OT: I totally read that in Alucard's voice.  

Yes.

I've bought NES games that could be beaten within an hour. When I bought Starfox 64, though it had replayability, it was easily beaten in the very first sitting. The games we get today are superior in almost every way. So what if mobile gaming can give you a half ass experience for a dollar or even free? So what if there are developers willing to give their wares away at a very low cost? McDonald's has a dollar menu. Does that suddenly mean that paying more than a dollar for something of a higher quality is now unacceptable?

If you compare the prices of games today to other times in gaming history you'll find that they're comparatively cheap (adjusting for inflation of course). Maybe they still are too expensive though considering the shit economy, but next gen I think we'll see all 3 next gen consoles move towards DD, which may or may not change the AAA game price of $60/£40 etc. but it'll definitely mean more frequent sales, not as crazy as steam sales probably, but still a lot of hefty discounts.

There are a few countries where games are just ridiculously overpriced like Austrailia, but I have no idea what can be done about that, I'm not even sure why they're so expensive, anyone know? is it because the market is so small?

High-quality and fun games are I think, but a majority aren't. Personally I have stopped paying full price for a lot of games unless I know they're from a dev I either really like or trust. i.e Square-Enix / Naughty Dog. Games are far too short, and filled with too many problems to be worth $65 after taxes.

Haha...well he is a man of few words. He would have kept that paragraph to 1 sentence. 

In Aus new releases are generally between 70-$100, that's why for the past year or so I have only bought older games under $30, with the exception of a couple of big release titles, this way I get the best value for money and enables me to grow my game collection.

Are games worth full price? Rarely, many games that don't offer longevity (30+ hours) or replayability and an enjoyable experience aren't worth it. There is a lot of good games out there but few are really worth the current prices.

If they need to charge 60 bucks in the US to make profits and keep studios open and the industry alive, so be it but I think they should experiment with different pricing models for AAA games to establish what the best price to charge is to make the most sales and profit.

One guy (whom I respect a lot) said they aren't worth it because they lose their value pretty quickly after purchase. Try reselling a movie ticket, lunch, clothing, a car, a DVD, or any number of things and see how much value they retain.

Interesting read if not all that enlightening. The problem isn't the manufacturers or the developers for that matter. It is the consumers for not being discerning purchasers. There are developers who ensure that their games are worth every cent asked if not more. Then there are developers that put out games that aren't even worth a tenth of the asking price. What exacerbates the whole phenomena is when it comes to gaming there are ten fucking morons, or ridiculous tight asses for every genuinely informed hobbyist.

To put it mildly the market is responding to the thoughtless majority. It is the job of the market to satisfy the vast majority of consumers. If people want to pay for crap with gold then well a fool and his money are soon parted. If a otherwise intelligent person wants to undermine real craftsmanship by being the holding out type. Then they shouldn't bitch as they run the standards into the ground.

The only real answer to these problems is to try shaming our fellow consumers into putting a little thought into what they are doing. For my part I pay what a game is worth. If a game is worth twenty bucks then I will only buy that game when it is twenty bucks. If a game is worth more then the upfront retail price. I don't try to play with the system. I pay the asking price. Once consumers mature, and start playing it straight. The games market will self regulate its pricing accordingly.

Developers will start selling their games at fair value, and will maintain those prices, but the haggling game we got right now will not stop. Until people stop playing into that mindset. Hell if we stop playing the trade in games that seem to preoccupy so many we might start thinking about building rational libraries.

I am fine with their current price, which, let's be honest, is historically low for videogames right now (adjusting for inflation).

I think there should be more flexibility with prices though, it seems too many games stick to the "common" price, its kind of a cartel really. I like what they do in Japan, games have a wide range of prices.

$70 in 1996 USD is approximately seven hundred thousand USD today.

They're worth it for me when I buy them and am satisfied; Vanquish was worth it. Mass Effect was worth it. Skyward Sword was worth it. Castlevania was worth it.

They're worth it when I say they are, and when I'm happy; there is no other criteria worth considering.