Capcom blames retailers for DMC4 price difference

The decision to price the PS3 version of Devil May Cry 4 £10 higher than the Xbox 360 version came from retailers, not publisher Capcom, VideoGamer.com has learned.

Speaking to VideoGamer.com, a spokesperson for Capcom said: "We don't set the prices of our games, that's at the discretion of the retailer. In this specific instance, the process has resulted in a price difference, but the process itself is not something we completely control."

[Eromu]

Wasn't there another post on this a few days ago where they said it was part of their "Business Model"?

[mintaro]

thats' odd, up until now i always thought that PS3 games and 360 games were sold the same, at least thats how it is in Canada

@1.1
agreed

[Premonition]

What i find fishy is, how many retailers must say they want the PS3 version 10 dollars more? I mean I doubt the retailers would do such a thing to screw owners of a system thats selling rather well over there, this doesnt add up, and capcom thinks they can fool us.

[shine1396]

cause I bought Burnout paradise yesterday and it was five pounds more then x360 equivalent, so it can't be just capcom...if it is them...

at least their getting equal shelf space now...couple of months ago couldn't find certain console games in major supermarkets...

[Capt CHAOS]

Retailers typically get around 30% margin (or used to), they have decided to mark the PS3 version higher because maybe they expect to sell less units.. Either way, they are not helping themselves.

[shine1396]

interesting...never heard that before, mark up software titles so you get the same profit margin across platforms...except pc version is always cheaper and they sell a whole lot less...I reckon this must get back to licensing fees from sony...
on a side note...these days ps3 versions of cross platform games get marketed a whole lot more then x360, assasins creed, burnout etc lets see if the same happens to DMC 4, it was essentially a playstation brand game...if you didn't already have a xbox360 you wouldn't even know this was coming out on 360... you think Sony is building a base for possible gamers who are waiting to buy next gen console?

[Premonition]

I knew it all along, just covering up some garbage, I never "knew" retailers could set their own price all of a sudden. Capcom just needs to come clean and stop trying to dust something under the rug.

[shine1396]

that in the uk its undoable legal wise...isn't that what nintendo said when asked the same question regarding their hardware...

[Meus Renaissance]

They used to be the same price initially in stores. But I asked some of them why now do PS3 versions cost more, and they said "because it costs more to develop it on Blu-Ray", which implies the retailers are being charged more for PS3 games by the publishers.

But this article contradicts that.

Someone is lying.

Either way, I buy my games from Online retailers that charge the same for both platforms.

[shine1396]

yes...conspiracy theories would say that someone else is in play?

[Laxe]

Yeah..wtf!? I didn't even know the 360 version was cheaper! That's just plain dirty and it needs to be fixed asap!

[TehRadge]

Well bugger 'em I'm buying the game online where it's £10 cheaper anyway

[nn]

http://www.n4g.com/NewsCom-... ?

[rawg]

I thought Capcom said the pricing difference had something to do with their "business model" and now they say it's up to the retailers?

Something smells fishy... like a payoff covered in fish guts.

[SDS Gamerfiend]

Also, we shouldn`t be paying $60 US for games anyways! Next thing we know, we`ll be paying $70 US for the next xbox and Ps4! This has to stop already! Oh Yeah, they have had more than enough time to get familiar with the hardware so we should be paying $50 US by now right guys?!

[-EvoAnubis-]

Apparently, you weren't a gamer in the N64 days.

[Lew_Ijgee]

And I was a Nintendo fanboy in those days.

[Andronix]

even amazon.co.uk have a £10 difference.
its strange.
maybe they think PS3 owners are willing to pay more?
unless Capcom set the price...

[predator]

yeah guys check this out........ http://www.play.com/Games/X...

and now look at this...... http://www.play.com/Games/P...

Play.com one of the best online sites around also have have a £10 difference between the two.

[Lord Cheese]

i bought my copy from there (on my ps3) and its just a completely bizzare situation. Its certainly the opposite of what i'd believe is the sensible way to go...

