Are PC games going to be priced at $60 now?

[Zepher]

Just noticed that Splinter Cell for the PC is priced at $60.
Are we in for a price hike on future PC games? I think $60 for a PC game that can't be resold or lent out is just to expensive, at least on the consoles you can loan out your copy to friends and sell it if you like.

 

[King Icewind]

We can hope not.

It's mostly just Ubisoft being extremely gay.

 

[Zepher]

Well, COD MW2 is $60 as well. Maybe it will be future console ports priced at $60.

 

[Haste266]

i will NEVER purchase a pc game for $60...


so many games out there anyway that it doesnt take long after launch for the price to drop...

 

[piscian18]

eeh one of the great things about steam is they do the sales regularly. Hell I got GTAIV last christmas on steam for like $5. If a game comes out on any system. Don't buy it. You're just making them think thats ok. Fortunately some publishers get the hint. Dragon Age, Mass Effect 2, and Battlefield BC2 were all on sale under $30 a few weeks ago.


Modern Warfare 2 came out on all system around $60 at Worst Buy. It's not exclusive to PC.

 

[King Icewind]

Modern Warfare 2 came out on all system around $60 at Worst Buy. It's not exclusive to PC.

Consoles have been been $60 forever. Ultimately I blame them.

 

[Zepher]

eeh one of the great things about steam is they do the sales regularly. Hell I got GTAIV last christmas on steam for like $5. If a game comes out on any system. Don't buy it. You're just making them think thats ok. Fortunately some publishers get the hint. Dragon Age, Mass Effect 2, and Battlefield BC2 were all on sale under $30 a few weeks ago.


Modern Warfare 2 came out on all system around $60 at Worst Buy. It's not exclusive to PC.

I got my copy of MW2 at Best Buy for $30 from that price error in their ad. I won't pay $60 for a PC game anytime soon.

 

[PrincessFrosty]

The only games that have managed this with success seem to be the AAA titles, I think the majorety of games aren't going to sell at $60 (about £40). It's hard to justify £30 sometimes.

 

[Bucken]

I think I've seen that SC2 is going to be $60 also. I think it is going to be the new trend unfortunately.

 

[Tudz]

Sure as hell hope they dont. I wont be paying full price for them if they do. As it is I rarely pay full price for PC games, only really hyped up games, if the price goes up further then I'll just always wait for the price to come down.

 

[jslater25]

I've never been willing to pay full price for a PC game (or even a console game, for that matter). As much as I wanted BFBC2, I waited until the game went on sale for $20 (using a coupon, online download) before I purchased it.

I don't mind waiting a couple months for games to drop from full price to a 1/2 or 1/3 the price. After games made the jump in price from $30 to $50 new, I started shopped the bargain bins and began using coupons.

I do believe that PC games will be priced at $60 for a while. I can't imagine that new games will drop in price, and think that the $60 price tag is the new standard for now.

 

[pigwalk]

FF13 was the only game I purchased at that price point, and I haven't ever, nor will I ever purchase any game at that price point. PC OR console.

 

[Porter_]

PC games have been $50 for ages. eventually the price will go up. it's science.

 

[Sent]

$60 shrug whatever, if the game is good it won't stop me from buying it.

 

[]|[ Mar']['in ]|[]

this was already discussed regarding blizzard games in another thread. But blizzard games have opened at $60 since Diablo 2 was released. Perhaps earlier.

$60 is not news.

 

[noobman]

I thought it was always understood that the extra $10 for consoles was to cover some kind of fee that had to be paid to publish a game for a console platform.

Since no such fee exists on PC, this is the developers (or, far more likely, the publishers) trying to milk an extra $10 per copy of the game sold while disguising it as "price parity" across all platforms.

 

[]|[ Mar']['in ]|[]

unfortunately my post will go largely unread because people for the most part don't read past the OP.

 

[jiminator]

speak out with your wallet

 

[theNoid]

I've been paying $60 for games going back to the N64 in the mid nineties, $60 is nothing new. That said, with the take over of digital distrobution, costs should be going down. Taking out real publishing, shipping, and all those savings should be passed onto the consumer. Instead, the publishers are laughing all the way to the bank while we pay the same ammount.

In the end, when games are $60 we are all going to pay that price regardless of how upset we think we are about the principle. I think likely though, as we all get older and our hobby gets more and more expensive, we'll simply just buy less games than we used to, an it will all even itself out.

Less games means less sales and developers will slowly start to close shop and the process will recycle itself with new development houses selling decent games for a cheaper price to attract business. That model will become popular again and in a few years games will be back to being expensive again and people will complain, buy less.

People were bitching about this in 1996, and are going to bitch about this in 2020.. its never ending.

 

[pigwalk]

unfortunately my post will go largely unread because people for the most part don't read past the OP.

I quoted you just so you feel better .

So many games to play, so little free time. 99% of the time I have no problem waiting a month just to pick the game up at gogaymr for 10-15 bucks off the top if not even more.

costs should be going down.

While they may be saving on all the points you listed above, making games costs a whole shitton more these days too.

 

[Tzzird]

FF13 was the only game I purchased at that price point, and I haven't ever, nor will I ever purchase any game at that price point. PC OR console.

This sentence makes my brain hurt.

 

[spicey]

So many games to play, so little free time. 99% of the time I have no problem waiting a month just to pick the game up at gogaymr for 10-15 bucks off the top if not even more.

Yeah, so much to play so little free time.

There are only a few games that I want to be in on the action from day one.

I'd rather wait a while and pick up a deal.

