Will video game prices go up again this coming generation?

I'm talking about the Wii U/PS 4/Next X Box generation. Will the $70 game become standard?

I certainly hope not, but I can't say it won't happen. Publishers have been employing a variety of methods to try to get more than the standard $60 per game so it wouldn't surprise me if they end up simply selling it for $70 at retail. There is the question of how consumers will react to the price.

I think we may be nearing the breaking point. There's a good amount of pressure from games that ask for less up-front, which may get prices for other games back down. Alternatively, it may gobble up the cheaper games and end up pushing the more expensive games to be even more expensive.

At this point, I'm not sure what the future would hold. I want to see what everybody's opinion on the matter is.

Oh hey, Meophist, long time, no see.

Anyways, I kinda expect them to for the AAA games, given the walking price gouge that is Mass Effect 3, but at the same time, I can see Free-To-Play games growing in popularity.

I don't know if there will be a middle ground. Granted, I'm mostly speaking from a PC gaming perspective.

With Nintendo's upcoming plan for simultaneous retail/digital releases, I don't think game prices (or at least their game prices) will jump up to more than $60. Digital prices will likely be slightly lower than retail, so retail will need to stay competitive.

Nintendo's digital prices have been confirmed to be identical to their physical ones - any lower prices will come from retail.

In any event, I'd like to think that the major companies can tell that consumers have limits.

edited 1st May '12 9:59:08 PM by burnpsy

Given that companies have other avenues for revenue, like dlc and collector's editions, I think prices will stay constant for now.

Doubtful. A lot of publishers and designers actually want the price tag to either stay the same or even be lowered as a means of attracting more purchases. The only ones asking for a price tag increase are probably the shareholders, or the few game designers who require larger price tags due to extra perhiperals/equipment.

Something that would be interesting is adopting the Japanese game pricing model, in which each individual game is priced differently by the publisher. It would likely help in finding that ideal price point for games.

Meh, I'm a PC gamer and PC games will never go over $40.

^Well, they kinda have, but the only examples I can think of are AAA-budget games already on consoles, so yeah.

They better not go up, since so many people are already on the edge of financial ruin. If games get any more expensive, people will wait for the prices to go down, leading to more used games sales, which all of the companies love.

There's also the fact that pieces that are already in the game are being sold as DLC instead. Do publishers really want to foster any more bad blood?

If someone is on the edge of poverty, they should probably prioritize other purchases before video games.

Yeah, I've never understood that argument.

"But what if I can't afford them?"

Then you shouldn't be getting leisure items in the first place.

Man cannot live by bread alone.

Fair, but there are a plethora of cheaper options than retail games.

Something I would like to note: I've been seeing a number of rumours that the upcoming X Box system as well as the PS 4 may block used games. There is now technology that can be used in upcoming consoles where they may make you scan a chip that comes with the game with the console before playing it which locks the game with the console. This can make it so that the game cannot be played except on that specific console and can be done without connecting online. I don't know if they'll implement something like this, but if they're serious about blocking used game sales and the rumours are true...

In any case, what I'm saying is that it may become impossible for consumers to retaliate by buying used more often. This is assuming all three major console manufacturers go through with this, which I find unlikely.

I highly doubt Nintendo will do it. And since Nintendo won't do it, people who don't want to deal with that have the additional option of going to Wii U if Nintendo gets a good library together off the bat, which they're saying they intend to do. If that's what ends up happening, then chances are the generation gets called in favour of Nintendo unless Nintendo lacks really big games.

I don't know about Microsoft, but I'd like to think Sony isn't that stupid. And if Sony doesn't do it, Microsoft would be shooting themselves in the leg by doing it. Unless both announce simultaneously that they're doing that, neither will for that very reason.

It's like a game of chicken.

edited 2nd May '12 1:08:28 AM by burnpsy

I think I've brought this up before, but locking out used games doesn't really affect me personally, as I don't think I've bought used for several years.

That said, I don't think we'll see used game lock outs at any point in this coming generation.

I only buy used for out-of-print titles, and I go after a lot of those.

Americans have some of the cheapest video game prices in the world, so stop complaining.

Cheapest, but still expensive.

TBQH, the prices need to go down everywhere. At least the Australian government is calling out a portion of the market (the download market) on their pricing.

Retail is still 100 freaking dollars for a 1st Party or Triple A title here...

I highly doubt game prices will go up. It's not like in the days of the SNES where a new game was about $59.95... Those were the days you pretty much got games for birthdays/holidays/good report cards...

Wait, games for grades?

Man, I never got anything for all A's beyond "Good job"

Lucky for you. All I ever got for 'A's was "Why wasn't it an A+?"

And my parents wonder why I dwell on the negative so much.

To be honest, I never really was a straight A student. I bought the "Good Report Card" up as an example. One game I remember I got for having some good enough grades I was so excited for, the day I got it... It's a bit embarrassing to be honest. (And kinda gross, I bet you guys wouldn't want to hear it...)