Xbox360 and PS3 Game Prices

[BlancoNino]

Right now new games are 59.99. I read on an ign forum and some of the members were saying that games are expected to get up to $100 for the systems. Is this true!?!??!?!

 

[Dacalo]

WTH? Why would game prices increase? If anything, the prices will decrease over the life span of the consoles since the dev cost will get cheaper.

 

[imported_EmreNU]

Games won't reach $100 in this generation, or probably any generation. It is possible that publishers may sell "special" editions for slightly more, say $70, or in the case of Halo 3 over $100, but no game itself will be $100.

However, what strikes me as interesting is that games for SNES and N64 used to go for $75 in the '90s, which is over $100 today adjusted for inflation...

 

[destrekor]

Originally posted by: EmreNU
Games won't reach $100 in this generation, or probably any generation. It is possible that publishers may sell "special" editions for slightly more, say $70, or in the case of Halo 3 over $100, but no game itself will be $100.

However, what strikes me as interesting is that games for SNES and N64 used to go for $75 in the '90s, which is over $100 today adjusted for inflation...

the whole $100 price for games spawned awhile ago when Kutaragi was talking game prices. It was a rumor then, and completely confirmed false now.

 

[mugs]

I believe Sony made some outlandish comments well before the release of the PS3 that game prices might approach $100.

No, you won't be seeing many games selling for more than $60 this generation (unless they come with a special controller like Guitar Hero). When you add in purchasable downloadable content it is a possibility that you could approach that, but I doubt very many developers will put out that much content.

There was another rumor that GT5 would only come with a small number of tracks and cars but would only cost ~$30 and all other tracks and cars would be purchasable for a very small fee each. While I wouldn't be surprised to see some purchasable cars, I highly doubt it will be on that scale.

 

[MikeyLSU]

Originally posted by: EmreNU
Games won't reach $100 in this generation, or probably any generation. It is possible that publishers may sell "special" editions for slightly more, say $70, or in the case of Halo 3 over $100, but no game itself will be $100.

However, what strikes me as interesting is that games for SNES and N64 used to go for $75 in the '90s, which is over $100 today adjusted for inflation...

and the price of games hurt nintendo a ton...that led the way for Sony to take over. That was the biggest drawback of the N64 sicne they stuck with cartrages, the games cost a lot more to produce than on CD like PS1.

 

[tatteredpotato]

I hope next generation games don't get another $10 tacked on.

 

[erwos]

Originally posted by: MikeyLSU

Originally posted by: EmreNU
Games won't reach $100 in this generation, or probably any generation. It is possible that publishers may sell "special" editions for slightly more, say $70, or in the case of Halo 3 over $100, but no game itself will be $100.

However, what strikes me as interesting is that games for SNES and N64 used to go for $75 in the '90s, which is over $100 today adjusted for inflation...

and the price of games hurt nintendo a ton...that led the way for Sony to take over. That was the biggest drawback of the N64 sicne they stuck with cartrages, the games cost a lot more to produce than on CD like PS1.

They sure didn't hurt them in the NES and SNES eras. SFII for the SNES went for like $70, and I clearly remember paying something like $60-$70 for Dragon Warrior/Quest 4 for the NES.

It's not unfair to expect software prices to rise with inflation. So far, we've actually been fairly lucky to only see a $10 hike over the past ten years.

 

[imported_EmreNU]

Originally posted by: erwosThey sure didn't hurt them in the NES and SNES eras. SFII for the SNES went for like $70, and I clearly remember paying something like $60-$70 for Dragon Warrior/Quest 4 for the NES.

It's not unfair to expect software prices to rise with inflation. So far, we've actually been fairly lucky to only see a $10 hike over the past ten years.

I agree. We lambaste retailers for charging $60 (heck, even I do), but I paid $75 for Final Fantasy III back in 1995 and didn't care at all (granted, I was 11 yrs old). I bought Zelda: Link's Awakening for Gameboy for $30 in 1993, and gameboy/DS games are still at that price point for the most part. I think that's pretty good.

Meanwhile, development costs have skyrocketed. I don't have facts and figures on hand regarding the increase in sales, but I'd guess that games were more lucrative back then than they are now, at least for the biggest players.

And the launch price of the PS1, $299, sets it above the X360's price in today's world

(Consumer Price Index)

 

[MustISO]

I remember paying ~$70 for a PC game back in the 80's. I'm pretty sure Ultima IV was close to $70 at the time. Then games started getting cheaper but with production costs and the fact that no matter the price (within reason) people will still buy the game, why wouldn't they charge more. I for one will never pay $50 or $60 for a game. I'll gladly wait until the price drops.

