Stop Complaining About Game Prices

If you regularly buy games, there’s a high chance that you’ve complained about how much they cost, and it’s totally understandable. $60 is a lot of money to spend on a game you may or may not even like. But there’s something you need to keep in mind next time you’re in GameStop, picking up the latest Mario Kart. You shouldn’t complain about the prices of video games anymore, because they’re cheaper than ever.

[jay2]

Lol........Try $90 here in the UK! for PS4/xbone.

[OrangePowerz]

In the US advertised prices for everything is before tax because ever state over there has different taxes on different items.

[Muzikguy]

Each state has different tax but that's still not going to be close to $90. I feel bad for you guys. There's not a single game if pay that much for.

[Christopher]

Yeah! And while you're at it, stop being poor!

Just FYI to the author, while games used to be more expensive way back when, they are also now targeted at a much more massive audience that doesn't have the available liquid assets that many older video game enthusiasts had. For many, gaming is their most expensive hobby even with today's prices.

[Canary-0083]

You also need to keep in mind that, in the U.S. at least, wages have stayed constant while the buying power of the dollar has diminished. Shelling out $50 today for Wind Waker HD is a bigger hit to our wallets than paying $75 for Majoras Mask was 15 years ago.

In short, there are many variables to consider.

And absolutely no one should be whining about consumer criticism when the industry arbitrarily raises standard prices, like they did in 2005, or rip consumers off at every turn with digital content.

[Magicite]

Im buying games from ebay.co.uk for ~20-25euros(delivery included).
I just have patience, but those who wanna get day one, of course will have to pay 2-3x more.

[Baka-akaB]

"When I really sit down to think about it, video games are so cheap nowadays, that it blows my mind. Just yesterday, I bought the Resistance collection for $19.99. That’s three games for $6.67 each. Insane."

What ? Budget collection always existed , and were always cheap . The is nothing to gloat about such prices when one of the game is from 2007 , and a truly bad example .

Anyway i agree that yeah new retail games used to cost a lot more than today . So some perspective is needed .

But it doesnt mean it couldnt or shouldnt get cheaper . Also the author forget that some genres used to last longer , and werent cut into pieces for dlc material

[randomass171]

Why shouldn't people complain? I would absolutely love it if all games were roughly the same price as DVDs and still profitable for the industry. It'd be a lot easier to buy them all!

[OrangePowerz]

Games don't have that source of income that would let them allow to release the games cheap like movies have that make a lot of money in the cinemas first.

[randomass171]

Indie games do. Some indie games have really small budgets and can sometimes be just as good as the AAA stuff. If they can do it, why can't AAAs?

[OrangePowerz]

Indie games are in most cases a lot cheaper to produce hence why they are priced lower. You can't expect that a game that costs 50 million to make costs as much ad one that costs half a million.

[dennett316]

Games nowadays often have corporate tie ins and sponsorships, product placement, excessive DLC and micro-transactions, special editions etc.
Their earning potential is more than enough, even in the AAA space. The problem in the games industry is the increasing staleness of AAA titles as they all look to be the same as the big hitters who have carved out their own identity over the years - Call of Duty, GTA etc. - rather than take a risk and come up with something new or fresh.
People will only play the same old thing for so long before the cash stops rolling in...it's why the Indie scene has never been as popular as it is now, people are getting sick of identical AAA experiences and moving to indies in order to see something new.

[Gh05t]

I would rather the teams not spend $50million on one game and shrink down to small teams make great games at $20.00 $30.00 and release them more spread out rather than every year. Imagine how many games would come out if instead of $50million you got $5million and your team was also shrunk to 1/10th the size. you would get 10 games at $20 - $30 a piece (over a longer period of time mind you, but with more teams it would be more games) but to me that beats one game rushed out every year at $60

Im not saying EVERY studio should do this but I think a few of them could and be profitable. It would just take a fundamental shift in the industry and thats not going to happen. but then again this is where we get the indie games from and its been great with a lot of awesome games coming out.

[gamerhecz]

I will not stop complaining. Microtransactions will be the death of me

[OrangePowerz]

I agree that people shouldn't complain that much. Taking the prices of games in the 80s and 90s they where a lot more expensive when you take inflation into account and a lot cheaper to make while games cost a lot now to make.