 

[Derangel]

I've been paying $60 for games going back to the N64 in the mid nineties, $60 is nothing new. That said, with the take over of digital distrobution, costs should be going down. Taking out real publishing, shipping, and all those savings should be passed onto the consumer. Instead, the publishers are laughing all the way to the bank while we pay the same ammount.

In the end, when games are $60 we are all going to pay that price regardless of how upset we think we are about the principle. I think likely though, as we all get older and our hobby gets more and more expensive, we'll simply just buy less games than we used to, an it will all even itself out.

Less games means less sales and developers will slowly start to close shop and the process will recycle itself with new development houses selling decent games for a cheaper price to attract business. That model will become popular again and in a few years games will be back to being expensive again and people will complain, buy less.

People were bitching about this in 1996, and are going to bitch about this in 2020.. its never ending.

One thing people like to ignore with digital distribution is that Valve, IGN, and Stardock all take a not small cut of the money from each and every sale. And when the service is run by a publisher they almost always go through Digital River which itself takes a not small cut of the sale. These services act as digital version of a retail game store. The cost of packaging and shipping is minuscule next to everything else. At most amounting to a few dollars per game.

 

[pigwalk]

This sentence makes my brain hurt.

You got buzzered.

 

[jiminator]

games are getting cheaper to distribute but they are not getting cheaper to make. electronic prices also start high to protect the retail market. but really for most games the price drops after an iniitial period and again after that.

 

[Tzzird]

You got buzzered.

.

 

[fdiaz78]

Just noticed that Splinter Cell for the PC is priced at $60.
Are we in for a price hike on future PC games? I think $60 for a PC game that can't be resold or lent out is just to expensive, at least on the consoles you can loan out your copy to friends and sell it if you like.

Amen OP. $50 is pushing it for me let alone $60.

 

[heatlesssun]

Not that big of a deal unless you want to play day one because they will be much cheaper after a bit and there's often sales.

 

[Zinn]

Vote with your wallet. PC games are certainly not going to cheaper if publishers see that people are willing to pay $60. Luckily all the PC games released at $60 in the last year have been crappy console ports / DRM'ed to all hell so I haven't been tempted.

Hint: Ubisoft and Activision suck. Do not feed the trolls.

 

[SoAndSo]

games are $100 here in NZ

 

[knothead34]

im not paying 60bucks for a pc game. the madness has to stop somewhere. ill wait until it goes on sale.........yes that means sc2 and diablo whenever that comes out.

 

[Staples]

I've been paying $60 for games going back to the N64 in the mid nineties, $60 is nothing new. That said, with the take over of digital distrobution, costs should be going down. Taking out real publishing, shipping, and all those savings should be passed onto the consumer. Instead, the publishers are laughing all the way to the bank while we pay the same ammount.

Steam keeps 25% or more. Over the life of the game, it comes out to about the same price as publishing hard copies. When the game comes out at $60, it is way more expensive to the publisher if Steam sells it.

And I love those who say they will not support a game that comes out at $60 yet they are the ones who complain because PC gaming is dying. Gee, I wonder why.

 

[pigwalk]

And I love those who say they will not support a game that comes out at $60 yet they are the ones who complain because PC gaming is dying. Gee, I wonder why.

I don't buy Console games at $60 bucks a pop either, but they don't seem to be hurting.

 

[fdiaz78]

Steam keeps 25% or more. Over the life of the game, it comes out to about the same price as publishing hard copies. When the game comes out at $60, it is way more expensive to the publisher if Steam sells it.

With all due respect I do not think this is entirely accurate. With digital distribution you cut out the retailer, shipping, packaging, manufacturing the disks. There are definite financial advantages to using digital distribution.

 

[Gabriel]

The last game I payed $60 for was Ultima IX:Ascension Dragon Edition back in 1999.

 

[Tudz]

In the end, when games are $60 we are all going to pay that price regardless of how upset we think we are about the principle.

Not really, I rarely payed $50 (or the australian equivalent in games, which is actually $100AUD) for PC games, and I have no intention of paying $60 for them now. I'd suggest a lot of PC gamers are similar to me... wait a month or two for it to hit the bargain bin. With the exception of a few titles (like the COD series), most games can be had for close to half the price within 6 to 12 months of release.

Hint: Ubisoft and Activision suck. Do not feed the trolls.

HAHA! Best description I've ever heard of these companies... so true.

 

[jiminator]

Developers can make a much higher percentage from steam than from retail. of course retail accounts for the bulk of sales. with steam some developers have been able to make the jump TO retail, example zenoclash. Of course when you have a publisher signing all the deals then none of this may apply.

 

[heatlesssun]

Hint: Ubisoft and Activision suck. Do not feed the trolls.

I have and throughly enjoyed MW2 and I'm enjoying Conviction. Screws all of this political crap, I just want to enjoy some games.

 

[Krieger91]

Just wait a bit, and get games for a lot cheaper. I didn't buy bc2 at release, then less than a month later, I got it for $20 on some special sale. Damn good deal. Same with gta IV, got it for 7.50 on steam. I only buy games at launch that I have 100% confidence in.

 

[Tzzird]

Just wait a bit, and get games for a lot cheaper. I didn't buy bc2 at release, then less than a month later, I got it for $20 on some special sale. Damn good deal. Same with gta IV, got it for 7.50 on steam. I only buy games at launch that I have 100% confidence in.

I haven't paid for price for a pc game in a very long time. Don't think I've ever paid $60 for one.

Although I didn't get BC2 for $20 through online distribution, I did get a physical copy from Amazon for $38 a few weeks after release. With over 160 hours of gaming already, that's less than a quarter an hour for amusement. Well worth what I paid.