I am MAD because PC Game Prices are NUTS

[flexy]

Why are people torrenting games?

Because the prices for SOME games are just totally nuts, it's actually to the point of insanity.

If i look on Origin, getting SWTOR would cost me €75 (EURO), that is.
€75 EU is pretty much $100.

After we played WoW for such a long time, me and my wife were considering trying SWTOR, which would cost us $200 just for two retail copies of the game - subsequent time cards are not even included in this price.

Add two time cards,which, (AFAIK) are $30 a pop, which would bring the total for trying SWTOR for us two at approx $260.

This is something which really ****es me off since i do not consider $260 something you can just "spend like that"...just to check out a game and see whether it's worth playing. And no, i am not on welfare or anything but i still think this price is totally nuts.

*** Right now, there are tens of thousands of people torrenting ME3 to a point where major "release sites" are totally overloaded.

The price of ME 3 is "decent" compared to SWTOR, eg. i could get a russian version for $36 (we need 2, mind you since we want to play multiplayer)....but this is the russian version.

If you want retail you would also need to shell out $50 something.

So..seeing that tens of thousands of people are torrenting this game right now i am asking why the frack prices are so expensive...and if a game would cost, say, a max $20...wouldn't much more people considering just buying games instead of torrenting them?

I am aware that there are budget games from Steam etc...but i am talking about games in the order of SWTOR, ME3 etc..etc...

In particular, the SWTOR pricing on Origin, the fact THEY DO NOT HAVE ANY TRIAL (like WoW does) and the fact that after you buy the retail games you STILL need to continue buying time cards each month is nothing else than greed in my opinion because they could have priced the box way cheaper...€75 for a game is just insane.

Rant END.

 

[Wyndru]

When I think about how much money I've given Blizzard over the past few years I cringe.

That being said, I still think it is the cheapest form of entertainment. I get a ton of hours of entertainment for relatively low amount of money.

 

[Texashiker]

OP, maybe you should find a different type of game to play?

I do not play those pay-to-play games. Why should you spend hundreds of dollars on a game, when you can get something like left 4 dead 2 or borderlands and play for free?

 

[flexy]

I agree since we played WoW for the longest time, but the box (AFAIK) was rather cheap, i don't remember but it was maybe $39 or something in that order. Add the fact they have a free trial and you can also check the game out. Nothing compared to what they want for playing SWTOR.

I would NOT mind playing the usual monthly fee since we also did that for wow..but i want to know whether its worth it and not being forced to buy 2x retail copies first before there is even a chance to get an impression of the game....

It is very likely we wont pay that amount...(basically, SWTOR lost two potential customers since i am not willing to pay this)....

 

[flexy]

Texashiker,

BORDERLANDS is/was the best multiplayer/LAN game i ever played..so much fun!!

Cant wait for Borderlands 2! Awesome game

 

[Dankk]

Don't blame PC Gaming. Blame EA and Bioware.

I mean, the two games you're comparing here (ME3 and TOR) are made by EA/Bioware. Last time I checked, the quality of Bioware games has plummeted through the floor and the only reason why they're so hyped up is because of an over-zealous fanbase.

Just don't buy them? Vote with your wallet.

 

[Wyndru]

I agree since we played WoW for the longest time, but the box (AFAIK) was rather cheap, i don't remember but it was maybe $39 or something in that order. Add the fact they have a free trial and you can also check the game out. Nothing compared to what they want for playing SWTOR.

I bought all of my WoW expansions separately at release and each time it was around $40 so right there was $160, just for 1 account, not counting the subscription I've paid all of these years.

I think now they discount the expansions though so it's not such a big startup cost.

 

[modestninja]

It seems like a strange business move. I would think they would keep the initial price pretty low to get people in and hooked and then rake in recurring income. Maybe they realize that once someone plays SWTOR, they won't subscribe for long enough to recoup the cost of lowering the initial outlay...

 

[alent1234]

every new game is $59.99 these days. 20 years ago they were $49.95.

only difference now is they push the collector editions more. back in the old days it was the game and an expansion pack a year later

the quality is a lot better today as well

 

[Lonyo]

Don't blame PC Gaming. Blame EA and Bioware.

I mean, the two games you're comparing here (ME3 and TOR) are made by EA/Bioware. Last time I checked, the quality of Bioware games has plummeted through the floor and the only reason why they're so hyped up is because of an over-zealous fanbase.

Just don't buy them? Vote with your wallet.

Yeah, just use Steam instead to buy your games. EA isn't on Steam, so you're also safe from buying EA games.

Incidentally, Play.com ships to most of Europe.
http://www.play.com/Games/PC/4-/216...earchtype=allproducts&urlrefer=search&cur=258
€38 for a copy of The Old Republic.

 

[JTsyo]

every new game is $59.99 these days. 20 years ago they were $49.95.

only difference now is they push the collector editions more. back in the old days it was the game and an expansion pack a year later

the quality is a lot better today as well

compared to inflation, that's not bad at all.

 

[M0oG0oGaiPan]

Games also go on sale a lot quicker. SW:TOR was only $36 yesterday shipped. I posted about it to my site just for reference.
http://digitalgamedeals.com/videogame/star-wars-the-old-republic-36-shipped-at-amazon-pc/

Euro and especially Australians are screwed over by regional pricing. If you go to Steamprices you can see what the markup is for the different regions. I think it's because they have to pay for taxes or something or straight gouging maybe.

 

[chihlidog]

I dont mind the PRICE of games, I mind the quality, length, and replay value of games. I paid $65 for DCS A-10. I didnt blink an eye. I will get ENDLESS replay value out of it. For me, fair trade off. It's a high quality game that I'll play for years so I feel like I got a deal.