 

[imported_Imp]

It's true, games use to be stupid expensive. I remember when I got Shogo for $70 and Thief was on sale for $80. Nintendo stuff was even worse. Earthbound and Junglestrike were liike $80 or $90. Now, a lot of stuff is coming out for $40 and the 'standard' seems to be $50. If they go to $100, I got 4 dots and an l for them.

 

[Oyeve]

$50 bucks has always been the average since 1978 when the Atari 2600 first hit. $50 bucks in the 70s was a LOT of dough. I dont mind paying 60 bucks for a game. I mind paying 60 bucks for a crap game like Transformers tho.

 

[mugs]

Originally posted by: erwos

Originally posted by: MikeyLSU

Originally posted by: EmreNU
Games won't reach $100 in this generation, or probably any generation. It is possible that publishers may sell "special" editions for slightly more, say $70, or in the case of Halo 3 over $100, but no game itself will be $100.

However, what strikes me as interesting is that games for SNES and N64 used to go for $75 in the '90s, which is over $100 today adjusted for inflation...

and the price of games hurt nintendo a ton...that led the way for Sony to take over. That was the biggest drawback of the N64 sicne they stuck with cartrages, the games cost a lot more to produce than on CD like PS1.

They sure didn't hurt them in the NES and SNES eras. SFII for the SNES went for like $70, and I clearly remember paying something like $60-$70 for Dragon Warrior/Quest 4 for the NES.

It's not unfair to expect software prices to rise with inflation. So far, we've actually been fairly lucky to only see a $10 hike over the past ten years.

I agree.

I think the limited capacity of cartridges hurt N64 more than the cost of the cartridges.

 

[TallBill]

Uh, games will someday hit $100, its called inflation. We were lucky that they were at $50 for so long. I remember PC games being $50 since I started buying PC Games.

 

[GundamSonicZeroX]

That's an old rumor that started before the XboX360 even came out.

 

[giantpinkbunnyhead]

Didn't some of the Neo Geo games way back when, retail between $100 and $170?

 

[lagvoid]

Originally posted by: giantpinkbunnyhead
Didn't some of the Neo Geo games way back when, retail between $100 and $170?

HAHA Neo Geo...I remember that system! I think you're right, games were all over $100 for that system.

 

[Oyeve]

Originally posted by: lagvoid

Originally posted by: giantpinkbunnyhead
Didn't some of the Neo Geo games way back when, retail between $100 and $170?

HAHA Neo Geo...I remember that system! I think you're right, games were all over $100 for that system.

Yeah, those games were 150-200 bucks BUT, if anyone recalls, that system was exactly thre same system that was in Arcades. The graphics for the time was much more advanced than anything out at the time. Plus it was cartridge based and the size of a large paperback book so the electronics were very expensive. I know cuz I still have mine.

 

[lagvoid]

Originally posted by: Oyeve

Originally posted by: lagvoid

Originally posted by: giantpinkbunnyhead
Didn't some of the Neo Geo games way back when, retail between $100 and $170?

HAHA Neo Geo...I remember that system! I think you're right, games were all over $100 for that system.

Yeah, those games were 150-200 bucks BUT, if anyone recalls, that system was exactly thre same system that was in Arcades. The graphics for the time was much more advanced than anything out at the time. Plus it was cartridge based and the size of a large paperback book so the electronics were very expensive. I know cuz I still have mine.

nice! I remember going to the store only dreaming of taking a true arcade system home with me.

 

[imported_EmreNU]

I remember a time when Funcoland (remember them?) had a Neogeo AES console in their flier for $40... of course you couldn't find it anywhere.

Nowadays there is a nice niche group of gamers who convert MVS Neogeo boards for play at home - consolizing. I'd like to build one and get together a nice little collection but I haven't gotten around to it. Check out neo-geo.com, atariage.com, or your friendly Google for more info.

 

[Modelworks]

Neo geo was expensive because inside the cartridges was a ton of eproms for memory.
It would be like trying to buy a 20Gb memory card now.

Atari did not license its games or control the market and so it was flooded with tons and tons of games all at one time. More than the market can support.
I remember Atari games starting at 50.00 then when the market flooded they were 3.00

Now you have nintendo/sony controlling how many games are released at once and when.

 

[CorCentral]

I remember back in the day when cartridges were still around. I heard that prices would fall when they started using discs because they were cheaper to produce............ If anything, prices went up!