The "Sony Games" forum, which includes Retro Game Reviews, has been archived and is now read-only. You cannot post here or create a new thread or review on this forum.
The price of gaming.
“£40 for a piece of rounded plastic? HA! If Sony didn’t want people to pirate games, maybe they should lower their game prices!” Personally I couldn’t disagree with this statement more. When I purchase a game, I don’t purchase a piece of plastic in a DVD case. I purchase a fun experience, something that will keep me occupied for hours. So why do other people complain?
Obviously, not everyone thinks the same as I do (thank god!). A lot of people still stick to the idea that they have paid a lot of money for something that would cost a couple of pence to make or a couple of quid to go and buy an identical copy from the local car-boot sale. I think that £40 is a good price, it could be cheaper, but it still is reasonable. Especially as a lot of games take 12 hours and upwards to complete. A lot more than £40 could be paid for 12 hours entertainment. Think about something like a day out at a theme park. That can cost a lot, but how many people do you see complaining about that.
The majority of people blame Sony, or the games developers for the price tag of these games. It is true that these companies do take a cut of the profits, but who is really to blame? I say the shops. As demonstrated by SR, the price for these games can be made a lot cheaper, almost into the £30 mark (well done SR!) and these companies are still making profits. If only the high-street gaming shops would try to compete against each other, and lower their prices, but no. EB and Game are two culprits. Their prices are the same to the penny. Even their websites look almost identical yet they claim to be two different companies. In their sale, the same games are reduced, and to the same price. Personally I think these similarities can’t be a coincidence and these companies are either own by the same person, or are working together to make it easier (and more profitable) for themselves.
As for the issue of pirating. Normally the excuse that is used goes a bit like this. “ Well, I would pay for the games, but I think the price is too high. I’m not happy with it and I’m never going to pay £40 for a game. Maybe Sony should rethink their prices”. This excuse is rubbish. If someone isn’t happy with the price of the games, don’t buy the console. If you can’t afford the games, I know it isn’t your fault, but it still doesn’t mean you have an excuse to break the law.
The same goes for peripherals. People often argue that £25 for a memory card is too expensive, or that people shouldn’t have to pay £30 for a multitap. I think people like this should stop complaining. They knew when they went out and bought the console that they would have to pay extra for the memory card. If they didn’t want to pay, they shouldn’t have bought the console knowing that they would have to sooner or later. I always say, “If you don’t like it, don’t buy it” and I stick to that.
Finally, the cost of making the game. Just like the example I started this post off with, a lot of people aren’t happy with what they are physically getting for their money (the disk, case and manual). Often they say that it doesn’t cost anywhere near the final amount to actually make the disk in the factory. Well that’s true, but does anyone want a blank disk? The money you are paying is for what is ON the disk. That’s what costs the most money to produce. This means that by pirating the game, it will be cheaper, but not if you get caught. You will also make the prices of the games more expensive to the people that don’t live on a boat and talk in different variations of “ARGH!”
In conclusion, games are cheap enough for what you are getting, but if you do want to blame someone blame the high-street stores like EB and Game (but not the companies that are trying to cut prices, such as SR). And blame the pirates. Never blame the games developers, as they are only taking a small amount of money.
What do you think?
“£40 for a piece of rounded plastic? HA! If Sony didn’t want people to pirate games, maybe they should lower their game prices!” Personally I couldn’t disagree with this statement more. When I purchase a game, I don’t purchase a piece of plastic in a DVD case. I purchase a fun experience, something that will keep me occupied for hours. So why do other people complain?
Obviously, not everyone thinks the same as I do (thank god!). A lot of people still stick to the idea that they have paid a lot of money for something that would cost a couple of pence to make or a couple of quid to go and buy an identical copy from the local car-boot sale. I think that £40 is a good price, it could be cheaper, but it still is reasonable. Especially as a lot of games take 12 hours and upwards to complete. A lot more than £40 could be paid for 12 hours entertainment. Think about something like a day out at a theme park. That can cost a lot, but how many people do you see complaining about that.
The majority of people blame Sony, or the games developers for the price tag of these games. It is true that these companies do take a cut of the profits, but who is really to blame? I say the shops. As demonstrated by SR, the price for these games can be made a lot cheaper, almost into the £30 mark (well done SR!) and these companies are still making profits. If only the high-street gaming shops would try to compete against each other, and lower their prices, but no. EB and Game are two culprits. Their prices are the same to the penny. Even their websites look almost identical yet they claim to be two different companies. In their sale, the same games are reduced, and to the same price. Personally I think these similarities can’t be a coincidence and these companies are either own by the same person, or are working together to make it easier (and more profitable) for themselves.