If the 360 has the bigger user base, it will (in theory) sell a larger number of copies, so surely a slightly higher price than the ps3 would just reap more profits. Conversely, if they want to improve the attach rate for the ps3, they'd drop the price.

Perhaps initially (nearer the ps3 launch) it could be justified because of high blu-ray reproduction costs, but that isnt really an issue any more so its difficult to understand. I suppose while people are still buying them, the retailers can still keep the prices higher. I for one usually buy on my 360 to save the cash though...

[mandf]

Greedy Retailers! Blu-Ray doesn't cost more to develope on.The cell costs more to develop on.The Blu-Ray disc cost more to manufacture because the infastructure is small because it's a new product.The more they sell the cheeper it will become. That being said a disc cost around 37cents to make not 10 dollars.It' the greedy retailers. Buying online costs no more than the 360 version

[TheHater]

Capcom fail with then when they said, "but the process itself is not something we completely control." You had something to do with the price, and just stop with your bullsh!t. We don't want the hear it. So Capcom is telling us, that all retailers in the PAL region want the sell the ps3 version at a higher price than the 360 version. Capcom fail by just look at that little fact right there.

[BLACKJACK VII]

Hmmm.. I agree with alot of the comments here. No doubt, BluRay discs cost more to manufactor, & the PS3 is most likely the most expensive console to develop for... but at $60 a game I don't think anyone's losing any money.

Whether it's more expensive to develop for is irrelivant to me when the same game is released on a rival console for $60. Even though I am a 360 fan, I see NO REASON a PS3 game should cost more than a 360 game, unless it includes something the 360 version does not, which they typically don't. Smells fishy 2 me....

[Bladestar]

There you have it haters... it got nothing to do with the Microsoft nor the publishers... if retail stores deside to raise the price of PS3 games because Sony is marketting the PS3 as the best console on earth that's 10 times better than the xbox 360, then games must cost more... this explains why wii games are cheaper than PS3 and xbox 360 games... or why DS games are usually cheaper than other platforms...

Also, xbox 360 games are NOT ON HD DVD or Blu-ray... everytime a game comes out on the PS3 it comes with the Blu-ray logo... telling retail stores not to price the PS3 games higher is like saying they should price both DVD movies and blu-ray movies the same... you see where I am going with this? Us educated gamers that know that there is no difference between DVD and Blu-ray game may know that the games are relatively the same... but that's not how Sony is marketting the PS3 and blu-ray.... Superior means more expensive.... why should games shipped on standard DVD cost the same as Blu-ray Games? where is the logic?

This is logical specially for management for many of these retail stores... which dont even play games... "Look it says blu-ray! blu-ray is HD unlike DVD... just like movies... add an extra 10!"

Expect this to become a trend... PS3 gamers will pay more for the same crap... Sony can't expect publishers and retail stores to price games the same way when royalties for using blu-ray cost more and the production of these discs cost more and movies using blu-ray cost more.

Just man up... and deal with it... it's the price you have to say for being able to say, "my console is future proof. haha! the PS3 has blu-ray! blu-ray is winning!"... an extra 10... you should feel good about it. Enjoy.

[ip-student]

But I expected to see less of a difference - five pounds would be bad enough but ten? Seriously, if this has anything to do with Sony or the bluray license fee then expect to see a lot of pain for Sony because the game is the same for both consoles (or so close that it takes careful study to notice the difference).

I don't see marketing as being the driving factor though - I think there are additional fees that someone is paying for using bluray and/or making sony games. I suspect someone in the know will provide the answer in the future.

[kevin1122]

i think you got gamer zone and open zone mixed up.

