oflaherty01
Member
Maybe I'm just thinking too plainly here, but isn't what he is talking about really just price fixing? Working together with competition to set a standard on pricing? Just a question.
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GameStop Worried Digital Games Are Too Cheap
- Thread starter Avallon
- Start date
In Service
Member
Comments such as those in the OP boil my piss.
Just give the retailers parity (lol) and let them set their own prices as they do with physical releases.
The underlying costs of physical/digital are closely guarded and I accept that digital delivery infrastructure does not come free but I cannot believe that the costs of digital outweigh the costs of physical.
Just give the retailers parity (lol) and let them set their own prices as they do with physical releases.
The underlying costs of physical/digital are closely guarded and I accept that digital delivery infrastructure does not come free but I cannot believe that the costs of digital outweigh the costs of physical.
While they do go on sale, they rarely if ever are comparable to disc sales. Even months after release. That's what I meant. So for them to argue that digital average is too low seems odd considering the physical average must be even lower due to even quicker and deeper sales. Then again retailers may be paying higher costs to Sony/MS than what they sell to us on sales, unlike digital. That said, why don't we see Amazon/Walmart/Dell and the rest also sell digital versions of everything they see physically?
I believe if broadband wasn't so poor in the US, Gamestop would have already folded. It's difficult for some to download a 50GB game. With pre-loading being available now, that's just another reason to more seriously consider an all digital future. I never sell back my games anyway, other than a period of weakness when I culled my PS2 collection (seller's remorse, vowed to not do that again), so the resell argument doesn't really apply to me.
I admit, I used to be a regular customer at Gamestop. The one I went to used to have some nice associates working there. I always got to know the managers and established a good relationship with them. But with the turn over and my cutting back on day 1 purchases, there's now an entire new crew working there who I don't know. Shame, other than NeoGAF, that was the only place I could go and talk about my hobby with others.
I admit, I used to be a regular customer at Gamestop. The one I went to used to have some nice associates working there. I always got to know the managers and established a good relationship with them. But with the turn over and my cutting back on day 1 purchases, there's now an entire new crew working there who I don't know. Shame, other than NeoGAF, that was the only place I could go and talk about my hobby with others.
I think you're looking at it wrong. Before i go further let me say I don't trade in games, nor am I defending gamestop, but i see this argument and i think people are missing something.
If you sold gamestop your halo for 30 bucks (and i think it's like 35 or 40 if you are a rewards member) and they sell it for 54.99, that means they only make 15-25 dollars on the game, since they paid 30-40 to get it from you. So, How is it wrong from them to aim to make the same amount, if not less, on the game that you did?
John Harker
Definitely doesn't make things up as he goes along.
See my post on the precious page (also, everyone)
That's not really GS' problem as they'll be long gone by then. However, the industry will have to deal with this issues in the next couple of decades.
XxRampage07xX
Member
I just hope that PS4 digital game would be as cheap as PC game on Steam 
TheSpaceBetween
Member
Gamestop only gives a fuck about themselves. The sooner they go under, the better.
Exactly. They're worried no one will buy from them if digital prices are low. And why should we? They've been ripping people off for years.
Exactly. They're worried no one will buy from them if digital prices are low. And why should we? They've been ripping people off for years.
I just hope that PS4 digital game would be as cheap as PC game on Steam
Won't happen until physical media becomes less popular with console players. I thought MS or Sony might go big this gen with $40 day 1 digital titles but no dice. The margins for digital (along with no resale) just makes it immensely more profitable. If there's one thing you can count on, it's that the big players will chase the profit. Steam is successful because the prices can fluctuate without any stakeholders getting mad.
zer0blivion
Member
Are physical games are too expensive?
No, digital games are too cheap.
No, digital games are too cheap.
$40 is a huge difference. Even if they matched what Amazon and others do and make it $52-53 day one, it would be an improvement. Particularly on first party or single player games that are trade in fodder, things like Infamous or Thief. Especially since more often than not to go digital you have to forego retailer specific pre-order bonuses.
adamsappel
Member
Once Gamestop's gone, I'll literally have no dedicated gaming shops near me.
Sad to think about
As much as I dislike Gamestop, having a chain of stores dedicated to our hobby is a good thing. We're not going to be able to rely on big box stores for anything but the big releases, and there is zero incentive for them to stock used accessories. Where else are you going to go for legacy peripherals? I guess we're all assuming if Gamestop went under, cool independent game stores that never hassle us about preordering would take their place, but I'm doubtful.
Maybe Gamestops could also become servers, essentially? Instead of buying a physical release from them, I could bring in a thumbdrive and get my digital copy downloaded there, instead of using my capped, throttled ISP data plan? That's worth a "convenience fee."
Crimson_Fate
Member
Some games I purchase day one and have no problem paying full price, others I'm not willing to pay full price for and I'd rather skip the game entirely if it means having to buy a cheaper physical copy when I want the digital copy. If I want a digital copy of a game and I see the new Physical copy $25 cheaper , I end up not purchasing the Digital or the Physical copy.
