Console games just cost too much...

While @ Walmart today I saw a lady picking up two bad, bad games. Then I heard "That'll be One Hundred and..."

My face turned blue. :eek:

I think I would cry working retail. All those bad decisions...people buying $400 plasmas from companies I've never heard of!
 
damonposey said:
Look, you're either a family man with many expenses, or someone with a not so great salary. in the first case, this is just life, in the second case, get a better degree, more certs, and find a better job, and $60 games won't be a thing.(game prices aren't going anywhere)
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I agree with the OP. It's not necessarily the price tag of $60 to me, but the value. I don't think 4-8 hour games should cost $60. One or maybe two sittings and your done? I don't think so. Games like FO 3, GTA IV, DA, etc. are an incredible value. Then, you look at games like MW2 that even cost $60 on PC or Console that's only 4 hours long. I've never seen a regular release/non-collectors ed. PC game ever sell for $60. I don't care how much you make, if you are spending money on poor value games, then it's a waste.

To the OP, the cure for this is buying used games. I still do buy some new titles but I usually beat them and immediately sell them on eBay to get a good part of the money back.

On a side note, I remember last gen thinking about $59.99 games and thinking how sick that makes me. It still does to this day and I buy a lot less new games now then I did then.

Are PS4 and Xbox 720 games going to cost $69.99 and only be 2-3 hours long?
 
bigdogchris said:
I agree with the OP. It's not necessarily the price tag of $60 to me, but the value. I don't think 4-8 hour games should cost $60. One or maybe two sittings and your done? I don't think so. Games like FO 3, GTA IV, DA, etc. are an incredible value. Then, you look at games like MW2 that even cost $60 on PC or Console that's only 4 hours long. I've never seen a regular release/non-collectors ed. PC game ever sell for $60. I don't care how much you make, if you are spending money on poor value games, then it's a waste.
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Um? and the DAYS worth of multiplayer online gameplay all of a sudden doesn't get considered into the price?
 
MassConfusion said:
Um? and the DAYS worth of multiplayer online gameplay all of a sudden doesn't get considered into the price?
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True that. A game with MP has endless replay. And game prices havent changed since the NES days. be thankful instead of making whining post like this OP.
 
That's the thing I love about PC gaming. Prices start lower, and depreciate MUCH faster.
 
I forgot which issue but PC gamer did an article on how much we pay for games now, compared to the last decade or so. It's actually gotten cheaper. The prices of games have pretty much stayed the same while the dollar has been losing value. I'm being really vague on the little article as I don't have it here and can't remember their timeline and prices.

I remember buying Donkey Kong 64 and paying 65? I believe. that was like 10 years ago.
 
pigwalk said:
That's the thing I love about PC gaming. Prices start lower, and depreciate MUCH faster.
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We all love it too, but I have to wonder if it has a detrimental effect. Let's say Hot New Release X gets released for PCs and consoles. 3 months later, it's still selling for the original price on consoles while the PC version has dropped in price by 50% (not an uncommon scenario). The console version is bringing in more money, which means the publishers become "meh" about releasing future PC games since it lines their pockets less. One could argue that the reduced price of the PC game brings in more sales, but I think the popularity of consoles means more copies are sold at those higher prices.

Just a thought, as I notice the effects of consolization spreading. A decade ago, stellar games like Half Life and Deus Ex were PC exclusives and later ported to consoles. If those games were released today, they would likely be made for the consoles and PC gamers would get ports which would most likely be inferior in some ways (or at least not take full advantage of the PC).
 
MassConfusion said:
Um? and the DAYS worth of multiplayer online gameplay all of a sudden doesn't get considered into the price?
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I've had the game since release and have logged a total of 101 hours (4days/5hrs). MW2 is 60.00 worth of crack. Endless crack that is.
 
Thanks to World of Warcraft I managed to fall behind the curve of new releases a few years back and find myself picking up tons of AAA games for peanuts 6 months to a year after they first came out.

I ended up getting a ton of great games for dirt cheap in the last ~18 months:
Bioshock ($10)
STALKER : SoC ($10)
STALKER : Clear Sky ($10)
Brothers in Arms : Hells Highway ($5)
Dead Space ($12)
GTA IV ($7.50)
Assassins Creed ($5)
Mirror's Edge ($5)

I learned my lesson paying full price for Farcry 2. I beat the game and got at least 20 hours out of it so I can't really complain about the value but I really expected so much more out of it especially for multiplayer. I take a wait and see approach with everything that comes out now and I only bite the bullet if I know it's a great game that won't drop in price any time soon.

