2 ms·

$60 is a misnomer. Games don't cost $60, just like movies don't cost $15/viewing. Games cost $60 for those that want to play them at release time. Gamers who ca

$60 is a misnomer. Games don't cost $60, just like movies don't cost $15/viewing. Games cost $60 for those that want to play them at release time. Gamers who can wait, will pay anywhere from $5-$30 for AAA titles. The economics of games have shifted and new categories have opened up (e.g. freemium) but this kind of pricing is quite reasonable, and I don't really see the author's point. Furthermore, what's the alternative? Mobile, as a platform, has been out in force for a few years now, and though there are a few gems, I've been largely disappointed with it. Mobile gaming hasn't really evolved into producing true, quality AAA titles.

georgeecollins 12y ago
That's part of the problem. The game publisher gets like $30 of that first sale, which for some game represents 10 users when you include the people who buy it used. So the people that fund the game get ~$30 for the game and Gamestop makes $100+. At some point gamestop needs to fund games to keep their business model afloat. It's better for the publisher to make an online game that can't be resold.
- macspoofing 12y ago
  I was actually thinking digital sales, like steam and the xbox online store etc. This is a good model. It feels like a healthy ecosystem. Released games are at the $60-70 price-point, which decreased as they gradually migrate into the long-tail of sales. Gamestop lucked out this console generation when Microsoft caved. I sincerely believe they won't be so lucky next gen.
egypturnash 12y ago
Shit, I got a ton of fun out of Skyrim and paid absolutely $0 for it - it was a pack-in when I bought my 360 late in the console's lifecycle. Oh wait I paid $7 for it when I decided to port my save files from the 360 to my computer and futz around with mods. Either way. Lots of fun for not very much because I didn't care about playing it when it was the hot new thing.

georgeecollins 12y ago

That's part of the problem. The game publisher gets like $30 of that first sale, which for some game represents 10 users when you include the people who buy it used. So the people that fund the game get ~$30 for the game and Gamestop makes $100+. At some point gamestop needs to fund games to keep their business model afloat. It's better for the publisher to make an online game that can't be resold.

macspoofing 12y ago
I was actually thinking digital sales, like steam and the xbox online store etc. This is a good model. It feels like a healthy ecosystem. Released games are at the $60-70 price-point, which decreased as they gradually migrate into the long-tail of sales. Gamestop lucked out this console generation when Microsoft caved. I sincerely believe they won't be so lucky next gen.

egypturnash 12y ago

Shit, I got a ton of fun out of Skyrim and paid absolutely $0 for it - it was a pack-in when I bought my 360 late in the console's lifecycle. Oh wait I paid $7 for it when I decided to port my save files from the 360 to my computer and futz around with mods. Either way. Lots of fun for not very much because I didn't care about playing it when it was the hot new thing.