[MikeGdaGod]

oh, ok.........so now we'll be on the same level as 360 owners

you guys pay more just to play a game online with Live, something that's FREE on PSN

if you don't pay, you won't even get the entire game

[heyheyhey]

your fanboy comments are not wanted in the gamer zone- tho sooner we get rid of people who understand this new update the better

anyway i will personally wait until half-term, that's when GAME drops the prices of big games by £20 or so for a limited time- and then i will get DMC

[Lord_Ash]

The PS3 wasn't released yesterday, its been in Europe for 10 months and through all these months the same game on both systems was priced the same, Call of Duty 4, Assassin's Creed, the orange box, Burnout and even upcoming releases like Turok and GTA 4 are all priced the same.

so explain to me again why do you think DMC4 is more expensive on PS3, blu-ray, cell, if thats true all previous releases would have been more expensive, but they are not.

Capcom has something to do with it believe me and this is there 1st PS3 release so go figure.

[nirwanda]

Actually if you shop around 90% of cross platform games are cheaper on the 360 I got orange box from asda for just £24 and COD4 for £24.99 from gamestation and I've seen assassins creed for around the same price too with non of the same deals for the PS3 versions

[Lord_Ash]

But thats exactly what they are "Deals" from a certain shop not all around like DMC4, I usually see games at amazon cheaper for the PS3 but thats also a deal but I'm talking about the prices before the retail's discount.

want to see something funny GTA4 in Amazon UK for the PS3 is £39.98 while for the Xbox is £39.99 lol, you see some games on the PS3 are cheaper lol.

[Mr_Showtime1]

i really wanted dmc for my ps3 cause the PS brand is where ive always played it, i would pick up the 360 version but i get the feeling capcom are acting like assclowns so im not getting this game at all now.

[travelguy2k]

games are 100 pesos ($10 USD) more omn the PS3 here in mexico also, not just this one but most, Assasins Creed, Orange Box, Call of Duty 4 all avg. 100 pesos more on PS3.

[Andronix]

This reminds me of the time when Atari ST games were £19.99, and Commodore Amiga games were £24.99.
The cheek of it!
but the power of the Amiga shone through

[Rusted]

These guys are playing "Hot Potato"...

[Ashta]

I just want to start this comment with a DISCLAIMER!

This is by no means a fanboy comment. Not at all. I am a PS3 fan and hold no hard feelings or ill will towards any Xbox 360 owner or Wii owner. SO! with that said I want to perhaps formulate a reason that might be the cause of this.

Retailers are covering their arses. Due to the bad media attention that the black monolith gained in 2007 the retailers might be starting to charge more for PS3 games in case they end up sitting on the shelves and therefore keeping said retailer from refilling stocks.

This has not been the case in any American stores that I have seen so the problem might only be effecting the retailers in European nations and as far as I know the Japanese stores do not do this as well. Although there might be ANOTHER reason why retailers are doing this. Due to the recent BOOM in PS3 hardware and software sales in the european nations they might be trying to make a quick profit off of the surge before sales die down towards the summer months.

The PS3 has hit a wave that has yet to crest in the European nations so retailers might be taking advantage of the customer. It might end up biting them in the butt later on, but both of those are entirely plausible reasons for doing it.

[Ashta]

EDIT: ridiculous double posts. Erased double text and have now replaced it with none ridiculous double text.

Ridiculous.

[i Shank u]

does that mean it comes with the A.I. the 360 demo didnt have? seriously, it was like smacking around pinatas in the demo

[Wraith001]

where he speaks of the retailers mind set, the ps3 is new in there eyes its the latest console out, when u look at the stats the ps3 is "technically" more powerful and it has blu-ray which is just starting to fill a small space on there shelf displays. There greedy beggers and there milking it till its been out a bit! Which is crap, but happens every time something new comes on the market if we want it we have to pay for it and u dont buy a ps3 not to buy games for it so we r screwed.

[Antiomo]

The graphics on sigma are much better than dmc4.
Plus it feels EXACTLY the same as dmc3.

No thanks.. good thing they had the demo out.

[ali312]

Just go to ASDA all PS3 games are no more than 39.99 ( instore ) and if you pre-order ( Online ) you can find new games ranging from £32 and some as little as £29 and some of these are new games as well. Some of these titles include MGS4 and Dark Sector as well as Turok.