I'm not poor by any means but I guess I just don't see the value in buying games at full price especially when I still have a hefty backlog to play through and not nearly enough gaming time to do it.

edit: If it's not obvious I'm a PC gamer. I have a Wii so my girlfriend and I can play together and I bite my tongue every time I buy a game for it at retail price and I definitely think all that crap is over-priced.
 
I think it's ridiculous that consoles have a flat price of 60bucks regardless of production quality, or just quality of the game.

For instance, it's ridiculous that Avatar, a rushed movie-game, is 60 bucks, which gives the illusion its of the same quality as other AAA titles such as LFD2, MW2, Uncharted, Demon's Soul, etc. We all know that shit was rushed for a movie/game simultaneous release.

Or what about madden games costing 60 bucks each new season? Please. Basically, in an ideal world, I would prefer console game prices to be reflective on production quality, with 60 being the upper tier limit.
 
Dreaz said:
I think it's ridiculous that consoles have a flat price of 60bucks regardless of production quality, or just quality of the game.

For instance, it's ridiculous that Avatar, a rushed movie-game, is 60 bucks, which gives the illusion its of the same quality as other AAA titles such as LFD2, MW2, Uncharted, Demon's Soul, etc. We all know that shit was rushed for a movie/game simultaneous release.

Or what about madden games costing 60 bucks each new season? Please. Basically, in an ideal world, I would prefer console game prices to be reflective on production quality, with 60 being the upper tier limit.
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lol anyone that pays anything for a movie game deserves to get ripped off :D


as for madden (or anything for that matter), if someone is willing to buy it... why not? I haven't purchased one since (except the NFL 2K series) the SNES/SEGA days. No skin off my back :)
 
Dreaz said:
I think it's ridiculous that consoles have a flat price of 60bucks regardless of production quality, or just quality of the game.

For instance, it's ridiculous that Avatar, a rushed movie-game, is 60 bucks, which gives the illusion its of the same quality as other AAA titles such as LFD2, MW2, Uncharted, Demon's Soul, etc. We all know that shit was rushed for a movie/game simultaneous release.

Or what about madden games costing 60 bucks each new season? Please. Basically, in an ideal world, I would prefer console game prices to be reflective on production quality, with 60 being the upper tier limit.
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Ridiculous is a subjective word. For example I think it is ridiculous for my girlfriend to get a massage. They are 60 bucks and to me not worth it. For her they are a god sent. Now throw in some value added services like an HJ and the massage therapist sitting on my face and there you go 60 dollars well spent!

Not for you a 60 dollar Madden game is dumb, but to someone else that invests hours into each new "season" of Madden may look at it as 60 well spent.
 
Things wont change simply because of how big the used game market has become, past launch week sales nosedive.
 
What would be nice is if they'd release two versions: Single player only, for about $30 new, and Multiplayer only, for about $30 new. Put both in a box together for $55 and call it a bargain, and allow downloads of either/or for the additional fee. That way nobody ever pays for something they don't want or use (I almost never use multiplayer).
 
there are games worth $60 for sure. i dont buy a game unless i can play it online or it will take a long time to beat on hard difficulty.
This is what i own on ps3
rockband 1 and 2 complete band kit. endless fun with family and friends
cod mw2- already have 40hrs of mp in the game. well worth the $60
madden 2010- Will play til august of 2010. tons of online games to be played.

as long as you are smart with your purchases there is alot of great $60 games. Especially on pc with all the mods you guys have. Consoles are mainstream and as long as there are dumb people crappy $60 games will continue to sell
 
Zellers Canada has the PS3 dual shock controller on sale.
$49.95 save $40
??????
So wait, the controller was regularly $89.95? wow
and to think, a week prior I purchased one for $50 there.
Dirty, Dirty
 
Dion said:
True that. A game with MP has endless replay. And game prices havent changed since the NES days. be thankful instead of making whining post like this OP.
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Exactly, it is like people seem to think consoles games JUST started costing this much...

they cost the same as they did 10 years ago,.
 
roaf85 said:
Ridiculous is a subjective word. For example I think it is ridiculous for my girlfriend to get a massage. They are 60 bucks and to me not worth it. For her they are a god sent. Now throw in some value added services like an HJ and the massage therapist sitting on my face and there you go 60 dollars well spent!

