Are game prices getting too high?

[Tenderizer]

Over the last 6 months I haven't bought many games, however most of the games I have bought were either on sale or cheap indie games. Which makes me wonder why I would want to play $80 for Doom or $90 for Titanfall 2. These prices are ludicrously high while I have 306 hours on rust which cost me $20. I do understand that hours are not a fitting measure of entertainment from a game, but no 4 hours single-player campaign is worth $90.

What do you think, are the high prices of everything the reason everyone is so critical of modern triple A games, or why the sales are almost always so far below expected?

[Satoru]

When accounting for inflation games have never been cheaper in the entire history of gaming

[Gus the Crocodile]

Well, too high for who? I've no interest in paying more than about a dollar for Doom, but clearly other people feel differently. If companies weren't happy with how these prices were working out for them, they'd lower them.

[wowegoo]

The studios make the best sales of a new game in the 3 mouths next to launch. This put studios (or the game industry part that control this) at the situation of do this: First 3 mouths the higest price. Next launch of DLC. Finally a Complete Collection. All of this in the first year. A game that needs years to develop, have 1 year to try to make it positive in terms of money. This is not the final reason but is a good part of that problem. I don't pay 90€ for a game, sure.

[LowJack_VA1]

I've been purchasing PC games for more years than I can remember. Steam is a great place to collect them all. The prices here are the best, imho, but that is all driven by the publishers.

[Purple Tentacle]

Originally posted by Satoru:

When accounting for inflation games have never been cheaper in the entire history of gaming

this is true for some games but not for others, yes if a game releases and has no intention of adding DLC or expansion packs to the game that have clearly been cut from the game to be sold as extra then yes game prices haven't moved in decades at least in the US and the UK

however if your going to add on all DLC gameplay content then games are actually more expensive now then they were 20 years ago

this of course is only looking at AAA game prices, i've had just as much if not more enjoyment out of indie titles recently and this is looking at a game price at launch, ignoring the massive amount of sales we now get which will also bring the cost to the consumer down if they wait

[J4MESOX4D]

The prices these days are insanely cheap especially if you shop around. Considering inflation and how expensive it costs to produce and run some of these games nowadays; I think we've been rather fortunate even with the horrible season pass/DLC culture some games have.

I remember back in the 1990's paying over £40 for some PC games including the likes of Myst and Actua Soccer. Nowadays I can pick up newly released games form the likes of GMG and save 20-25% right off the bat. Also some games have deep discounts early on like Doom which was 40% off just weeks after releasing on Steam and Dishonored 2 which was 33% off soon after lauch.

Of course some cheaper entry priced games offer more than some more expensive AAA games but that is a completely different matter. In terms of you paying $20 for Rust; irrespective of your playtime; you've paid full price yet many users could get that much cheaper elsewhere so it sounds like perhaps you need to rethink your consumer shopping habits.

[cinedine]

Originally posted by Tenderizer:

I do understand that hours are not a fitting measure of entertainment from a game, but no 4 hours single-player campaign is worth $90.

Short campaign usually mean multiplayer focused games. Like Titanfall.
And where do you pay EUR 90 for a base game?! Limited Ultra Special Iconic Collector's Editions are not reflective of the pricing.

[Xpliciit]

I agree! I almost can't remember what I last purchased full price/brand new. Then again my bigger AAA games I have probably less than 200 hours in whereas Clicker Heroes is F2P I have 1500+ hours or Ark I have 434 hours in.

[Tenderizer]

Originally posted by cinedine:

Originally posted by Tenderizer:

I do understand that hours are not a fitting measure of entertainment from a game, but no 4 hours single-player campaign is worth $90.

Short campaign usually mean multiplayer focused games. Like Titanfall.
And where do you pay EUR 90 for a base game?! Limited Ultra Special Iconic Collector's Editions are not reflective of the pricing.

Does nobody understand the meaning of a dollar sign. Dollars are not Euros. Also multiplayer is usually best experienced by getting good at a few games, not dipping your toe into every game in existance and sucking at all of them.

[Discussions_Acc]

Originally posted by LowJack_VA1:

I've been purchasing PC games for more years than I can remember. Steam is a great place to collect them all. The prices here are the best, imho, but that is all driven by the publishers.

You're definitely not living in the EU then.
Steam is the single most expensive place to get games from. You're lucky if the price on Steam at least matches the price everywhere else.

[Narcoleptic Marshmallow]

Launch price for popular games used to be around $50-$60 twenty years ago. Some could go all the way up to $80+, without accounting for inflation. And it's worth nothing that sales were simply not a thing back then, so you had to pay full price for a game you wanted.

