| Dodece said: I think others are misunderstanding me. Yes there is a precedent for developers doing a dubious relaunch of games in less then a years time. However that doesn't mean Sony is connected to that precedent. Anymore then anyone of us being a serial rapist, because our neighbor down the street is one. The effect I am speaking of isn't really connected to the game. The effect is one of public perception. The companies that do this nonsense relaunching games in less then a year often get ridiculed. Gamers have a negative impression of their conduct, and often enough steer clear of early adoption. In the end they are right to do so. Why pay more for less. We read this every day on these forums. Users saying I will wait till later in the year when I can get the game of the year edition with all the extra content at the same price, or I could buy the original used or heavily discounted. Nobody can afford consumers steering clear of their products, because they are going to get the shaft in less then a year especially when games that are new cost so much. It is simple math pay thirty or sixty dollars in nine months, or pay a hundred dollars up front for the game and its expansions. When the money is tight the smart player waits. Sony simply cannot take this value hit. They are having a hard enough time selling their high end titles without having another thing adding to consumer reluctance. Oh and I did think about this a lot. I decided it is best to explain my logic rather then take it for granted that others would implicitly understand the why. |
I don't recall Infinity Ward or Valve or any developer catching flak for these "dubious" relaunches. By the fall, KZ2 would have been out for 8 months and had at least 3 DLC packs released for it. Why not bundle these into the disc to make it more attractive to potential new customers? I know you're going to come back and argue that it will turn off and upset the consumers who already purchased the game but thats how it works. As gamers we should all know that being an early adopter comes with a price. Go to amazon.com, pull up some of the top titles from last year's holiday, and check out the prices. Far Cry 2, Dead Space, Fable 2, Mirror's Edge, Prince of Persia, Saints Row 2,.....all these games have had price cuts of over 50%. When the inevitable sequels for these games come out do you think there'll be a backlash? Hell no. That's just how this industry works. You can even look at games that were released earlier this year like Godfather II, F.E.A.R. 2, and Bionic Commando and see that they've dropped in price as well.
If anything, Sony's first party games hold their value longer than most other publishers'. Ratchet & Clank JUST got a price drop this summer and Uncharted is still full price after nearly 2 years.
