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As you probably know, CD's cost less than one pound in sterling to make and cost only pennies more to record onto. However, you go into a music store and the first thing you will notice is that brand new music CD's are priced at around fifteen and sixteen quid. Now that's a fifty per-cent increase from what they were only a few years ago.
However, it's not the price of music media I'm worried about. I listen to most music from the radio, or hear enough from TV. What I'm worried about is the very high price of videogames.
Some people have blamed high prices before on the quality of the games. Others have blamed it on the media that they are recorded onto. But I am blaming these prices on extraordinarily high amounts of greed from money making companies who publish these games. Those who exploit videogamers by using their publicity to just drain the cash from their customers so that they get all the money, and competitors get none.
I was walking around Cardiff City Centre today checking out prices and seeing what's out at the moment, and my brother who wants a new console was with me checking out the deals that are on.
I noticed that most of the games for this console are about £40, around £35 from Special Reserve, however the console itself is at the moment quite a good value to buy. Since the new consoles have come closer to release, the price of the consoles has dropped dramatically, however the games are still highly priced.
Now what console is this that I am talking about? What console has games for it that are so expensive that you can only by two with £100?
Well I expect most of you are probably thinking of the N64, with it's high charge on games due to them being recorded to Cartridge. But no, it isn't that!
Some of you may be thinking about the Game Boy Advance, also using cartridges with games priced at around £35. But no, it isn't that.
I am talking about Sony's Playstation 2.
First of all, I'm not trying to demote the console. My brother's excited about getting one, and I wouldn't mind playing one. However, I am demoting the company behind it. The company who can afford to cut jobs in it's factories, who can afford to open a "Sony Centre" in Cardiff City Centre, and who can afford to cut prices in their consoles, whilst boasting more sales on their Playstation 2 than the Dreamcast and N64, but can't keep gaming at such a low cost!
So what's this? You think I'm going nuts? There is a huge back catalogue of games for less than £9.99 for the PSOne that can be played on the Playstation 2, so why complain?
Well most people will already have most the original Playstation games they'll ever want to play. So they'll want to play graphically better, bigger and much more fun games that are new to Playstation 2. Ok, they can play their old Playstation games on it, but most of them are games that once completed you wont want to bother with again. The public want games like Crazy Taxi (new to PS2), Grand Theft Auto 3, Red Faction and many more which are brilliantly designed games. But can they afford the ones they want? Probably not.
Yep Christmas is around the corner, but that doesn't mean that games have to be so highly priced that you can buy a second hand ZX Spectrum with 200 games for the price of two PS2 games. Don't get me wrong, I'm cheesed off with the Game Boy Advance prices too.
£35 for a game that plays between SNES and N64 quality? Some of the games only have a few levels, and some aren't even worth bothering with (Jurassic Park III: The DNA Factor for example).
But Sony have no excuse, they make games on DVD's which are only slightly more expensive to produce than CD's, so they can't blame a "chip shortage" (Nintendo's excuse for their extortionally high prices). They are just using the cusotmers as a source of high profit and a huge bonus for their own families this Christmas.
If I were you, I'd stick with your old consoles and continue buying games for them (no matter whether you're playing N64, Game Boy Color, Dreamcast or Playstation), then when the GameCube and X-box are released, check to see which is the better value. Then maybe you'll be able to save some money and play more games than you would have been able to before! Or you could simply play games on the PC that most of you have (otherwise you wouldn't be reading this) with games as cheap as £4.99 and going up to £34.99 on rare occasions.
However, it's not the price of music media I'm worried about. I listen to most music from the radio, or hear enough from TV. What I'm worried about is the very high price of videogames.
Some people have blamed high prices before on the quality of the games. Others have blamed it on the media that they are recorded onto. But I am blaming these prices on extraordinarily high amounts of greed from money making companies who publish these games. Those who exploit videogamers by using their publicity to just drain the cash from their customers so that they get all the money, and competitors get none.
I was walking around Cardiff City Centre today checking out prices and seeing what's out at the moment, and my brother who wants a new console was with me checking out the deals that are on.