Not for you a 60 dollar Madden game is dumb, but to someone else that invests hours into each new "season" of Madden may look at it as 60 well spent.
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Let's stay away from abstract hypotheticals. Of course ridiculous is a subjective word, language is subjected, so we won't even deal with that.

Even if someone gets hours of enjoyment out of a 60 dollar madden game each new season, it doesn't mean the game isn't overpriced or ridiculous in its pricing. Same with your massage analogy. It doesn't matter if the massage is awesome, it can still be overpriced and a ripoff.

The argument I seem to be glazing from you is, if someone gets enjoyment out of it and likes it, then it shouldn't matter how much something costs because it's worth that price. That assertion in itself is ridiculous.

Besides, I was arguing for a tiered system where games that actually cost a lot of money and time to produce quality should be at the upper echelon, while games that don't get that kind of quality investment in their production should be at a lower tier. The tiers would help consumers choose and also avoid negative press 60 dollar ripoffs give the videogame industry (because they would be cheaper).

.
 
Has anyone also mentioned that consoles don't need (get?) upgrades other than maybe a peripheral or something. so if the games are a little expensive but i don't need to blow 100 bucks on a new graphics card every year, hey that's not too shabby.
 
Dreaz said:
Let's stay away from abstract hypotheticals. Of course ridiculous is a subjective word, language is subjected, so we won't even deal with that.

Even if someone gets hours of enjoyment out of a 60 dollar madden game each new season, it doesn't mean the game isn't overpriced or ridiculous in its pricing. Same with your massage analogy. It doesn't matter if the massage is awesome, it can still be overpriced and a ripoff.

The argument I seem to be glazing from you is, if someone gets enjoyment out of it and likes it, then it shouldn't matter how much something costs because it's worth that price. That assertion in itself is ridiculous.

Besides, I was arguing for a tiered system where games that actually cost a lot of money and time to produce quality should be at the upper echelon, while games that don't get that kind of quality investment in their production should be at a lower tier. The tiers would help consumers choose and also avoid negative press 60 dollar ripoffs give the videogame industry (because they would be cheaper).

.
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No it is not. Video games are not something that is need based. Hell even some need based items are still subjected to supply and demand.

For example lets take a Porsche. You think a Porsche is something that all owners view as transportation from point A to B?

Your tiered argument is fucking ridiculous. Why would a company invest in 40 dollar games that the general public knows are inferior games. Buying perception is worth quite a bit since most video game purchases are splurge purchases or purchases done by word of mouth. http://www.prsa.org/SearchResults/view/8472/105/Game_plan_Survey_finds_video_game_purchases_influe

If a 60 dollar game is so bad ass a 40 dollar game is never going to sell because no one would buy it. The point is Madden has no competition and yet people still spend 60 bucks to buy it each year. I spend 60 bucks buying NCAA each year. It is worth it to me as I get tons of online play time out of it etc.

So take my Porsche example etc what I am trying to say is that if these things did not sell so well you would not see the price they are being sold at as successful. People who do price analysis and market research are smarting than you and me.
 
Droc said:
THAT IS MADNESS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[kicks you into bottomless pit]
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ABSOLUTE BRILLIANCE!!!!!:D:D:D
I so got to see that movie again!

But it is true, PC's and consoles still fit under the same roof, multiplayer games are fun on consoles. Personally I like the 360 because of the friends I associate with and because of the features of Xbox live.

But even then, certain games are just better on PC. MMORPG's are just better on PC's in my mind because the way computers are set up, it is already convenient to just use them instead. There is no need to build a whole new console just to accommodate that particular game type.

There is no point in arguing over this, because you all are going to end up where you started.
 
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Dome said:
Has anyone also mentioned that consoles don't need (get?) upgrades other than maybe a peripheral or something. so if the games are a little expensive but i don't need to blow 100 bucks on a new graphics card every year, hey that's not too shabby.
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Finally, a short response.;)
 
i would say, for the consumer type they mostly target with these expensive consoles, the price is just about right, we are talking mostly working adults with full time jobs and kids still at home spending mom and dads cash.....theres a full time job behind every consumer they targeted with these consoles....when $60 makes or breaks you on a video game, you have to ask yourself.....it is a game....do i really need it or should i just wait until the game is two years old and get it for $20 or even wait a few months and get it used for $40 or so at Gamestop and be able to return it within 7 days for a full refund or exchange.....its a video game, real life comes first, games somewhere down the line...priorities man
 
nobody_here said:
i would say, for the consumer type they mostly target with these expensive consoles, the price is just about right, we are talking mostly working adults with full time jobs and kids still at home spending mom and dads cash.....theres a full time job behind every consumer they targeted with these consoles....when $60 makes or breaks you on a video game, you have to ask yourself.....it is a game....do i really need it or should i just wait until the game is two years old and get it for $20 or even wait a few months and get it used for $40 or so at Gamestop and be able to return it within 7 days for a full refund or exchange.....its a video game, real life comes first, games somewhere down the line...priorities man
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Exactly, there is no really stress in just waiting for a game. Here I am, and I JUST got MW2 for my xbox. I waited a while before I could get the money to buy the game, but there was just more pressing matters that required the money before I could get the game.
 
