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?

[Gallifrey - CSSC Gaming Founder]

There's also the issue of what you're getting for your money.

The worth of a fully inclusive AAA blockbuster, well tested at launch, is more than a game with microtransactions (and tweaked to encourage purchase), launch day DLC which includes core elements of the game, part of the game hived off as DLC, and sold with serious glitches.

More than what is beginning to be an above average rate of inflation's inevitable upward climb of prices what is hurting the reputation of gaming is that publishers aren't focussing on giving their new releases a "wow" factor but are far more focussed on exploiting luckless purchasers for post purchase payments. Gaming and gamers are suffering as a result.

S.x.

[cinedine]

gallifrey eredeti hozzászólása:

but are far more focussed on exploiting luckless purchasers for post purchase payments. Gaming and gamers are suffering as a result.

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥.
Games are far more expensive to make than before. All those fancy graphics, tv-star voice actors, 7.1 surround sound, ... all comes with a hefty price tag. That's why games are considered a commerical failure even though they sell millions and millions of units.

All those aside monetization helps with acutally making the game profitable and further fund development to keep players engaged.

If you take a retail price of EUR 60 on Steam, that includes around 20% VAT and around 30% cut. That's what the publisher gets. And from that money you have to further deduct licencing costs e.g. for the engine.
The raw profit is somewhere close to 30-50%. You can do the maths at how many units need to be sold at full price to break even yourself.

[Pre55ure]

cinedine eredeti hozzászólása:

gallifrey eredeti hozzászólása:

but are far more focussed on exploiting luckless purchasers for post purchase payments. Gaming and gamers are suffering as a result.

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥.
Games are far more expensive to make than before. All those fancy graphics, tv-star voice actors, 7.1 surround sound, ... all comes with a hefty price tag. That's why games are considered a commerical failure even though they sell millions and millions of units.

All those aside monetization helps with acutally making the game profitable and further fund development to keep players engaged.

If you take a retail price of EUR 60 on Steam, that includes around 20% VAT and around 30% cut. That's what the publisher gets. And from that money you have to further deduct licencing costs e.g. for the engine.
The raw profit is somewhere close to 30-50%. You can do the maths at how many units need to be sold at full price to break even yourself.

the technology to create evolves/advances with the advances that go into the games. things dont get harder, they become easier.

i remember when music samplers only allowed you 7 seconds recording time

[Tito Shivan]

siNix eredeti hozzászólása:

the technology to create evolves/advances with the advances that go into the games. things dont get harder, they become easier.

Not really, we wouldn't see so many games with performance issues if both things were hand in hand, for example.
Tools don't make the mechanic.

[☕ Grüntherspöth 🍟]

On the other hand, in the 80's - 90's it was much easier to create a game that didnt look like another one... Now we all have much more point of comparisson, and the feeling of "deja vu" is more and more common... that and game played

As you grow up, average perso, gets a job, thus more money, so more game/month

Sorry to take my example, but I started playin in 1987 with Mario/Duck hunt... when I was 12 (5 years later... for Math afficionados) I played to maybe 20 games...

This is almost what I play in a month now...

Things are different, some are easier, some are harder... But one thing is definitely sure: of course we all would appreciate to pay less, but let's be honnest It's not too expensive

[J4MESOX4D]

siNix eredeti hozzászólása:

cinedine eredeti hozzászólása:

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥.
Games are far more expensive to make than before. All those fancy graphics, tv-star voice actors, 7.1 surround sound, ... all comes with a hefty price tag. That's why games are considered a commerical failure even though they sell millions and millions of units.

All those aside monetization helps with acutally making the game profitable and further fund development to keep players engaged.

If you take a retail price of EUR 60 on Steam, that includes around 20% VAT and around 30% cut. That's what the publisher gets. And from that money you have to further deduct licencing costs e.g. for the engine.
The raw profit is somewhere close to 30-50%. You can do the maths at how many units need to be sold at full price to break even yourself.

the technology to create evolves/advances with the advances that go into the games. things dont get harder, they become easier.

i remember when music samplers only allowed you 7 seconds recording time

Technology may make producing some titles easier but that doesn't mean it isn't cheaper. Some games have over 1,000 staff working on some games and half of those could easily be full time staff on full time contracts. It's only easy if you have qualified people though and they aren't exactly cheap. A lot of internal developements might be outsourced too. A game may cost $50m before it's even been released and then companies have to claw back their expense, try and make profits and still pay overheads going forward.

I remember games back in the day where they were made by 30 people in one building and now some titles go through multiple countries, in-house studios and outsource teams to just get products to market. I'm willing to bet Lewis Hamilton was paid more for appearing in Infinite Warfare than it cost Activision to comission and produce the original Call of Duty.

Then there's also software licencing to consider..

[Pre55ure]

Tito Shivan eredeti hozzászólása:

siNix eredeti hozzászólása:

the technology to create evolves/advances with the advances that go into the games. things dont get harder, they become easier.

