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greenmedic88 on 02 August 2013
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Subie_Greg said:
Zappykins said:
Subie_Greg said:
Companies like Microsoft and Sony could easily make digital games more appealing by selling digital copies cheaper and offering more or better preorder bonus.

But we haven't seen that so far

Now they charge the same or more for many of the games found on XBL or PS Store. And the preorder bonus suck compared to what Gamestop or Best Buy offer.

Do you realize they can't sell digital items less than retail or the retail stores will simply stop carrying their items?

They have all digital items - like Xbox Live Arcade (cept for some titles.)  Where they are the only ones, or nearly the only ones selling them.

Its a business decision, not a mean/stingy thing.


So that means They have to charge 10 - 20 dollars more for a digital game? Can't count the number of times a game has been $30 on XBL or PS Store when it's $20 at Best Buy or Walmart

They don't have to, but it's one of the reasons why network services like PSN, XBL or Steam exist: so publishers don't have to deal with inventory, which includes having to dump inventory from time to time to make room for new product. 

Yes, everyone who picks up games at cut rate prices (myself included) reaps the benefits of inefficient inventory, or poor predictions on sales relative to production, but it's hardly an efficient system where one plays the waiting game for a game they want to go on sale or hit the clearance shelf. 

DD services do offer sales as well and I've reaped the benefits there too. Often when I want to pick up a game, it simply boils down to whether inventory is high and physical copies are being sold cheap, or if there's a good sale on PSN or Steam.

When it comes to Steam, I think I can just about count the number of games I've paid full retail price for on one hand, and that's with 130 or so titles in my catalog.