Dome said:
Has anyone also mentioned that consoles don't need (get?) upgrades other than maybe a peripheral or something. so if the games are a little expensive but i don't need to blow 100 bucks on a new graphics card every year, hey that's not too shabby.
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When you upgrade your video card though you gain improved performance and visuals that the console can't touch. Since all the games are console ports anyway I can buy a $50 video card (GT 220) and run the same console port game at better settings then the console. I don't need to upgrade my video card until the next generation of consoles comes out. My GTX260 has a Memory Bandwidth (2) times faster and a texture fill rate that is (3) times faster then the xbox360's video card. A $400 desktop can out perform the console port games at comparable settings to the xbox360 or PS3, or a $600 laptop...

My point is consoles are outdated and need a revamp asap. The graphics are horrid with jaggies and no native 1080p support. The console makers look content to sitting on outdated tech. and milking it.
 
nullzero said:
When you upgrade your video card though you gain improved performance and visuals that the console can't touch. Since all the games are console ports anyway I can buy a $50 video card (GT 220) and run the same console port game at better settings then the console. I don't need to upgrade my video card until the next generation of consoles comes out. My GTX260 has a Memory Bandwidth (2) times faster and a texture fill rate that is (3) times faster then the xbox360's video card. A $400 desktop can out perform the console port games at comparable settings to the xbox360 or PS3, or a $600 laptop...

My point is consoles are outdated and need a revamp asap. The graphics are horrid with jaggies and no native 1080p support. The console makers look content to sitting on outdated tech. and milking it.
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to be honest, the benefits you notice when you upgrade your video card, like being able to have somewhat better graphics settings enabled, are things that most people who play consoles could give two craps about.....the graphics on their hdtv on a 360 are already spectacular, already better than anything they have seen before, and are plenty sufficient, most people do not need to be satisfied with better graphics....

they will develop what sells, right now a great game on the 360 will sell millions, most people could care less if its not graphically elite.....they want to turn it on at the end of a hard day at work and play for an hour or two to relax, they are not obsessing over how the graphics look, they aren't interested in impressing friends with their uber high graphics settings on their video games or taking screen shots to post on forums to extend their e-peen, most people just dont care that much about a video game man....thats life
 
Honestly, before too long, I think just about every developer will fully switch to consoles. PC gaming is a dying breed. It wasn't so bad before, but with the newer generation of consoles, I can hardly find anyone actually using their PC for games.

Developers will go where the money is, and the money right now is in console games. So what is the point of having better hardware when no one is willing to make a game for it?
 
nobody_here said:
to be honest, the benefits you notice when you upgrade your video card, like being able to have somewhat better graphics settings enabled, are things that most people who play consoles could give two craps about.....the graphics on their hdtv on a 360 are already spectacular, already better than anything they have seen before, and are plenty sufficient, most people do not need to be satisfied with better graphics....

they will develop what sells, right now a great game on the 360 will sell millions, most people could care less if its not graphically elite.....they want to turn it on at the end of a hard day at work and play for an hour or two to relax, they are not obsessing over how the graphics look, they aren't interested in impressing friends with their uber high graphics settings on their video games or taking screen shots to post on forums to extend their e-peen, most people just dont care that much about a video game man....thats life
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If graphics were not a big deal people still would be playing games with mario bros graphics. The people care a lot about graphics its the console makers that are holding it back.
 
nullzero said:
If graphics were not a big deal people still would be playing games with mario bros graphics. The people care a lot about graphics its the console makers that are holding it back.
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Graphics are important, yes, but your average person does not have the PC required to run games with equal or better graphics to a console. So to them, console graphics *are* great. And I must admit, even though they aren't PC level, console graphics these days aren't so horribly bad that I can't enjoy a console game.

