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Looking at various pages of online shops etc and going into Game and EB i noticed that gaming has become and extremely expensive hobby, for one reason or another. The vast commericialisation of the industry has taken over the original love for video games. Prices for gamers to stay up to date and the target gaming range (teens) cannot afford to constantly keep up. For example. 3 consoles, each great in one sense or another, all coming out within 2 years (roughly) and depending how up to date you are, by May 3rd you could have spent £764 on the hardware alone. Add on to that software (2 titles per console x 3 consoles x £40 per game) which costs £240 roughly plus any peripherals you buy (1 extra controller for each console x £20 plus £30 for memory cards etc) costing around £90 in all you could spend £1094 on gaming alone. Now that is a heck of a lot of money.
Now obviously not everyone is going to buy every console. Not everyone will buy 2 games, and not everyone will get an extra controller. But for those gameaholics who do, it's a serious issue to consider. What else could you get for that sort of money? The list is endless. And it would appear Nintendo has the only console which doesn't (apparently_ cash in on the true gamer, with the console at just over half launch price of the other rival Xbox. Even GC accessories are much cheaper, although the GC does not play DVD's
After buying all your consoles, you must have some software which is neccessary for your console to be worth the amount you payed for it. And the software policy? Its actually quite unfair. Only renting would appear to be the safe option. With games costing £40 - £50 and trade in prices as low as £5 buying software has now become risky, so we rely on gaming websites and magazines, whic incidentally cost up to £5. The costs go even higher! And then, if that game you saved for 3 weeks turns out to be short / rubbish, and you try and trade it, and get half what you payed, what do you do? Keep it? Sell it at a car boot for even less? So it's not only hardware being more expensive.
And furthermore, the peripherals. Some neccessary, some not, yet they still cost a reasonable amount of money. For example, you have the PS2 Memory card ... £29.99! And the GC one is only £14.99! Fair enough the PS2 one has double the capacity, but people want to buy in small units, not excessive ones. And controllers. Every console you buy comes with one, but what about that new multiplayer you bought at the weekend. Up to £30 a controller makes it expensive to have fun with your mates.
And finally, the places where they sell this gear. Now I think the 2 main place which sell games are EB and Game. Ironically, EB owns Game, so they have a huge dominance over the market. So when independent retailers try to sell their games, the giant comes along and with their huge dominance slashes their price. Independents go out of business and EB can continue with sky-high prices. Easy.
So in summary, gaming has become too COMMERICIALISED and too EXPENSIVE! What do you think?
Now obviously not everyone is going to buy every console. Not everyone will buy 2 games, and not everyone will get an extra controller. But for those gameaholics who do, it's a serious issue to consider. What else could you get for that sort of money? The list is endless. And it would appear Nintendo has the only console which doesn't (apparently_ cash in on the true gamer, with the console at just over half launch price of the other rival Xbox. Even GC accessories are much cheaper, although the GC does not play DVD's
After buying all your consoles, you must have some software which is neccessary for your console to be worth the amount you payed for it. And the software policy? Its actually quite unfair. Only renting would appear to be the safe option. With games costing £40 - £50 and trade in prices as low as £5 buying software has now become risky, so we rely on gaming websites and magazines, whic incidentally cost up to £5. The costs go even higher! And then, if that game you saved for 3 weeks turns out to be short / rubbish, and you try and trade it, and get half what you payed, what do you do? Keep it? Sell it at a car boot for even less? So it's not only hardware being more expensive.
And furthermore, the peripherals. Some neccessary, some not, yet they still cost a reasonable amount of money. For example, you have the PS2 Memory card ... £29.99! And the GC one is only £14.99! Fair enough the PS2 one has double the capacity, but people want to buy in small units, not excessive ones. And controllers. Every console you buy comes with one, but what about that new multiplayer you bought at the weekend. Up to £30 a controller makes it expensive to have fun with your mates.
And finally, the places where they sell this gear. Now I think the 2 main place which sell games are EB and Game. Ironically, EB owns Game, so they have a huge dominance over the market. So when independent retailers try to sell their games, the giant comes along and with their huge dominance slashes their price. Independents go out of business and EB can continue with sky-high prices. Easy.
So in summary, gaming has become too COMMERICIALISED and too EXPENSIVE! What do you think?
It's a good point. I can't think of any system since the Spectrum where I've been able to afford to own any more than a handful of games at a time. It's no wonder that as a kid I used to go down the market and get pirated Atari ST games instead of saving up for one disappointing title. But even then I'd buy the proper versions of the games that were worthwhile: Sensible Soccer, Populous and so on.
Gamers 'game'. They have more interesting things to do with a console other than watch DVD's.
