's... not a good idea.

[Stefan9]

Specials yes but I am talking about normal launch pricing. The game you preorder from your shop is costing the same as the one you preorder from the digital distributor even though the digital distributor doesn't have the same overheads cost.

[fabrulana]

True it is a lot closer on launch prices, however also not precisely correct - as launch prices are also discounted these days. You only have to go to Steam to see that...

[crazydude]

True it is a lot closer on launch prices, however also not precisely correct - as launch prices are also discounted these days. You only have to go to Steam to see that...

The thing is that digital istribution will take years to kill off hard copies of games, if ever. The big companies know that they need the brick and motar stores, for now at least.

[mcryan]

Kalahari have some pretty good prices. I am impressed. I would buy from Zaps, but the drive and traffic out to Randburg means its cheaper for me to pick it up online or from a closer retailer.

[fabrulana]

The thing is that digital istribution will take years to kill off hard copies of games, if ever. The big companies know that they need the brick and motar stores, for now at least.

No definitely I agree - especially if you look at the hard copies of Dragon Age. I love the collector's box. Maybe it will cause that Distributors will make more effort on hard copy releases. The ones who can't may resort to digital distribution. I think however the Indie industry will become digital mostly anyways and there is where most of the innovative coding lies i.e. World of Goo, Braid etc.

[crazydude]

No definitely I agree - especially if you look at the hard copies of Dragon Age. I love the collector's box. Maybe it will cause that Distributors will make more effort on hard copy releases. The ones who can't may resort to digital distribution. I think however the Indie industry will become digital mostly anyways and there is where most of the innovative coding lies i.e. World of Goo, Braid etc.

For indie developers digita is great, they can cut out costs, which helps when you have hardly any cash flow.

I still prefer my boxes though, so if I can buy a game in a box, I generally will.