And consoles aren't holding graphics back. Nvidia and ATI are both putting out new hardware faster than most can afford to buy. But, as a developer, it simply makes more sense to create games for consoles, because there's more money in it (Unless you're Blizzard or maybe Valve, but they are exceptions)

So I guess you can say capitalism is "holding graphics back", but what else can you expect?
 
nullzero said:
If graphics were not a big deal people still would be playing games with mario bros graphics. The people care a lot about graphics its the console makers that are holding it back.
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the mass public has spoken with their wallets, they are perfectly happy with the graphics they get from todays console, they want good games, not graphically superior games, they want their games to at least look ok but also be fun, look at the NPD numbers, how does a crappy in comparson graphically Wii outsell the graphically superior 360 and PS3? fun factor, and the consoles sell way more games than pc games purchased, people want convenience, fun and graphics too....they get it all from todays console, and the price is obviously not too high
 
nullzero said:
When you upgrade your video card though you gain improved performance and visuals that the console can't touch. Since all the games are console ports anyway I can buy a $50 video card (GT 220) and run the same console port game at better settings then the console. I don't need to upgrade my video card until the next generation of consoles comes out. My GTX260 has a Memory Bandwidth (2) times faster and a texture fill rate that is (3) times faster then the xbox360's video card. A $400 desktop can out perform the console port games at comparable settings to the xbox360 or PS3, or a $600 laptop...

My point is consoles are outdated and need a revamp asap. The graphics are horrid with jaggies and no native 1080p support. The console makers look content to sitting on outdated tech. and milking it.
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Must PC ports are going to be gimped and the fact that when you have a standard platform like the Xbox 360 you get developers that can do more graphically with the tools available vs the PC.

With as many gimped PC ports I would say it takes close to twice the graphical processing power of todays graphics cards just to keep up. Besides it is not like the Xbox 360 is a slow system.

Personally I think graphics in todays games are fine. If anything I want longer games and more value from the games I buy vs DLC packs etc.

I mean look how far we have come though. 10 years ago I remember paying 75 for StarFox 64 with the rumble pack. How long was StarFox 64? Maybe an 8 hour game at most if even that.

Here is the problem with PC graphics. No one cares.

No one cares about the "Anti Aliasing" etc because unless I am sitting close to a screen I barely notice it.

Think about this. Games are social experience. Are you going to go to a friends house and in front of everyone be like "jesus there are jagged edges every where".

No you won't because you would sound like a douche which is why consoles do great.

They are social, in social places like the living room. You can play with multiple people on one screen and finally the cost of entry is low.

Now for me I would not buy PC games because there is zero residual.
 
erwos said:
Inflation-adjusted, console games have gone down in price. Your willingness to pay for them, it seems, has decreased even further. Do not confuse the two concepts.

Do what everyone else does: wait a bit for the prices to come down, and then buy used (if needed). I'm sure you'll be able to grab GTA4 or whatever for $40 within six months.
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Well said. But many games are becoming digital downloads only so the used market will dry up. But I am sure that games which do not sell well will come down either way.
 
What bothers me is how the exact same games usually cost $10 to $20 more here in Canada, for no reason, even when Canadian and US dollar are almost at par.
Then add on another 13% Sales Tax.
Good example is comparing Amazon.ca, to Amazon.com, game prices.

Sucks to buy games here in Canada knowing that you can get them cheaper (even with exchange rate and shipping added on) buying online from the US.
Thats why i have bought many of my console games on Ebay.

In my opinion you guys in the US, have it pretty good when it comes to Game prices.
 
The cost of a video game is proportional to your anticipation to play it. The more patience you have, the cheaper it will be. The more you anticipate playing it, the more likely you are to purchase it at full price. I'm guessing most game companies make most of their money off of games in the first six months. After that, they start to get knocked down in price, and go on clearance, because they are competing with the trade-in market, and retailers don't want to get stuck with old games cluttering the shelves.

If you don't want to spend a lot of money on video games, then have a little patience.
 
I hate paying so much, but what can I do? They have a product that I will pay to get...shit, I'll push my grandmother down a flight of stairs for NHL11.
 
Droc said:
I hate paying so much, but what can I do? They have a product that I will pay to get...shit, I'll push my grandmother down a flight of stairs for NHL11.
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:D

so YOU'RE the reason console games are so expensive!

:p :D
 
damonposey said:
Look, you're either a family man with many expenses, or someone with a not so great salary. in the first case, this is just life, in the second case, get a better degree, more certs, and find a better job, and $60 games won't be a thing.(game prices aren't going anywhere)
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This X 10
 
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