Not really, we wouldn't see so many games with performance issues if both things were hand in hand, for example.
Tools don't make the mechanic.

but you did have to say ( NOT REALLY ) -------

it doesnt get harder thats for sure ! it gets easier - new formats make things difficult...... then , gets easier, always !
we wouldnt see games with performance issues if steam wasnt dedicated to early access.

mechanics deal in hardware, software is a different universe

[xMini]

Satoru eredeti hozzászólása:

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

[Start_Running]

Are games getting expensive?
Not really, and again as for day one dlc.. it's actually the best time in a game's lifetime to push dlc. Your best chance for purchgase is when a player's interest in the game is at its highest. Again it's a case of decisions and patterns being developed around observed consumer behaviour.

[cinedine]

siNix eredeti hozzászólása:

Tito Shivan eredeti hozzászólása:

Not really, we wouldn't see so many games with performance issues if both things were hand in hand, for example.
Tools don't make the mechanic.

but you did have to say ( NOT REALLY ) -------

it doesnt get harder thats for sure ! it gets easier - new formats make things difficult...... then , gets easier, always !
we wouldnt see games with performance issues if steam wasnt dedicated to early access.

mechanics deal in hardware, software is a different universe

Things getting easier doesn't mean things get cheaper. As a matter of fact lots of performance improvements mean use of proprietary solutions - like Autodesk's Scaleform for UI development. It even comes with connectors to Adobe's Creative Suit (Photoshop and stuff). All come with hefty licensing costs.

Also performance issues are by no means limited to Early Access. Batman Arkham Knight? Dishonored 2?

[Start_Running]

siNix eredeti hozzászólása:

the technology to create evolves/advances with the advances that go into the games. things dont get harder, they become easier.

i remember when music samplers only allowed you 7 seconds recording time

Quite the opposite. If what you're trying to do remains the same, then yes, they would, but with advancing tech you are asked to do more and more complicated matters with it.

Back when you could only have seven seconds. No one excpect orchestral sound tracks.

[Tito Shivan]

siNix eredeti hozzászólása:

mechanics deal in hardware, software is a different universe

And IDEs, libraries and game engines don't do games, developers do.
Again, the tool doesn't make the developer.

[Start_Running]

Tito Shivan eredeti hozzászólása:

siNix eredeti hozzászólása:

mechanics deal in hardware, software is a different universe

And IDEs, libraries and game engines don't do games, developers do.
Again, the tool doesn't make the developer.

And of course developers need to be trained. IDE's have become more complex and multi facet so the skills to use them have become increasingly specialized.

[Gallifrey - CSSC Gaming Founder]

cinedine eredeti hozzászólása:

gallifrey eredeti hozzászólása:

but are far more focussed on exploiting luckless purchasers for post purchase payments. Gaming and gamers are suffering as a result.

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥.
Games are far more expensive to make than before. All those fancy graphics, tv-star voice actors, 7.1 surround sound, ... all comes with a hefty price tag. That's why games are considered a commerical failure even though they sell millions and millions of units.

All those aside monetization helps with acutally making the game profitable and further fund development to keep players engaged.

If you take a retail price of EUR 60 on Steam, that includes around 20% VAT and around 30% cut. That's what the publisher gets. And from that money you have to further deduct licencing costs e.g. for the engine.
The raw profit is somewhere close to 30-50%. You can do the maths at how many units need to be sold at full price to break even yourself.

Let me think -

1) Deus Ex - Mankind Divided - microtrasactions in AAA games.
2) Civ V - key games concepts from earlier versions withheld as DLC
3) Just Cause 3 - multiple problems - see reviews.
4) Mass Effect Andromeda - severe graphics problems at launch.

As I said too much effort into leeching the purchaser, not enough care in the final product.

S.x.

[Tux]

gallifrey eredeti hozzászólása:

cinedine eredeti hozzászólása:

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥.
Games are far more expensive to make than before. All those fancy graphics, tv-star voice actors, 7.1 surround sound, ... all comes with a hefty price tag. That's why games are considered a commerical failure even though they sell millions and millions of units.

All those aside monetization helps with acutally making the game profitable and further fund development to keep players engaged.

If you take a retail price of EUR 60 on Steam, that includes around 20% VAT and around 30% cut. That's what the publisher gets. And from that money you have to further deduct licencing costs e.g. for the engine.
The raw profit is somewhere close to 30-50%. You can do the maths at how many units need to be sold at full price to break even yourself.

Let me think -

1) Deus Ex - Mankind Divided - microtrasactions in AAA games.
2) Civ V - key games concepts from earlier versions withheld as DLC
3) Just Cause 3 - multiple problems - see reviews.
4) Mass Effect Andromeda - severe graphics problems at launch.

As I said too much effort into leeching the purchaser, not enough care in the final product.

S.x.

wait arent you the same one who said Mass Effect Andromeda is one of the more exciting things happening in the industry right now?