I noticed that most of the games for this console are about £40, around £35 from Special Reserve, however the console itself is at the moment quite a good value to buy. Since the new consoles have come closer to release, the price of the consoles has dropped dramatically, however the games are still highly priced.
Now what console is this that I am talking about? What console has games for it that are so expensive that you can only by two with £100?
Well I expect most of you are probably thinking of the N64, with it's high charge on games due to them being recorded to Cartridge. But no, it isn't that!
Some of you may be thinking about the Game Boy Advance, also using cartridges with games priced at around £35. But no, it isn't that.
I am talking about Sony's Playstation 2.
First of all, I'm not trying to demote the console. My brother's excited about getting one, and I wouldn't mind playing one. However, I am demoting the company behind it. The company who can afford to cut jobs in it's factories, who can afford to open a "Sony Centre" in Cardiff City Centre, and who can afford to cut prices in their consoles, whilst boasting more sales on their Playstation 2 than the Dreamcast and N64, but can't keep gaming at such a low cost!
So what's this? You think I'm going nuts? There is a huge back catalogue of games for less than £9.99 for the PSOne that can be played on the Playstation 2, so why complain?
Well most people will already have most the original Playstation games they'll ever want to play. So they'll want to play graphically better, bigger and much more fun games that are new to Playstation 2. Ok, they can play their old Playstation games on it, but most of them are games that once completed you wont want to bother with again. The public want games like Crazy Taxi (new to PS2), Grand Theft Auto 3, Red Faction and many more which are brilliantly designed games. But can they afford the ones they want? Probably not.
Yep Christmas is around the corner, but that doesn't mean that games have to be so highly priced that you can buy a second hand ZX Spectrum with 200 games for the price of two PS2 games. Don't get me wrong, I'm cheesed off with the Game Boy Advance prices too.
£35 for a game that plays between SNES and N64 quality? Some of the games only have a few levels, and some aren't even worth bothering with (Jurassic Park III: The DNA Factor for example).
But Sony have no excuse, they make games on DVD's which are only slightly more expensive to produce than CD's, so they can't blame a "chip shortage" (Nintendo's excuse for their extortionally high prices). They are just using the cusotmers as a source of high profit and a huge bonus for their own families this Christmas.
If I were you, I'd stick with your old consoles and continue buying games for them (no matter whether you're playing N64, Game Boy Color, Dreamcast or Playstation), then when the GameCube and X-box are released, check to see which is the better value. Then maybe you'll be able to save some money and play more games than you would have been able to before! Or you could simply play games on the PC that most of you have (otherwise you wouldn't be reading this) with games as cheap as £4.99 and going up to £34.99 on rare occasions.
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When it comes to the GBA, I don't think that £30 is too much to ask, given that GBC games still retail at £25. Much in the same way as you'd expect PSX games to be a little cheaper than PS2 games.
But I wouldn't buy games that were simply conversions from the SNES, that would be stupid, in my opinion, but there are so many fun games coming out that are entirely new.
I don't think games are too expensive, given that 7 years ago, or so, Special Reserve (who were as cheap then as now) were selling Rise Of The Robots on the SNES for £54.99
Catalogues used to charge up to £60 for NES games too.
Over 10 years, the price of games has hardly risen at all, yet the price of production has esculated enormously.
But I wouldn't buy games that were simply conversions from the SNES, that would be stupid, in my opinion, but there are so many fun games coming out that are entirely new.
I don't think games are too expensive, given that 7 years ago, or so, Special Reserve (who were as cheap then as now) were selling Rise Of The Robots on the SNES for £54.99
Catalogues used to charge up to £60 for NES games too.
Over 10 years, the price of games has hardly risen at all, yet the price of production has esculated enormously.
What, £6?
Not all the Game Boy Advance games are conversions of the SNES games.
£40 being a normal price for games?
hmmm....I've bought dozens of games for the PC less than £20 each.
I know it can cost a lot to produce the games, but just take this as an example. A game that cost £1million to make and distribute to the shops. 300,000 people buy this game at £10. That's £3m back, £2m profit. The same amount of people buy this game at £20. That's £6m, £5m profit. The same game at £25 means a profit of £6.5m
All those profit increases are over 100%. Not one of those over £25.