On the flip side, linear games that have a 12 hour campaign and little replay value are the ones that bother me when they cost as much as they do. I still dont mind paying for a great game but the way they're getting shorter and shorter is what truly scares me.

 

[greenhawk]

If you want to rant, try being a gaming down under. SWTOR was released in the US several weeks back IIRC, it only officially was released here in the last several days. Not a player of it, just talk to someone that is.

As to ME3, and similar games, you talk about $50 US for the game, we are paying about $80US for similar games (steam) or even with the current exchange rate, upto $100US in stores. What I would give to pay US prices for games.

The point is that no mater how crap you find the setup, it does not take long to find someone else that thinks it is crappier for themselves.

Heck, I bought some games from Thailand for a while, until EA and co/others started enforcing regions. I'm more likely to wait for a torrent ed version now than pay local prices. About 3 of the last 5 games I have purchased the boxed edition (even for steam activated games) from the UK and waited for it to be delivered.

 

[obidamnkenobi]

What are you talking about? My two most played games on Steam are BF:BC2 (on xmas sale: $7) and Civ 4 ($20 I think).

I just got crusader kings 2 at release for $40, which has about 5000 hrs of replayability..

And there are tons of free to play MMOs that are supposely good (I don't play them). Lord of the rings, the D&D one etc.

It's just a matter of not going for the most overhyped and overpriced stuff, but there is plenty of quality for less money.

 

[greenhawk]

I think it's because they have to pay for taxes or something or straight gouging maybe.

Sales tax is 10%. no way that warrants the large price difference. We get told it is because we are a small market and there are more overheads per person.

Given we speak English well enough to talk and interact with all other English speaking countries, I would think the overheads could be dwelt with better, epically with online distribution methods and just reusing existing support systems.

 

[modestninja]

Given we speak English well enough to talk and interact with all other English speaking countries...

I'm not sure I'd go that far... Anyway, I lived and worked in NZ for a couple of years and everything there was as bad or worse than in AUS in terms of computer games. That being said, I hardly spent any time playing games when there were so many other awesome things to do there.

 

[TreyRandom]

I haven't bought any PC games more expensive than $20 in years.

 

[wuliheron]

Yeah, just use Steam instead to buy your games. EA isn't on Steam, so you're also safe from buying EA games.

Ditto. Steam and Valve are the best things to happen to PC gaming ever and the only hope for stopping wannabe monopolies like EA willing to steal candy from a baby and then charge them for the privilege.

 

[DaveSimmons]

MMOs either have a monthly charge or nickle-and-dime you with fees for inventory slots and other semi-necessities. You admit to giving Blizzard $30/month for who knows how long, you shouldn't be outraged at EA wanting that too.

WoW base game was not free at first either, I've seen the WoW Battlechest sold for years. The expansions all cost $$ too, how many of them did you buy?

FYI, free trials for SWTOR are now available as invitations (paid subscribers can invite 3 others)

> I am aware that there are budget games from Steam etc...but i am talking about games in the order of SWTOR, ME3 etc..etc...

If you are patient, you can get GOTY and Ultimate versions of AAA games like Fallout 3 / New Vegas, Dragon Age 1, ME 1-2 etc. for $15-30 on Steam and Origin or in stores.

Prices start high then fall over time. That doesn't give anyone an excuse to pirate, the people who want something for nothing just use it as an excuse. Those same people pirate cheap and DRM-free games from GoG too.

 

[Fire&Blood]

Say no to MMO.

 

[BurnItDwn]

Meh, I think the last 10-15 games I've purchased averaged less than $10 per game, not little simple indy games, but real games ....

 

[thespyder]

Don't blame PC Gaming. Blame EA and Bioware.

I mean, the two games you're comparing here (ME3 and TOR) are made by EA/Bioware. Last time I checked, the quality of Bioware games has plummeted through the floor and the only reason why they're so hyped up is because of an over-zealous fanbase.

Just don't buy them? Vote with your wallet.

it is always interesting how people use these types of threads to poke a finger at their favorite "Evil Empire" company.

I would however like to interject the following. As far as entertainment goes, I have lots of choices. I can go to the movies. I can go out to dinner. I can read a book. I can play video games. And lots more besides. but for the sake of discussion, I consider just the above choices.

When i go to the movies, I pay between $10 and $40 (considering two people) for a two hour experience. If I do the math on this, that comes to ~ $20 bucks an hour.

Reading a good book runs me $8-$10 (I generally only read trade paperback books). And reading a book will last me hours and hours of my time. I consider that to be the other extreme wherein I get enterntainment for literally pennies per hour.

Dinner out will run me $40-$80 (unless it is a special occasion) for maybe an hour or two. Call it $40 per hour ish...

Then we talk video games. Currently they run approx $60. Games generally take me anywhere from 20 hours to practical extremes like Skyrim where I have played over a hundred hours. On the whole, if I consider 20 hours to be the normal, that runs me approximately 3 dollars an hour. Which is actually very reasonable for entertainment. Even Blockbuster isn't that cheap.

And then I ask myself, how many games do I play/purchase in a given month. And the answer is I maybe get one every other month. So $30 for entertainment per month is a whole lot less than I pay even for utilities.

Now I am not saying that I think the trend is reasonable, or that there isn't an upper cap. I am merely saying that, put things into perspective.

 

[dud]

OP, your problem is that you live in the EU. Things are MUCH more expensive within the EU than in the USA. Don't forget to pay your VAT!

 

[Pantalaimon]

If i look on Origin, getting SWTOR would cost me €75 (EURO), that is.
€75 EU is pretty much $100

75 euros is the price of the Digital Deluxe edition. The normal edition is 55 euros. Unless you feel the deluxe edition is somehow essential to your enjoyment of the game, why wouldn't you buy just the normal edition?