Are gamers today getting ripped off?
Published Tuesday 16 Feb 2010 5:03pm |
35
Tags: price, overprice, worth, content, games, gaming
Is it just me or does everyone think that today's games are overpriced, yet the content are not neccessarily worth the money paid? Back in the 90s when we were playing games like Doom and Quake they were priced at around $40, then came the dawn of the new millenia and suddenly game producers think we earn 2000 times the money and the prices rose past the $90 margin. As if that wasn't enough within the last 2 - 3 years games have past the $100 point and are approaching the $200 point, and for what? State of the art graphics with linear gameplay? Graphics are suppose to advance as technology does, and consumers should not have to pay extra when game producers don't need to crack their heads over on getting new technologies.
If the extra money gave us gamers extra gameplay, then I may not complain as much. But many games these days don't require a lot of time to finish and when I pay $140 for a game I would at least want to be able to play it for a few years. Producers claim that the extra price is for the multiplayer experience and the 'extra' content they release after or alongside the game. But many of these so called 'extra' content are merely recycled content that producers try to diguise.
What does the future ahead look like: games that cost more than the console? Only upperclass people with 6 digit earnings can game? $200 for 2 hours of gameplay? I hope not.
You may or may not agree with what I've posted, but above is my opinion on the pricing of games today.
Thank you for reading.
COMMENTS (35)
Yea, the games are getting more expensive, and the content is sometimes not worth the price.
The thing that ticks me off the most is the fact that DLC is so expensive, 'usually', which makes the already expensive games cost in excess of $200.
Which is freakin B-S.
The thing that ticks me off the most is the fact that DLC is so expensive, 'usually', which makes the already expensive games cost in excess of $200.
Which is freakin B-S.
"Graphics are suppose to advance as technology does"
How incredibly naive...you'd think that "new" technologies would require mass training and understanding to be used? It's not like devs have been using a single game engine for 20 years and just one animation studio.
Also factoring in changes in inflation etc...money is worth less now than it was when doom came out.
Sure games are pricey, but they never make a hell of a lot of money (save for large scale subscription bases and immensely popular games).
To me this blog just screams: "I didnt research enough"
How incredibly naive...you'd think that "new" technologies would require mass training and understanding to be used? It's not like devs have been using a single game engine for 20 years and just one animation studio.
Also factoring in changes in inflation etc...money is worth less now than it was when doom came out.
Sure games are pricey, but they never make a hell of a lot of money (save for large scale subscription bases and immensely popular games).
To me this blog just screams: "I didnt research enough"
If the price is sitting around $100-$120 I'll grab it on release if I really want it other wise wait 6 months and pick it up cheap.
What Deanology said about DLC is spot on though, FPS + Map Packs makes for expensive gaming.
What Deanology said about DLC is spot on though, FPS + Map Packs makes for expensive gaming.
I get what you're saying, but games are more expensive to produce these days.
There is a huge difference between Doom with it's sprites and Mass Effect 2 or Uncharted 2 with thier hugely detailed graphics.
Back then the game designers didn't worry much about storytelling and didn't invest as much time and money into the presentation of the game.
Sure the big games are getting more expensive, but with the introduction of downloadable titles, you can get games of the same (or better) quality then those that were full releases a few years ago, and for cheaper.
There is a huge difference between Doom with it's sprites and Mass Effect 2 or Uncharted 2 with thier hugely detailed graphics.
Back then the game designers didn't worry much about storytelling and didn't invest as much time and money into the presentation of the game.
Sure the big games are getting more expensive, but with the introduction of downloadable titles, you can get games of the same (or better) quality then those that were full releases a few years ago, and for cheaper.
I'm going to be completely original and say that you are getting more for your buck than ever before. Back in the days, when the PlayStation was going strong, the games could cost around $110.
Riven, for example, which is also for PC and PlayStation was about 5 - 10 million to develop. Because gaming has now gone mainstream it is easier for developers to make bigger budget games. Grand Theft Auto 4 was around $100 million to make. We're essentially getting all the benefits of larger budget games for only a bit more money comparatively.
It's only compared to Americans that we're getting ripped off because they get their games so much cheaper.
