GOTY Edition cheaper than Season Pass... Wut?

[Orion1189]

This isn't exactly anything new, but why do publishers keep doing this? Sales come around, and complete editions of games end up cheaper than the season passes for them. The Witcher 3 had the same issue for the longest time, with the pass simply not going on sale at all. It just seems like a baffling oversight.

[Snine]

Because you don't need the Season Pass if there's a full bundle. The season pass came earlier.

[Orion1189]

Originally posted by SnowGodz:

Because you don't need the Season Pass if there's a full bundle. The season pass came earlier.

I think you are misunderstanding. The season pass is more expensive than the GOTY edition which contains all of the season pass content AND the base game. The season pass contains less content for more money, and essentially serves no purpose during a sale like this.

[Tax evasion]

The whole point of a GOTY edition is to regroup the base game and season pass, for cheaper (it's the point of a bundle), so it's only natural that the GOTY is cheaper than the SP.

Plus, the GOTY edition is released two years after the original game. At that point, the "hype" died down and it's a way to entice new players into buying this game : just make a bundle with all the content, for less, so that people can enjoy the full game without having to decide whether or not they want to buy the extra content.

Once a GOTY edition is released (just like Skyrim's Legendary Edition), there is no point to buy the base game anymore (apart from mod-related reasons).

[Orion1189]

Originally posted by Arkhtor:

The whole point of a GOTY edition is to regroup the base game and season pass, for cheaper (it's the point of a bundle), so it's only natural that the GOTY is cheaper than the SP.

Plus, the GOTY edition is released two years after the original game. At that point, the "hype" died down and it's a way to entice new players into buying this game : just make a bundle with all the content, for less, so that people can enjoy the full game without having to decide whether or not they want to buy the extra content.

Once a GOTY edition is released (just like Skyrim's Legendary Edition), there is no point to buy the base game anymore (apart from mod-related reasons).

Again, I think you are missing the point as well. It's a SALE. During a sale, it makes literally zero sense to offer the season pass for MORE money than the GOTY edition, which contains it and then some. I fully understand the point of a season pass, but you can BUY the GOTY edition INSTEAD of the season pass if you own the base game, and get the same content for less money. Thus making the season pass, and its sale price utterly pointless and stupid. Hence this thread topic.

[Orion1189]

At no point here am I questioning the reasoning behind releasing a GOTY edition of a game...

[Mringasa]

Because Bethesda isn't going to remove the Season Pass if people aren't smart enough to not purchase it before looking at the price of the GotY Edition. Extra money in their pocket.

Best choice, just don't buy it, and don't bother to question the logic. It only makes sense if you are looking at it from a perspective of "Maximum amount of cash for minimum amount of work".

Not saying that Bethesda is a greedy bunch, I think they simply follow the rules of economics, but Fallout 4 and Skyrim turned into some serious cash cows for them and they are simply prolonging that until the release of their next big open worlder.

[Orion1189]

So it's either garbage business practice or stupidity. Either way, it's worth mentioning to people. There is currently absolutely no reason anyone should buy the season pass at sale price. They may as well have just removed it from the store. In CDPR's defense, they did eventually start putting the TW3 pass on sale at a price that made sense for anyone who already owned the base game. It took them several sales to figure it out, but ultimately it's what should be expected of all games with a pass and a complete edition.

[Nish-Ki]

It's to make the GOTY more appealing, which in all honesty is still a Legendarily good deal considering the endless mod content that's been coming out, Far Habour, Nuka World and Mecha bois

[Orion1189]

But what's the point of making it more appealing to people who don't need it?

[Cggamer]

This commonly happens with Beth games, as well as Paradox. I'm sure it is simply a stupid business practice that has escaped the attention of someone who has both the desire and ability to fix it.
Due to it being a common practice, the effect it has on the customers is to discourage buying the game when it comes out. Beth essentially penalizes those who supported the game from launch in favor of trying to sell a few more copies.

Making the SP a few dollars cheaper than GOTY would not impact the sales figures significantly, but would send the proper message to Beth customers. Of course, there will always be those who don't care about cost, or who simply can't wait to get a game. But there are also a significant number of customers who simply don't buy until the GOTY comes out, for exactly that reason. I am in the latter group myself; I also tend not to buy Beth or Paradox games as much because I do not support these type of business practices.

[xybolt]

Originally posted by Orion1189:

This isn't exactly anything new, but why do publishers keep doing this? Sales come around, and complete editions of games end up cheaper than the season passes for them. The Witcher 3 had the same issue for the longest time, with the pass simply not going on sale at all. It just seems like a baffling oversight.

It is a matter of "target audience". They aim for those that does not have the game at all. By providing a GOTY version for cheap than only a season pass, people is being encouraged to purchase the full product instead of going for the base product only first. Those that went for the base product can purchase the season pass on a later moment. However, this brings in less cash on short term and uncertainty on long term because you don't know if they would purchase the season pass. Or some of the DLC's.

By just giving the "whole experience" as a GOTY with a higher discount than base game + season pass, people could be nudged to purchase the GOTY version. That is a quick win with an additional surplus (more cash than one purchase of a base game) on short term, and does not have that uncertainty that the DLC's/season pass gets purchased in the future.

Please be aware that the actual and relative prices are correct: GOTY > season pass > base game. But it is just so that GOTY is cheaper than season pass and base game together (even when not discounted).

[dogg]

Welcome to 21st century business :)

[Snine]

Originally posted by Orion1189:

Originally posted by SnowGodz:

Because you don't need the Season Pass if there's a full bundle. The season pass came earlier.

I think you are misunderstanding. The season pass is more expensive than the GOTY edition which contains all of the season pass content AND the base game. The season pass contains less content for more money, and essentially serves no purpose during a sale like this.

The season pass was released before the GOTY edition. The regular sale affects all DLC, the PROMOTION Sale affects the the base game and the bundle with the base game, also known as the GOTY Edition. You have the choice to buy either or, you don't need both.