Usually, if a game is good, enough people will buy the games to double that profit. Infact, if the same game was £40, that would be a profit of £12!
If I had even half that money, I'd retire!
£40 being a normal price for games?
hmmm....I've bought dozens of games for the PC less than £20 each.
I know it can cost a lot to produce the games, but just take this as an example. A game that cost £1million to make and distribute to the shops. 300,000 people buy this game at £10. That's £3m back, £2m profit. The same amount of people buy this game at £20. That's £6m, £5m profit. The same game at £25 means a profit of £6.5m
All those profit increases are over 100%. Not one of those over £25.
Usually, if a game is good, enough people will buy the games to double that profit. Infact, if the same game was £40, that would be a profit of £12!
If I had even half that money, I'd retire!
My brother always buy games only when they're out on budget.
He, statiscally, is a geek.
(sorry, but I'm watching the Weakest Link as I'm writing this)
He, statiscally, is a geek.
(sorry, but I'm watching the Weakest Link as I'm writing this)
PS2 game.
Cost loads too make.
Need money back.
High Prices.
Sorted :-D
Cost loads too make.
Need money back.
High Prices.
Sorted :-D
I don't think PS2 games are expensive. The most I've seen them for is £40, and SR sell most for £35. Games have always been this price, anyway. The biggest rip-off of all is the GBA. £35 for an old SNES remake that I've played countless times before with little or no new features? No thanks.
As you probably know, CD's cost less than one pound in sterling to make and cost only pennies more to record onto. However, you go into a music store and the first thing you will notice is that brand new music CD's are priced at around fifteen and sixteen quid. Now that's a fifty per-cent increase from what they were only a few years ago.
However, it's not the price of music media I'm worried about. I listen to most music from the radio, or hear enough from TV. What I'm worried about is the very high price of videogames.
Some people have blamed high prices before on the quality of the games. Others have blamed it on the media that they are recorded onto. But I am blaming these prices on extraordinarily high amounts of greed from money making companies who publish these games. Those who exploit videogamers by using their publicity to just drain the cash from their customers so that they get all the money, and competitors get none.
I was walking around Cardiff City Centre today checking out prices and seeing what's out at the moment, and my brother who wants a new console was with me checking out the deals that are on.
I noticed that most of the games for this console are about £40, around £35 from Special Reserve, however the console itself is at the moment quite a good value to buy. Since the new consoles have come closer to release, the price of the consoles has dropped dramatically, however the games are still highly priced.
Now what console is this that I am talking about? What console has games for it that are so expensive that you can only by two with £100?
Well I expect most of you are probably thinking of the N64, with it's high charge on games due to them being recorded to Cartridge. But no, it isn't that!
Some of you may be thinking about the Game Boy Advance, also using cartridges with games priced at around £35. But no, it isn't that.
I am talking about Sony's Playstation 2.
First of all, I'm not trying to demote the console. My brother's excited about getting one, and I wouldn't mind playing one. However, I am demoting the company behind it. The company who can afford to cut jobs in it's factories, who can afford to open a "Sony Centre" in Cardiff City Centre, and who can afford to cut prices in their consoles, whilst boasting more sales on their Playstation 2 than the Dreamcast and N64, but can't keep gaming at such a low cost!
So what's this? You think I'm going nuts? There is a huge back catalogue of games for less than £9.99 for the PSOne that can be played on the Playstation 2, so why complain?
Well most people will already have most the original Playstation games they'll ever want to play. So they'll want to play graphically better, bigger and much more fun games that are new to Playstation 2. Ok, they can play their old Playstation games on it, but most of them are games that once completed you wont want to bother with again. The public want games like Crazy Taxi (new to PS2), Grand Theft Auto 3, Red Faction and many more which are brilliantly designed games. But can they afford the ones they want? Probably not.
Yep Christmas is around the corner, but that doesn't mean that games have to be so highly priced that you can buy a second hand ZX Spectrum with 200 games for the price of two PS2 games. Don't get me wrong, I'm cheesed off with the Game Boy Advance prices too.