Riven, for example, which is also for PC and PlayStation was about 5 - 10 million to develop. Because gaming has now gone mainstream it is easier for developers to make bigger budget games. Grand Theft Auto 4 was around $100 million to make. We're essentially getting all the benefits of larger budget games for only a bit more money comparatively.
It's only compared to Americans that we're getting ripped off because they get their games so much cheaper.
They were more expensive on the Mega Drive.
If I remember correctly Super Street Fighter $220
Personally though I'm more likely to try a $90 game like straight away than a $150 game.
I bought Valkyria Chronicles and Borderlands for $90 and $80. Very pleased with them.
When they are $150, I normally wait for a sale or shop around. Waited until Resident Evil 5 was on sale and shopped around for Assassins Creed 2
If I remember correctly Super Street Fighter $220
Personally though I'm more likely to try a $90 game like straight away than a $150 game.
I bought Valkyria Chronicles and Borderlands for $90 and $80. Very pleased with them.
When they are $150, I normally wait for a sale or shop around. Waited until Resident Evil 5 was on sale and shopped around for Assassins Creed 2
Yes games are expensive but after a month or three you'll find most games in the bargain bin for $40.
I remember paying $60 for Harry Potter and the chamber of secrets on PS1 brand new many years back at Farmers (When they sold games). It went Platinum a few weeks later, and was $20 brand new. :(
yea i agree with everything ur saying and they all seem to go up about $20 EVERY 6 MONTHS ,SUX !!!!!
that is if we are talking about all these games as there are coming out
I remember a time when the latest StreetFighter 2 game retailed at $239, that was a MegaDrive cart, and that was in early '90's dollars too. So no, generally stuff like games are better value than ever before.
People in this current youth generation are just so used to getting their stuff for free or cheap (usually by download) that they just can't deal with the concept of paying anything substantial for their gear.
People in this current youth generation are just so used to getting their stuff for free or cheap (usually by download) that they just can't deal with the concept of paying anything substantial for their gear.
We are getting ripped of for games in my opinion but its for a different reason then yours. Mines based on how much American's pay for games and the exchange rate. They have bioshock 2 for 59.99 USD where as it costs us around $129.99 where as if we were paying the direct price equivalent it should be around $85.50. That's almost $45 more that we pay. Now i understand that there's probably a bit for extra shipping and you could argue that they allow for fluctuation in the NZ dollar but it still annoys me. Thats one of the reasons i love Steam
disagree totally.
I can remember paying $150 plus for mega drive games that in reality, if I played now would only entertain me for a few hours. At the time however being about 7 years old I could replay the same boring sh*t over and over and think it was amazing. But these were still games that were aimed at a broader market than just young kids.
Really I think a lot of games are really good value for how much time it takes to complete them, and how much money goes into development.
For example I payed $100 for Dragon Age: Origins. It took me about 56 hours to finish, that works out at just under 3 cents a minute. Not bad really.
I can remember paying $150 plus for mega drive games that in reality, if I played now would only entertain me for a few hours. At the time however being about 7 years old I could replay the same boring sh*t over and over and think it was amazing. But these were still games that were aimed at a broader market than just young kids.
Really I think a lot of games are really good value for how much time it takes to complete them, and how much money goes into development.
For example I payed $100 for Dragon Age: Origins. It took me about 56 hours to finish, that works out at just under 3 cents a minute. Not bad really.
Yeah sorry, just have to voice my humble opinion on this again - if anyone thinks that games these days are a "rip-off", then it is simply because you have a selfish, distorted view of entitlement (and possibly reality). Again, this is just a flow-on effect of the modern internet and it's get-everything-for-free-if-possible ethos.
A game costs relatively less than ever before. Buying games from overseas does not necessarily result in you paying less, it all depends on the state of the exchange rate, doesn't it?
If you wan't your games to look pretty and sound all hi-fi, well, all those graphics artists and designers and programmers and audio engineers and music composers and testers aren't going to work for free, certainly no more than you would work for free.
It sounds like the other more mature frequenters of this site like takuyafire and lexcalibur agree on this.
