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Forums - Gaming Discussion - How do you feel about game prices?

FinalFantasyXIII on 15 April 2014
Shadow1980 said:
shikamaru317 said:

But there are so many games these days that have like 10-20 hours of content for $60, it's ridiculous.

Cost per hour of entertainment:

10-hour single-player game ($60 MSRP): $6/hour
20-hour single-player game ($60 MSRP): $3/hour
Typical music album: $10-15/hour
2-hour Movie, theatrical: $4.17/hour per person for one-time use assuming $8.35 average per ticket cost as per Box Office Mojo
2-hour Movie, Blu-ray: variable, $10/hour assuming $20 retail price)
TV Season, Blu-ray: variable (Game of Thrones Season 1 retails for $53 at Wal-mart and has a run time of 9.35 hours, so $53/9.35=$5.67 per hour)

So, even if a game only has single-player and takes the typical player 10 hours to beat, it's still no worse of a deal than any other form of entertainment. In fact, music is the most costly form of reusable entertainment if you actually buy your music. Going to the movie theatre can be even more costly depending on how many people you're paying for, to say nothing of the price of food & drinks (which is optional) and the fact that movie tickets are one-time use items. If you go the cheap seats, it's not so bad ($1 or $2 per ticket for the cheap seats here), but taking a family of four to a first-run theater costs $32 for tickets alone, assuming $8 a ticket (3D and IMAX cost even more). About the only thing that's as cheap as games is TV shows on home video.


Factor in 60$-70$ for a bad game, you only spend 1-2 hours or less with. Guess what, you wasted 7x-10x as much as going to see a movie. Then you have to drive somewhere to sell the bitch losing more time and gas etc. and get offered pennies on the dollar for it. Games depreciate more than all the media you listed imho on average. I don't have time to nit pick all the details.



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Farsala on 15 April 2014
Shadow1980 said:
shikamaru317 said:

But there are so many games these days that have like 10-20 hours of content for $60, it's ridiculous.

Cost per hour of entertainment:

10-hour single-player game ($60 MSRP): $6/hour
20-hour single-player game ($60 MSRP): $3/hour
Typical music album: $10-15/hour
2-hour Movie, theatrical: $4.17/hour per person for one-time use assuming $8.35 average per ticket cost as per Box Office Mojo
2-hour Movie, Blu-ray: variable, $10/hour assuming $20 retail price)
TV Season, Blu-ray: variable (Game of Thrones Season 1 retails for $53 at Wal-mart and has a run time of 9.35 hours, so $53/9.35=$5.67 per hour)

So, even if a game only has single-player and takes the typical player 10 hours to beat, it's still no worse of a deal than any other form of entertainment. In fact, music is the most costly form of reusable entertainment if you actually buy your music. Going to the movie theatre can be even more costly depending on how many people you're paying for, to say nothing of the price of food & drinks (which is optional) and the fact that movie tickets are one-time use items. If you go the cheap seats, it's not so bad ($1 or $2 per ticket for the cheap seats here), but taking a family of four to a first-run theater costs $32 for tickets alone, assuming $8 a ticket (3D and IMAX cost even more). About the only thing that's as cheap as games is TV shows on home video.

Bleh, I usually watch a movie from the movie cinema for 5$. But if we honestly go by $/ hour then WoW and LoL are the best game anyone can play for entertainment. (Especially LoL). Quick everyone play LoL!

 

OT: As I am extremely poor I rarely even buy games anymore. I Started LoL a year ago and have spent a total of $0.00. However if I had money $60 for next gen seems reasonable especially considering the inflation and assuming that the value of an 8th gen game is better then a 7th gen game. As for me 7th gen games tended to be worse and shorter at the same time then their counterparts from previous gens so I did not think it was very worth. I am hoping that not only are 8th gen games better but also retain the $60 price the entire gen.



menx64 on 15 April 2014

I do not care about paying full prices for games as long as the games are good.



Menx64

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wangjingwanjia on 15 April 2014

I only buy AAA-titles for "full" price. Games like Zelda and Uncharted I have no problem with, what so ever, to pay $60 for. But other games, for example new IPs or games that I don't know if they will be good or I know that they will just be mediocre/okay at best I would never pay $60 for.

For PC however I do buy more games at full price, because games for PC are cheaper already at launch. So it's less of a money-waste if I buy a game that I don't like.





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platformmaster918 on 15 April 2014

I buy games I truly have confidence in at full price or ones that have great preorder content. If they come out from September to November I'll wait till Black Friday or Christmas to buy them depending on deals because I can wait for those crazy drops (got Ratchet Nexus, KH HD, Puppteer, and Arkham Origins for half their original retails this past year).

I bought Infamous at full price this year and that'll probably be the only game. My birthday is September 18 so Destiny I won't pay for. Watch Dogs I'll wait till Black Friday. Batman I'll wait till Black Friday or Christmas. The Order is Christmas. Those are my most anticipated.

I'm buying LoU remastered at launch but I don't count that because I've made $60+ profit on the CE of the original release (sold steelbook version of game after announcement of remastered for $100 and art book for $40 when I got it cause I just wanted the steel case). Also I haven't bought Left Behind so I'm saving $15 there as well.




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Pemalite on 15 April 2014

I never buy games at full price as I never have to, the advantages of being a PC gamer, games by default are cheaper.
AND if you are buying a game without some sort of discount, then you really are doing it wrong.



--::{PC Gaming Master Race}::--

m0ney on 15 April 2014
Scisca said:
I can't stand Americans, Canadians, the British, etc. complaining about the prices of games. When you take a look at how much you earn in comparison to these prices, you almost get the games for free. Wonder what you'd say if you had to pay for a game the same % of your monthly earnings as people in poorer countries have to pay. $200-300 for a game anyone? I'd gladly pay $60 for a game if I earned as much as you do.

I can't say that I can't stand their whining, but it would be funny if they had to start living here in the eastern europe with the same income as 90% of population gets here. I bet suddenly hardware jailbraking and piracy wouldn't seem so wrong of an option to them anymore, when a full price game would cost 10 to 20 percent of their monthly salary.



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Griffin on 15 April 2014

Most games are not even worth the time to play them. I just don't see how anyone can pay out money for basically the same game over and over again.



adriane23 on 15 April 2014

 

Actually, considering the prices from previous generations, the price of new games is more reasonable than they've ever been. Digital game prices are too high though. Even on Steam for big games.



I am the Playstation Avenger.

   

SvennoJ on 15 April 2014
coasterlove said:
Awesome. This really sums up how I feel. That being said, I think games prices are fine and more than fair as long as the games are good. I'm 35 and I remember paying (my parents anyway) $40-50 for NES games and later up to $60 or $65 for SNES games. Considering that it's over 20 years later and we're still paying the same price when inflation has basically raised the price of everything around us, I think the price is a deal in that sense. When you also factor the price of making a game compared to 20 years ago, it makes me sad for developers and publishers that so many good games don't sell that well. Also upsetting that some games sell ten or twenty times what a similar or even better game may sell just because they're not a known franchise.

Not really. PCs have gone down in price, TVs as well, blu-ray players are far cheaper now than VHS players were. Nowadays I pay less for movies than 20 years ago. Laserdiscs cost me 70 guilders, about $32, that's before inflation. New blu-ray releases are $20 to $25. Music and books, cheaper or the same, mostly thanks to digital distribution and online shopping. When it comes to entertainement it's really only movie tickets that have gone up.

Games would sell better at lower price points. I know I would buy more. Now I'm content with steam sales and what ps+ throws my way. Not that I can't afford it but for a lot of games I don't feel the value is there.