Amazon sells Physical and Digital PS4 games. Its pretty obvious that when Amazon can deliver a brand new AAA title to your door for $25 cheaper then its digital counterpart that Sony is price fixing the digital purchases.
I can understand Sony not wanting to undercut retailers but they should be able to match them in price at a minimum.
If sony wants to force overpriced digital Games on the market then fine . I'd rather they don't make any $$ from me on the physical purchase either. I usually just skip the game entirely or I pick up a used copy on ebay.
Amazon sells Physical and Digital PS4 games. Its pretty obvious that when Amazon can deliver a brand new AAA title to your door for $25 cheaper then its digital counterpart that Sony is price fixing the digital purchases.
I can understand Sony not wanting to undercut retailers but they should be able to match them in price at a minimum.
If sony wants to force overpriced digital Games on the market then fine . I'd rather they don't make any $$ from me on the physical purchase either. I usually just skip the game entirely or I pick up a used copy on ebay.
Ridiculous...we have the internet...why would we need those stores?
spookyfish
Member
Once Gamestop's gone, I'll literally have no dedicated gaming shops near me.
Sad to think about
Serious question: what can you get at GameStop that you can't get online at Amazon or even Best Buy? (Obviously the exclusives, but the sooner those go away, the better.)
Memorabilia
Member
This.
Although, my guess is that the average price of $22 takes into account all of the gamers who buy digital long after initial release when heavy discounts kick in. It makes sense. Middle class wages have fallen in the US over the past 35 years. People have less disposable income. So, of course, many gamers are going to seek out deals on games, especially digital which has zero resale value.
Personally, I wont spend more than $10 on a digital game mainly bc I have no way to sell, trade, or lend it. Unlike buying digital on Steam, I have no reassurances I'll have access to digital console games years down the road because successive consoles usually dont have backwards compatibility. And digital has no physical collectors value. So, most of my digital collection on 360 and PS3 are hits from yesteryear that went on sale, titles I never picked up or ones I'm willing to double-dip on to take advantage of the jukebox convenience for $5-$10 each. In contrast I'll usually spend about $25 on average for physical copies, with my personal upper limit of $40 for a lengthy RPG.
For my tastes most games just aren't worth anywhere close to $60. Annualized sports games with a few tweaks and a roster update are not worth more than $20-$25 to me. Ditto annualized series like COD which have extremely short single player campaigns and hit or miss multiplayer. I cant remember the last time I paid $60 for a game and I likely never will.
SmokedMeat
Gamer™
Older games that Best Buy would've pulled long ago. Amazon also can rock you on older items, depending on the seller.
DidntKnowJack
Member
Oh be quiet, Gamestop. Let the market decide. If digital games need to be cheaper because there's a perceived value that digital games should cost less by the consumers, then that's how it should be.
Memorabilia
Member
Thats exactly what he's talking about. Because we have a government that is essentially owned by corporations they haven't enforced the Sherman Anti-Trust act since Reagan was in office. Which is how entire industries get away with monopolies/duopolies and associated collusion to price fix. The fact that he just openly talks about price fixing like its no big deal only proves that US regulatory and enforcement has been a joke for so long that people like him dont even realize that what he's talking about is illegal.
Digital is an overall objective improvement. There are of course subjective concerns, but they are outweighed by the positives, and the market shift bears that out.
Delusibeta
Banned
Claims that digital distribution will result in a race to the bottom in terms of prices have been going since the inception of digital distribution. And in some cases, they may have a point (PC indie game bundles everywhere). However, in the context that GameStop's referring to (big retail games), it hasn't resulted in price falls. If anything, you can argue that DLC and microtransactions amount to a stealth price rise. Subsequently, there's more room to discount the base game. Ultimately it does strike me that this is GameStop QQing over losing business to cheaper rivals.
.
A big part of AAA/AAAA is focus group testing and mock reviewing which ensures the games target a very specific type of gamer. If you aren't part of that, there is very little in that space for you.
eg. I can enjoy AC:Unity graphics, but everything else about the game is Watch_Dogs level drek.
True to a very small extent. Ubi had 3 or 4 indie style games this year. Did EA? Activision? Blizzard? Capcom? Take2? Bethesda? etc.?
spookyfish
Member
Fair enough. It's true that an "enthusiast" store would be the only one to carry items like these.
Aces&Eights
Member
Just for clarification, does anyone have the pie chat of how the 60 bucks is split up between publisher, retailer, marketing, etc?
Northeastmonk
Gold Member
You can buy a digital Triple A game from a legit consumer or someone willing to sell their codes elsewhere for less than walking into the store. I pay full price on the console store or on the PC service I'm using, but a deal is a deal. Most games come out and you wonder if it's worth the asking costs. I also never seek out the most expensive online deal I can find.
He's worried that retailers are selling games cheaply while his own store sells Steam cards. Steam is only cheap after time goes by. You can wait and get that $60 for much less by just simply not buying it for a month.