£35 for a game that plays between SNES and N64 quality? Some of the games only have a few levels, and some aren't even worth bothering with (Jurassic Park III: The DNA Factor for example).
But Sony have no excuse, they make games on DVD's which are only slightly more expensive to produce than CD's, so they can't blame a "chip shortage" (Nintendo's excuse for their extortionally high prices). They are just using the cusotmers as a source of high profit and a huge bonus for their own families this Christmas.
If I were you, I'd stick with your old consoles and continue buying games for them (no matter whether you're playing N64, Game Boy Color, Dreamcast or Playstation), then when the GameCube and X-box are released, check to see which is the better value. Then maybe you'll be able to save some money and play more games than you would have been able to before! Or you could simply play games on the PC that most of you have (otherwise you wouldn't be reading this) with games as cheap as £4.99 and going up to £34.99 on rare occasions.
However, it's not the price of music media I'm worried about. I listen to most music from the radio, or hear enough from TV. What I'm worried about is the very high price of videogames.
Some people have blamed high prices before on the quality of the games. Others have blamed it on the media that they are recorded onto. But I am blaming these prices on extraordinarily high amounts of greed from money making companies who publish these games. Those who exploit videogamers by using their publicity to just drain the cash from their customers so that they get all the money, and competitors get none.
I was walking around Cardiff City Centre today checking out prices and seeing what's out at the moment, and my brother who wants a new console was with me checking out the deals that are on.
I noticed that most of the games for this console are about £40, around £35 from Special Reserve, however the console itself is at the moment quite a good value to buy. Since the new consoles have come closer to release, the price of the consoles has dropped dramatically, however the games are still highly priced.
Now what console is this that I am talking about? What console has games for it that are so expensive that you can only by two with £100?
Well I expect most of you are probably thinking of the N64, with it's high charge on games due to them being recorded to Cartridge. But no, it isn't that!
Some of you may be thinking about the Game Boy Advance, also using cartridges with games priced at around £35. But no, it isn't that.
I am talking about Sony's Playstation 2.
First of all, I'm not trying to demote the console. My brother's excited about getting one, and I wouldn't mind playing one. However, I am demoting the company behind it. The company who can afford to cut jobs in it's factories, who can afford to open a "Sony Centre" in Cardiff City Centre, and who can afford to cut prices in their consoles, whilst boasting more sales on their Playstation 2 than the Dreamcast and N64, but can't keep gaming at such a low cost!
So what's this? You think I'm going nuts? There is a huge back catalogue of games for less than £9.99 for the PSOne that can be played on the Playstation 2, so why complain?
Well most people will already have most the original Playstation games they'll ever want to play. So they'll want to play graphically better, bigger and much more fun games that are new to Playstation 2. Ok, they can play their old Playstation games on it, but most of them are games that once completed you wont want to bother with again. The public want games like Crazy Taxi (new to PS2), Grand Theft Auto 3, Red Faction and many more which are brilliantly designed games. But can they afford the ones they want? Probably not.
Yep Christmas is around the corner, but that doesn't mean that games have to be so highly priced that you can buy a second hand ZX Spectrum with 200 games for the price of two PS2 games. Don't get me wrong, I'm cheesed off with the Game Boy Advance prices too.
£35 for a game that plays between SNES and N64 quality? Some of the games only have a few levels, and some aren't even worth bothering with (Jurassic Park III: The DNA Factor for example).
But Sony have no excuse, they make games on DVD's which are only slightly more expensive to produce than CD's, so they can't blame a "chip shortage" (Nintendo's excuse for their extortionally high prices). They are just using the cusotmers as a source of high profit and a huge bonus for their own families this Christmas.
If I were you, I'd stick with your old consoles and continue buying games for them (no matter whether you're playing N64, Game Boy Color, Dreamcast or Playstation), then when the GameCube and X-box are released, check to see which is the better value. Then maybe you'll be able to save some money and play more games than you would have been able to before! Or you could simply play games on the PC that most of you have (otherwise you wouldn't be reading this) with games as cheap as £4.99 and going up to £34.99 on rare occasions.
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