That's y the Gamecube dosen't need a DVD player.
If ya wanna watch DVD's and you don't already have a DVD player in your PC, Laptop or a stand alone one then get a 'multimedia system'.
If your a gamer get a gamecube!
That's y the Gamecube dosen't need a DVD player.
If ya wanna watch DVD's and you don't already have a DVD player in your PC, Laptop or a stand alone one then get a 'multimedia system'.
If your a gamer get a gamecube!
Looking at various pages of online shops etc and going into Game and EB i noticed that gaming has become and extremely expensive hobby, for one reason or another. The vast commericialisation of the industry has taken over the original love for video games. Prices for gamers to stay up to date and the target gaming range (teens) cannot afford to constantly keep up. For example. 3 consoles, each great in one sense or another, all coming out within 2 years (roughly) and depending how up to date you are, by May 3rd you could have spent £764 on the hardware alone. Add on to that software (2 titles per console x 3 consoles x £40 per game) which costs £240 roughly plus any peripherals you buy (1 extra controller for each console x £20 plus £30 for memory cards etc) costing around £90 in all you could spend £1094 on gaming alone. Now that is a heck of a lot of money.
Now obviously not everyone is going to buy every console. Not everyone will buy 2 games, and not everyone will get an extra controller. But for those gameaholics who do, it's a serious issue to consider. What else could you get for that sort of money? The list is endless. And it would appear Nintendo has the only console which doesn't (apparently_ cash in on the true gamer, with the console at just over half launch price of the other rival Xbox. Even GC accessories are much cheaper, although the GC does not play DVD's
After buying all your consoles, you must have some software which is neccessary for your console to be worth the amount you payed for it. And the software policy? Its actually quite unfair. Only renting would appear to be the safe option. With games costing £40 - £50 and trade in prices as low as £5 buying software has now become risky, so we rely on gaming websites and magazines, whic incidentally cost up to £5. The costs go even higher! And then, if that game you saved for 3 weeks turns out to be short / rubbish, and you try and trade it, and get half what you payed, what do you do? Keep it? Sell it at a car boot for even less? So it's not only hardware being more expensive.
And furthermore, the peripherals. Some neccessary, some not, yet they still cost a reasonable amount of money. For example, you have the PS2 Memory card ... £29.99! And the GC one is only £14.99! Fair enough the PS2 one has double the capacity, but people want to buy in small units, not excessive ones. And controllers. Every console you buy comes with one, but what about that new multiplayer you bought at the weekend. Up to £30 a controller makes it expensive to have fun with your mates.
And finally, the places where they sell this gear. Now I think the 2 main place which sell games are EB and Game. Ironically, EB owns Game, so they have a huge dominance over the market. So when independent retailers try to sell their games, the giant comes along and with their huge dominance slashes their price. Independents go out of business and EB can continue with sky-high prices. Easy.
So in summary, gaming has become too COMMERICIALISED and too EXPENSIVE! What do you think?
Now obviously not everyone is going to buy every console. Not everyone will buy 2 games, and not everyone will get an extra controller. But for those gameaholics who do, it's a serious issue to consider. What else could you get for that sort of money? The list is endless. And it would appear Nintendo has the only console which doesn't (apparently_ cash in on the true gamer, with the console at just over half launch price of the other rival Xbox. Even GC accessories are much cheaper, although the GC does not play DVD's
After buying all your consoles, you must have some software which is neccessary for your console to be worth the amount you payed for it. And the software policy? Its actually quite unfair. Only renting would appear to be the safe option. With games costing £40 - £50 and trade in prices as low as £5 buying software has now become risky, so we rely on gaming websites and magazines, whic incidentally cost up to £5. The costs go even higher! And then, if that game you saved for 3 weeks turns out to be short / rubbish, and you try and trade it, and get half what you payed, what do you do? Keep it? Sell it at a car boot for even less? So it's not only hardware being more expensive.
And furthermore, the peripherals. Some neccessary, some not, yet they still cost a reasonable amount of money. For example, you have the PS2 Memory card ... £29.99! And the GC one is only £14.99! Fair enough the PS2 one has double the capacity, but people want to buy in small units, not excessive ones. And controllers. Every console you buy comes with one, but what about that new multiplayer you bought at the weekend. Up to £30 a controller makes it expensive to have fun with your mates.
And finally, the places where they sell this gear. Now I think the 2 main place which sell games are EB and Game. Ironically, EB owns Game, so they have a huge dominance over the market. So when independent retailers try to sell their games, the giant comes along and with their huge dominance slashes their price. Independents go out of business and EB can continue with sky-high prices. Easy.
So in summary, gaming has become too COMMERICIALISED and too EXPENSIVE! What do you think?