Americans get a lot of stuff for very cheap, but then again, if you get hit by a bus in America and you're not a rich white guy, the ambulance will leave you lying in the street to die. That alone seems like a fair trade for paying a bit more for your games. (Plus, you would also be surrounded by Americans, which in itself is not a pleasant or ideal situation)
PS - Try travelling abroad, to some place like, say, Cambodia, before you bemoan "expensive" video games. Many people on this earth have far more pressing matters, like not having money for food, or a house, or other minor things like that.
Also, this isn't aimed specifically at the author or anyone in particular, so no-one get too defensive or anything please. Ta a bundle
A game costs relatively less than ever before. Buying games from overseas does not necessarily result in you paying less, it all depends on the state of the exchange rate, doesn't it?
If you wan't your games to look pretty and sound all hi-fi, well, all those graphics artists and designers and programmers and audio engineers and music composers and testers aren't going to work for free, certainly no more than you would work for free.
It sounds like the other more mature frequenters of this site like takuyafire and lexcalibur agree on this.
Americans get a lot of stuff for very cheap, but then again, if you get hit by a bus in America and you're not a rich white guy, the ambulance will leave you lying in the street to die. That alone seems like a fair trade for paying a bit more for your games. (Plus, you would also be surrounded by Americans, which in itself is not a pleasant or ideal situation)
PS - Try travelling abroad, to some place like, say, Cambodia, before you bemoan "expensive" video games. Many people on this earth have far more pressing matters, like not having money for food, or a house, or other minor things like that.
Also, this isn't aimed specifically at the author or anyone in particular, so no-one get too defensive or anything please. Ta a bundle
"...if you get hit by a bus in America and you're not a rich white guy, the ambulance will leave you lying in the street to die. "
ˆˆˆLOL harsh view of American life or accurate portrayal based on first hand experience?! :-D
ˆˆˆLOL harsh view of American life or accurate portrayal based on first hand experience?! :-D
18 February 2010, 02:44 PM
Reply to guido
"...if you get hit by a bus in America and you're not a rich white guy, the ambulance will leave you lying in the street to die. "
ˆˆˆLOL harsh view of American life or accurate portrayal based on first hand experience?! :-D
Its true man, one of my old teachers was absolutely shocked when a bloke was hit by a car in front of him (it was a bum lol) and his mate stopped him from calling an Amberlamps simply because he would end up having to pay."...if you get hit by a bus in America and you're not a rich white guy, the ambulance will leave you lying in the street to die. "
ˆˆˆLOL harsh view of American life or accurate portrayal based on first hand experience?! :-D
That's crap imo.
So..props to Wellington Free Ambulance...
What were talking about again?
As people have said, Mega Drive games were hardly cheap. $220 for Sonic 3 and Super Street Fighter II? Jeebus!
I can't comment on PC games since I didn't actually pay for one prior to 2001.
I can't comment on PC games since I didn't actually pay for one prior to 2001.
"Americans get a lot of stuff for very cheap, but then again, if you get hit by a bus in America and you're not a rich white guy, the ambulance will leave you lying in the street to die. That alone seems like a fair trade for paying a bit more for your games. (Plus, you would also be surrounded by Americans, which in itself is not a pleasant or ideal situation)
PS - Try travelling abroad, to some place like, say, Cambodia, before you bemoan "expensive" video games. Many people on this earth have far more pressing matters, like not having money for food, or a house, or other minor things like that."
Please fall off your crimethInc. style high-horse.
PS - Try travelling abroad, to some place like, say, Cambodia, before you bemoan "expensive" video games. Many people on this earth have far more pressing matters, like not having money for food, or a house, or other minor things like that."
Please fall off your crimethInc. style high-horse.
The big blockbuster console games can be expensive but there's plenty of bargains out there if you are prepared to wait for them.
I'm always hearing about development studios going broke or laying off staff so it's not like they're all making excessive amounts of money by ripping us off.
I'm always hearing about development studios going broke or laying off staff so it's not like they're all making excessive amounts of money by ripping us off.
PS - Try travelling abroad, to some place like, say, Cambodia, before you bemoan "expensive" video games. Many people on this earth have far more pressing matters, like not having money for food, or a house, or other minor things like that."
Please fall off your crimethInc. style high-horse.
Please get some perspective on reality, sonny.
Please fall off your crimethInc. style high-horse.
Please get some perspective on reality, sonny.
Yeah, I think maybe this blogger is just too young. Can't remember games being more expensive than they are now.