So no, games are not getting more expensive. My guess is children then paid no mind to the hardships their parents went through to buy games for them, and only now that they're adults with responsibilities do they realise money doesn't grow on trees.

[Gallifrey - CSSC Gaming Founder]

Firstly Steam has a huge collection of "Free to Play" games, some of which are absolutely top notch so you don't have to buy any games to get get great ones.

Contrary to the majority opinions here I think games have been going up in price certainly over the past four years. Release prices are higher, post release prices are dropping much slower, and to a lesser degree, and although sales percentages are as high or higher as they've ever been since the base costs are higher the prices are higher.

Titanfall 2 is Origin, the sales arm of E.A., and prices there are notoriously high. I own five times as many games on steam as I do on Origin and half of the Origin games were "on the house" (i.e. free give aways).

The rule on Steam is shop in sales and when prices have dropped from launch. Once you could get really good bargains from three years (or even less) after launch. Now I think you can add another couople of years onto that before prices seriously drop.

There are good deals - there are some good deals this weekend on the Lego franchise for example.

There are other places to shop than Steam too. GOG has Baldur's Gate 1 and 2 Enhanced editions for $5.00 US each this weekend.

Companies try to sell at the level that brings them the greatest profit although policies can shift according to short term or long term goals.

Bearing in mind the longevity of the best games they are still good value for your leisurre dollar - if you shop smart.


S.x.

[Quint the Alligator Snapper]

Originally posted by Tenderizer:

Over the last 6 months I haven't bought many games, however most of the games I have bought were either on sale or cheap indie games. Which makes me wonder why I would want to play $80 for Doom or $90 for Titanfall 2. These prices are ludicrously high while I have 306 hours on rust which cost me $20. I do understand that hours are not a fitting measure of entertainment from a game, but no 4 hours single-player campaign is worth $90.

What do you think, are the high prices of everything the reason everyone is so critical of modern triple A games, or why the sales are almost always so far below expected?

Are these USD? Because I'm pretty sure the standard full price for a AAA game in USD is $60, occasionally $50.

Overall, prices are certainly cheaper now in real USD terms than they were in the 1990s. Though relative to a few years ago, sales don't seem to be quite as deep typically (e.g. replacing -75% with -70%).

Originally posted by Narcoleptic Marshmallow:

Launch price for popular games used to be around $50-$60 twenty years ago. Some could go all the way up to $80+, without accounting for inflation. And it's worth nothing that sales were simply not a thing back then, so you had to pay full price for a game you wanted.

So no, games are not getting more expensive. My guess is children then paid no mind to the hardships their parents went through to buy games for them, and only now that they're adults with responsibilities do they realise money doesn't grow on trees.

I'd say it's today's children that are balking at game prices, while today's adults have gotten used to waiting for sales and probably also have a large enough library that they feel less inclined to pick something up immediately.

[cinedine]

Originally posted by Tenderizer:

Originally posted by cinedine:

Short campaign usually mean multiplayer focused games. Like Titanfall.
And where do you pay EUR 90 for a base game?! Limited Ultra Special Iconic Collector's Editions are not reflective of the pricing.

Does nobody understand the meaning of a dollar sign. Dollars are not Euros. Also multiplayer is usually best experienced by getting good at a few games, not dipping your toe into every game in existance and sucking at all of them.

Since USD and EUR are pretty much equal in terms of game pricing, who cares? Your answer has nothing to do with my question: where do you buy games that cost 90 bucks?! And why should a game that potentially offer thousands of hours of gameplay not be priced 90 bananas just because you opt to ignore the main attraction?

[Start_Running]

Originally posted by Purple Tentacle:

Originally posted by Satoru:

When accounting for inflation games have never been cheaper in the entire history of gaming

this is true for some games but not for others, yes if a game releases and has no intention of adding DLC or expansion packs to the game that have clearly been cut from the game to be sold as extra then yes game prices haven't moved in decades at least in the US and the UK

however if your going to add on all DLC gameplay content then games are actually more expensive now then they were 20 years ago

Actually No. Because you see. back in the old days you just wouldn't have gotten the extra content or that content would have been sold to you as a sequel. MOst of the content in any given franchise installment is content they ♥♥♥♥ from the previous installment due to time and budget constraints.

this of course is only looking at AAA game prices, i've had just as much if not more enjoyment out of indie titles recently and this is looking at a game price at launch, ignoring the massive amount of sales we now get which will also bring the cost to the consumer down if they wait

And yet indie titles are no less likely to layer on DLC.