[Canary-0083]

You have no clue what inflation means, do you?

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-m...

The Dollar is the weakest its ever been. Wages have been constant, too, thanks in large part to Republicans.

[Gh05t]

Sure but if you earned $30k then = $66k now (with inflation based on the same tool the author used).

But what if you only earn $50k now your still at a net loss of $16k in purchasing power. That is a lot of video games.

[Muzikguy]

I remember back in the day certain games costing $70+ or even $90 on Nintendo systems here in the states. Most of those games I grew up on and were worth that, even though I didn't pay for them. This could actually go both ways. Back then games were WORTH the money because of the replay value they had even the single player ones (which a lot were). I got much more enjoyment from games between NES and PS1 times than I do now. So if you look at it that way games are too expensive. The $60 price tag I don't have a problem with. I have a problem with broken games, lies, tacked on MP, DLC that should be in game and so on. $60 is enough to part with

[Michiel1989]

The fucking difference is that we got complete games back then, now we get locked dlc on disc, incomplete games, no manual anymore ( i loved reading those)and if you want every pre-order bonus dlc you need to preorder and buy the game at 5 different stores.

Thats why CD Projekt red are my heroes. If they dont deliver on the game, or if they think themselves it can be improved, they do it, for free.....One of the few companies who delivers FULL games.

[BVFTW]

Nowadays with games coming with season passes and some map packs or features not included in the later makes me disagree, games are not cheap unless you go for a gold, goty version that is, I miss the days that a game expansion was just that! not content cut off or planed that didn't reach the dead line.

[Kiwi66]

Here in New Zealand the average price is about $110 nzd but then special editions are a lot more for example the inquisitors edition of dragon age inquisition is $319 nzd for xb1 , ps4 & pc

[Donnywho]

The old cartridge games cost a lot more money to manufacture and assemble. The discs we use now are completely worthless without their content.

[uth11]

Games today cost far more to develop. At least for the AAA games

[Donnywho]

Absolutely. But I honestly believe that the transition to discs that can be stamped out for pennies is a big reason why individual game prices have been able to ignore inflation.

[MidWestMoFo]

There's nothing cheaper than "FREE".
Gaming hasn't become any cheaper. That's a joke. If anything it's been picked apart and sold to us in more pieces with prices we never had to worry about in the past. Forget DLC, let me unlock it with cheats or secrets. Here's all of the examples of this "separation":

- DLC (previously mentioned)
- Online Passes
- Hard Drives
- USB Controller Chargers (ex. XBOX)

Why can't things just be as easy as getting a full system, a full controller, and a full game?
Is that too much to ask for?
Oh wait! That's right... You'd rather get your money for half of a game right away. You mother... Oohwee! I wish you would... lmao!

[DualWielding]

People need to realize launch prices are not what matters, now we have stuff like ebay, amazon marketplace and digital sales which allows you to get games really cheaply a few months after launch..... you only pay a lot if you are type type that insist on buying everything at launch with DLC and stuff...

[Gh05t]

This whole concept only works if your PAYCHECK increases with INFLATION! If I made $30K then and I still make $30K it has increased in price. Granted back then I was 5 so I wasn't working but lets just assume my Mother made $30k, she now barely makes $36K but according to your INFLATION calculator she was making $66k but now shes still making $36K so do you think she has MORE or LESS buying power?

That is the problem is the amount earned is relatively steady but inflation keeps growing. so yes that is great that games in practical terms have gone down in price but my paycheck is also worth less now than it was. Which means that the impact to my wallet HASNT changed.

[blueduke1959]

Exactly. The author of this propaganda piece is so woefully misinformed it's embarrassing

[imXify]

Prices are fine today imo. It just depends how bad you want something.

Today everyone wants everything faster and faster.

[blueduke1959]

Author of this story makes a foolish argument. Guess what else is "cheaper" now, Will? Computers for one thing. Try buying a car 20 years ago with a 100,000 mile warranty with better safety and comfort features not to mention better mileage without paying a king's ransom for it back then. Your argument for the lack of a better term is stupid