19 February 2010, 04:19 PM
Reply to leopardsqueezy
PS - Try travelling abroad, to some place like, say, Cambodia, before you bemoan "expensive" video games. Many people on this earth have far more pressing matters, like not having money for food, or a house, or other minor things like that."
Please fall off your crimethInc. style high-horse.
Please get some perspective on reality, sonny.
dont really think you got what I was getting at.
PS - Try travelling abroad, to some place like, say, Cambodia, before you bemoan "expensive" video games. Many people on this earth have far more pressing matters, like not having money for food, or a house, or other minor things like that."
Please fall off your crimethInc. style high-horse.
Please get some perspective on reality, sonny.
I understand perfectly, chum. It comes down to this: Whether you deem what I said in my postscript to be either "true/valid" or "snotty high-horsery" all depends on how greedy and self-absorbed you are, or are not. Which camp do you fall in?
BTW, good on you for completely ignoring the main body of my text, which entirely agreed with what *you* stated earlier, and turning around and picking on my post-script, which was just further back-up for the side of the argument we were both supporting. Never mind though - a bit of flip-flopping never hurt anyone, I guess...
BTW, good on you for completely ignoring the main body of my text, which entirely agreed with what *you* stated earlier, and turning around and picking on my post-script, which was just further back-up for the side of the argument we were both supporting. Never mind though - a bit of flip-flopping never hurt anyone, I guess...
I do think it was obnoxious. It's as simple as that. You provided ridiculously over the top comparisons. Videogames vs. poverty.
Oh no i'm very sorry for living in a first world country. By your standards I shouldn't buy a chopping board 'cause some people would love to have just even a knife.
I'm well aware of the horrible sh*t that goes on in other parts of the world and i'm not ignoring it.
I just think its a bit rich to essentially criticize someone for thinking video games are a bit expensive because of poverty and poor social welfare elsewhere when we're in New Zealand. I disagreed with the sentiment that they're too expensive, but someone still has the right to express it without getting a guilt trip chucked at them.
PS. Why would I make reference to the main body of your comment if it was no different to what I said?
PPS. Don't call me chum, I don't know you.
Oh no i'm very sorry for living in a first world country. By your standards I shouldn't buy a chopping board 'cause some people would love to have just even a knife.
I'm well aware of the horrible sh*t that goes on in other parts of the world and i'm not ignoring it.
I just think its a bit rich to essentially criticize someone for thinking video games are a bit expensive because of poverty and poor social welfare elsewhere when we're in New Zealand. I disagreed with the sentiment that they're too expensive, but someone still has the right to express it without getting a guilt trip chucked at them.
PS. Why would I make reference to the main body of your comment if it was no different to what I said?
PPS. Don't call me chum, I don't know you.
I was using "chum" in the patronizing sense, pal.
26 February 2010, 01:24 PM
Reply to leopardsqueezy
I was using "chum" in the patronizing sense, pal.
I'm aware of that. It just shows how much you think of yourself.
I was using "chum" in the patronizing sense, pal.
I just wait for prices to drop. Saves a hell of a lot of time and money.
yes prices are getting pretty insane these days... personally i prefer to buy new games then preowned but in some cases i have no choice!!! to make matters worse some games are not even worth the price because as mentioned... lack of content!!!
yes games are expensive but as long as you get the full package for wat u pay for, i.e campaign, multi player etc etc, then lets us be satisfied and happy for wat we have received. But if we pay alot and get a sh*t game then we have the right to be angery about the price
I agree, games are getting more expensive. Activisions COD series is a prime example. COD: WAW cost around $110 at release whilst MW2 cost $140-$160 exactly a year later at its release date. DLC is also getting more expensive, take the MW2 stimulus package. $15 for 3 crappy maps and 2 recycled maps from the original MW? I think not! yet we are encouraging this buy actually buying these overpriced games and DLC, so in a way we are pushing up the price of games because devs think they can get away with it, which they can.
PS: I know i've been bashing activision all through this post but it is only beacause thay are the biggest offenders in this regard (COD and Guitar Hero anyone?)
PS: I know i've been bashing activision all through this post but it is only beacause thay are the biggest offenders in this regard (COD and Guitar Hero anyone?)
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