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/entertainmentnewsbuzz/2010/02/anatomy-of-a-60-dollar-video-game.html
link from Kotaku: http://kotaku.com/5479698/what-your-60-really-buys
The games that don't do good are marked down. I remember working there and re-pricing games every other week. That's why you get a game with multiple stickers on the cover. I always pay directly. I pay the PC or console service their price and other times I'll use a coupon. The people showing it off and complaining about the game get it for free. Once a game is spoiled online; it's going to be rather difficult wanting to pay $60. I think it's a hard thing to understand and only a few people want to help the developers or the retail industry out by purchasing the game at $60. I just bought GTAV and AC:U for full price digitally and I got FC4 on a sale. I love the sales. It means I can buy more games. If I would of bought FC4 at full price then I wouldn't have that extra money to spend in 2015 on games.
Video Games are like buying a new car. Once you drive the car off the lot; it decreases in value. They need a calculator to show how much game prices decrease in days because I'm assuming time is the biggest problem. A new game is most certainly going to A. look better B. get a higher score and C. gain more interest.
I bought The Witcher 3 through GOG because they're connected to CD Projekt Red and they gave me a discount. That's an ideal situation for me. I can support the developers and receive a deal. The deals I think they're talking about is how some of us got Batman Arkham Knight already for $40 tops. It was with a coupon and a legit game seller (Greenmangaming). These guys wish a lot more people would walk into a GameStop or a retail store and pay $64.19 on a game every single time. I also doubt the heads of GameStop buy their groceries every week without a coupon either.
GameStop also sells and trades cell phones and tablets. You could sell a tablet and buy a $60 game with store credit. How is that beneficial? They're two separate industries being sold and traded side by side within one store?
He's worried that retailers are selling games cheaply while his own store sells Steam cards. Steam is only cheap after time goes by. You can wait and get that $60 for much less by just simply not buying it for a month.
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/entertainmentnewsbuzz/2010/02/anatomy-of-a-60-dollar-video-game.html
link from Kotaku: http://kotaku.com/5479698/what-your-60-really-buys
The games that don't do good are marked down. I remember working there and re-pricing games every other week. That's why you get a game with multiple stickers on the cover. I always pay directly. I pay the PC or console service their price and other times I'll use a coupon. The people showing it off and complaining about the game get it for free. Once a game is spoiled online; it's going to be rather difficult wanting to pay $60. I think it's a hard thing to understand and only a few people want to help the developers or the retail industry out by purchasing the game at $60. I just bought GTAV and AC:U for full price digitally and I got FC4 on a sale. I love the sales. It means I can buy more games. If I would of bought FC4 at full price then I wouldn't have that extra money to spend in 2015 on games.
Video Games are like buying a new car. Once you drive the car off the lot; it decreases in value. They need a calculator to show how much game prices decrease in days because I'm assuming time is the biggest problem. A new game is most certainly going to A. look better B. get a higher score and C. gain more interest.
I bought The Witcher 3 through GOG because they're connected to CD Projekt Red and they gave me a discount. That's an ideal situation for me. I can support the developers and receive a deal. The deals I think they're talking about is how some of us got Batman Arkham Knight already for $40 tops. It was with a coupon and a legit game seller (Greenmangaming). These guys wish a lot more people would walk into a GameStop or a retail store and pay $64.19 on a game every single time. I also doubt the heads of GameStop buy their groceries every week without a coupon either.
GameStop also sells and trades cell phones and tablets. You could sell a tablet and buy a $60 game with store credit. How is that beneficial? They're two separate industries being sold and traded side by side within one store?
hodayathink
Member
Most of the time, when that physical copy goes on sale within the first couple months, it actually makes stores the same amount of money as a $60 sale because of price protection (i.e. they get the difference in price back from I believe the publisher). The publisher wouldn't budge the digital price in that instance because it's not really a sale on their end.
Who has that mentality? Gamestop? Mouth breathing forum regulars?
In recent years, most consumers and video game enthusiast websites are rallying around smaller indie titles. While our desire to rally behind AAA titles has been crushed by bad publisher/developer practices (e.g. Battlefield 4 and Halo: MCC).
I think most even-keeled gamers know that there is a lot more out there than the titles that pop out at Gamestop or Walmart. We know that we have a lot more choices.
I was talking about retail and publishers. Yes the indie scene exists but it does so largely put of the hands of these two entities which are largely focused on AAA stuff and the existence of games that exist in between AAA and indie is getting increasingly rare.
Cave Johnson
Member
It's an issue that requires another thread for discussion. For a medium that is progressively escalating in development resources, the fixed priced model is clearly a broken system. The only natural way to combat this is to minimize resources and emphasize "value" on game design other than "graphics" and visual flair. This whole chasing the golden goose of graphics is the AAA's greatest weakness thus far, which resulted in IAP and freemium models. Neither of which contribute to push design in the medium forward. It hampers creativity and creates stagnation.