Gaming is an expensive form of entertainment. Between consoles, controllers, peripherals, hard drives and, of course, games, being a gamer requires a kind of financial investment unlike any other medium. And while spending $60 or more on a game these days is just the way it goes, there’s a good chance that game prices might actually go down someday soon…maybe...kind of.
At least, that’s what EA Canada senior producer Jason DeLong recently told Game Informer when prompted about the future of the industry.
“I think that we’re going to start to see – maybe not in the next year, but in the near future – games go down the route of smaller up-front experiences and lower prices at the beginning, and then the ability to extend the game through episodic material or future feature material. I think that’s a direction we’re probably heading in."
This potential model shift would owe much to the troubled economy, as consumers continue to look for ways to save cash any way they can. Cutting back on the number of games they purchase is one such way to do this, and gamers will continue to do just that until they can afford not to. Or, until game prices come down, whichever comes first.
When do you think we'll see price drops for games across the board, if at all?
Source: Game Informer
Comments
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CodyKsen
Most dlc you feel like you could live without but if you get a short game from the start and you like it then you'll be forced to get more dlc. It's not going to save you money like they try to make it sound. It's the same if not more.
TrustFall
He's not predicting a price drop, he's explaining how they are going to charge more for the same or less content. It's brilliant and really sleazy, which is what I expect from EA. I don't pay for DLC outside of Rockband. Either you ship the whole game or I ain't interested. If more gamers would stop swallowing the Kool-aid on this garbage the suits would back off on this asinine pricing scheme. But we all know THAT ain't gonna happen.
jiffstar99
if this never happens.. i still have bestsku.com to find games under 40 bucks
LocoCabasa
Sorry, I'm posting again because the previous rant did not express my related point about the planned obsolesence of console gaming. The implication of Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo abandoning the PS2, Xbox and GameCube is that current-generation PS3, Xbox 360 and Wii consoles are also destined to become overpriced paperweights. Equally, new $60 console games will eventually become unplayable coasters. PC gaming allows you to avoid the sales and marketing trap set by monopolistic Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo. With minimal expense and effort, you can retain the value of your legacy games investment, and give the middle-finger to companies that charge too much for games, by spending your entertainment and leisure money on the PC.
P.S. -- This would be a good subject for Sessler's Soapbox. Note: If you do editorialize on this issue, you are not allowed to say "key", "core", or "in terms of" (dead language is boring).
LocoCabasa
Do not buy console games because the retail price is fixed by the monopoly that controls each system. Instead, wait for an online sale for the same games on Direct2Drive or Steam (although patching games with Steam is his-or-miss). For example, Steam just had a sale for Grand Theft Auto IV for less than $8. I bought Chronicles of Riddick from D2D for $5. An additional benefit of PC games, besides generally lower prices and regular sale price reductions, is better graphics, and precise mouse-and-keyboard controls. Plus, if your old Xbox or PS2 breaks, you can't replace it, because Microsoft and Sony have abandoned those systems, which renders your expensive legacy console game collection worthless. Old PC games can be played long into the future because the PC is obviously a platform that will not be abandoned. Even if new operating systems are incompatible with old games, you can inexpensively setup a low-spec, dedicated classic PC game rig, running Windows XP or Windows 98SE.
sodared
I'll believe when I see it. If they lower the game prices they will probably raise the DLC prices. Some DLC is already overpriced.
CaptFrederic
At a $60 price tag you get the single player game, co-op, and multiplayer. This of course is not valid for every game on the market because not every game has all three components. But, I feel a $40 price tage is good for most games.
Using Halo 3: ODST as my first example, since people took some issue with this game's price tag. At a $40 price tag, I feel that the only thing that should be available is the single player. If I had to make the decision to allow the co-op also, I would not allow it at the base price of $40. Then, if players want the Firefight Mode and the co-op for the main campain, I would charge $10 for it. The inclusion of the Halo 3 multiplayer is the only part of the game's release on how to market that. But, my point is how I would justify a $40 price tag as a developer/publisher.
My next example is Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. This game also has 3 parts: single player, co-op, and multiplayer. This game is a bit different because the main focus of the game is not the single player, but the multiplayer. This game is a bit tricky to price the different parts because some people perfer to just play the single player while others prefer the multiplayer and ignore the single player all together. So, I would price both the single player and the multiplayer at $30 each along with the co-op each.
Of course I can do this with almost every shooter on the market that has at least a single player campain and a multiplayer. How would I price a RPG like Dragon Age: Orgins?
Trying to keep the idea of $40 games, for Dragon Age: Orgins I would allow only the main game and side quest that relate to the main story. So all of the side quests at the Chanter's Boards and other similar side quest points would be an additional $10, but of course the player should recieve better rewards for completing all of the side quests for that faction. And since this game does have DLC, the player can purchase the content as they please. As a quick side note, the PC retail of the game is $50 while the consoles are $60. So I'm not going to freak out about that detail.
Most RPGs can be broken down in this matter, but two come to my mind that I cannot easily break down are Mass Effect and Bioshock. Yes, I know that they are both a hybrid of shooter and RPG, but at the same time both of them are only single player experiences. In this case I would charge the full $60 price tag.
So, if EA or other game companies want to start the trend of reducing the price of games, I feel that is is the best way to do this. If a game can be seperated into a single player and multiplayer, then the companies should break up that $60 price tag and allow the player to pay for only the features they want to play. This would be perfect for me because there are games where I don't touch the multiplayer at all or very little.
theantigzus
u wanna cut prices release bigger hardrives and do more full games that are downloads but reduce the price since u dont have to pay shipping, packaging etc, etc, etc,. maybe if sony would lead by example and do this with the psp go others would follow. imsure if they put a little though into this they could make it work i mean why couldnt we pre-order games we wanted to download directly and then they could throw in exclusive weapons or armor to get people into it, come on ut a little thought into it dont just get lazy and try to sell us half a game and then sell us the rest
theantigzus
ok first off DLC sounds great gives u new experiences with old games which isnt so bad but since i had a chance to think about it in just Rockband alone ive probably spent well over $400 just on DLC, which is fine thats our choice we dont have to buy the extra content. But giving us shorter games, so now were kinda forced to buy the DLC its not so much our choice anymore. And as long as were on the subject of DLC heres one i havent heard from anyone anywhere, sure the new next gen consoles have been kinda pushed back since the whole recession thing, but i really hope bsckwards compatibility is worked out a lot better than this gen cuz really nintendo charging is for games we have all bought 30 times b4 for 50 different systems all in diff colors, sony getting the idea right and then saying you know what were losing money and we messed up so screw all of you so were taking than out and were gonna realease 100 versions of the same system and my beloved microsoft and saying look we have some games that are backwards compatible but we'll eventually get to them all, lies i tell you were's my advent rising sure the game was one of the worst of all time but the story line was awesome. So assuming they all get backward compatibility right next time, ummm this is the first time in video game history that we have had DLC so what do we do with that guys huh what do we do with that, is there gonna be somewhere to attach our current hard drives? will all of it still be available to download on the new systems? will my $400 in rockband DLC still work on microsofts next system and be compatible with rockband 10??????????? answer me that sony, nintendo and microsft. and nintendo you guys dont even have accounts like sony and microsoft so good luck
psych0_j1m
i havent play 60 dollars for a game in the longest time if u shop around u can get most new games at 5-10 dollars off a few weeks after its released. As for a price drop i doubt it. Its not like the video game industry is suffering. I would like to see a price drop but it wouldn't change the amount of games i buy. I usually just buy a new game once turn bored with all my others. Which is like once or twice a month
SeanTheArtist
i'd be more of an av-add gamer if the prices went down. id buy more games!
Tmidiman
Game price have gone down,...alll you have to do is not buy the game when it is released. I buy way more used and new games for far less than $60. Just wait for the prices to drop BEFORE YOU BUY.
Marthafurcow
Game prices *HAVE* gone down, figuratively...a $50 dollar game in 1985 is equivalent to $95 today. Games maintained the $50 price point for 20 years, until xBox 360. The fact that it only climbed $10 dollars is pretty impressive!!
this is the inflation calculator i used. http://www.westegg.com/inflati on/infl.cgi
IMHO episodic content is a win win situation for designers and consumers. It will be cheaper/quicker to produce smaller packages of games, which means that games that miss (like Mirror's Edge & Brutal Legend) won't be such a big loss for developers. Games that hit will garner more and more content which we will gladly buy. I think episodic content will allow designers and producers room to take more risks to break the mold, which could equal more diverse games for us! All the good games we have are shooters...Fallout 3, Halo, CoD, Borderlands, L4D, Bioshock. These games are all amazing, yet the are all shooters, with their individual twist. There are so many because they are a "safe bet". We need to prove to developers that we will invest in something other than shooters!
Megalord
I hope that the price drops but I don't whant the games to get worse because of it.
TomAce22
I don't pay full price for games unless it has a multiplayer that I want to get into right away so I'm not behind the curve such as Modern Warefare, Gears, or Halo. If it's a single player game then theres no point in paying $60 since you're not missing out on playing with anyone. I usually wait till a single player game drops to $30 before I get it anyways. NO WAY am I paying $60 for a game that will be $30/$40 in the next couple of months. I just got Fallout 3, Ghostbusters, and Prince of Persia for $40.00 total. All games that were $60 each when they first came out saving me $120... So I don't care if they lower the price anyways. If you want it now, pay for it. If you want it cheaper, wait for it...... NOW Can Bioshock 2 hurry up and get here.. I got $60 burning a whole in my wifes pocket.....
willy277
what needs a price drop is regular dvds!
im not paying 15-20 bucks for a standard dvd with no bonus features on it, im sorry but your movie isnt worth that on a technology thats been out for so long.
tyler4307
i would love to see prices drop in the next few years. that whole episodic content thing sounds okay, but i think it would be great as being optional, and still allow a gamer to have the option to buy the entire game in one piece... tho it would be cool cuz then if u don't like a game in it's fist segment u are not out as much money vs, if u bought the whole game outright. it could help expand a game's audience if u think about it. personally i think the console games should drop down in price to $50 for a new game. look at the wii's sales. u can't tell me that has nothing to do with the pricing of the machine and it's games! Microsoft and Sony need to take a bit bigger of a look in Nintendo's direction
EKG
Anyone who thinks this is going to be good for Gamers is an ignorant moron. Those companies are sitting in their Think Tank right now brainstorming on how they can take advantage of us with this scheme. Games will be chopped up, regular features in most games will be stripped away and repackaged as DLC, multiplayer will be separate and you will be charged extra, missions, characters, weapons, etc, etc, etc.
I promise you they are not going to lower prices and be content with not making a profit. They are trying to find ways to fool us into thinking we are getting a good deal and improve their profits. Watch, this will be a mess.
paulthebest
FEAR THE INVISIBLE HAND.
osubluejacket
Somewhere, Bobby Kotick is in his secret Volcano Lair doing a scream of anguish that would make Wes Craven and Eli Roth squirm.
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