As for the issue of pirating. Normally the excuse that is used goes a bit like this. “ Well, I would pay for the games, but I think the price is too high. I’m not happy with it and I’m never going to pay £40 for a game. Maybe Sony should rethink their prices”. This excuse is rubbish. If someone isn’t happy with the price of the games, don’t buy the console. If you can’t afford the games, I know it isn’t your fault, but it still doesn’t mean you have an excuse to break the law.
The same goes for peripherals. People often argue that £25 for a memory card is too expensive, or that people shouldn’t have to pay £30 for a multitap. I think people like this should stop complaining. They knew when they went out and bought the console that they would have to pay extra for the memory card. If they didn’t want to pay, they shouldn’t have bought the console knowing that they would have to sooner or later. I always say, “If you don’t like it, don’t buy it” and I stick to that.
Finally, the cost of making the game. Just like the example I started this post off with, a lot of people aren’t happy with what they are physically getting for their money (the disk, case and manual). Often they say that it doesn’t cost anywhere near the final amount to actually make the disk in the factory. Well that’s true, but does anyone want a blank disk? The money you are paying is for what is ON the disk. That’s what costs the most money to produce. This means that by pirating the game, it will be cheaper, but not if you get caught. You will also make the prices of the games more expensive to the people that don’t live on a boat and talk in different variations of “ARGH!”
In conclusion, games are cheap enough for what you are getting, but if you do want to blame someone blame the high-street stores like EB and Game (but not the companies that are trying to cut prices, such as SR). And blame the pirates. Never blame the games developers, as they are only taking a small amount of money.
What do you think?
Page:
also with pro evolution you know your going to get a great match every time with excitement and thrills but a rainy saturday watching ipswich vs bolton may just end up to be duller than dishwater. also you won't get wet playing a computer game at home........unless your roof caves in during a rainstorm but.......ah well
exactly, you may never need leave the house again
you can get them for nearer £30 so thats even less per hour, and ISS Pro and Fifa 2002 are cheaper than a season ticket!
MM
MM
G1NGER wrote:
> If you look at the other side of the coin,
£40 for a game, say 20
> hours gameplay. So £2 per hours entertainment.
Compare this to the
> cinema, football matches etc it is a bargain, about the same as a two hour film
> from Blockbuster.
Thats basically what I was saying, so I agree G1NGER. People can complain about the prices, but when you think about it, you're getting a good deal.
> If you look at the other side of the coin,
£40 for a game, say 20
> hours gameplay. So £2 per hours entertainment.
Compare this to the
> cinema, football matches etc it is a bargain, about the same as a two hour film
> from Blockbuster.
Thats basically what I was saying, so I agree G1NGER. People can complain about the prices, but when you think about it, you're getting a good deal.
I agree with you G1NGER, i also think that killer apps kind of deserve their pirce tag but not crap games like Fifa and many others.
If you look at the other side of the coin,
£40 for a game, say 20 hours gameplay. So £2 per hours entertainment.
Compare this to the cinema, football matches etc it is a bargain, about the same as a two hour film from Blockbuster.
£40 for a game, say 20 hours gameplay. So £2 per hours entertainment.
Compare this to the cinema, football matches etc it is a bargain, about the same as a two hour film from Blockbuster.
I also forgot to say that the price of Ps2 gaming does not end at that, you have to pay extra for the HDD and modem, that is the biggest mistake sony have ever done.
sherman wrote:
> well if theres money to be made (and people are paying) why should the companies
> lower the price, only way is if the entire europe boycotts them buy not buying
> there products (which is unlikely).
One day we will, thats when more companies get into the games industry and develop good consoles so that there is very much competition.
And I got to say that piracy is wrong but from the way we get treated especially by japanese developers I think they deserve what they get, I'm not a pirate, all my games are original but I think some companies get what they deserve the bad thing is that a country like Hong Kong does more piracy than Europe as a whole and we have to pay for the losses the companies make.
They say its a dog eat dog world but it looks like we are always the meal not only in the games industry but many other industries as well, especially with high prices and low quality stuff.
> well if theres money to be made (and people are paying) why should the companies
> lower the price, only way is if the entire europe boycotts them buy not buying
> there products (which is unlikely).
One day we will, thats when more companies get into the games industry and develop good consoles so that there is very much competition.
And I got to say that piracy is wrong but from the way we get treated especially by japanese developers I think they deserve what they get, I'm not a pirate, all my games are original but I think some companies get what they deserve the bad thing is that a country like Hong Kong does more piracy than Europe as a whole and we have to pay for the losses the companies make.
They say its a dog eat dog world but it looks like we are always the meal not only in the games industry but many other industries as well, especially with high prices and low quality stuff.
a bet uk_vamp would comment on this but sadly he is banned wink wink
well if theres money to be made (and people are paying) why should the companies lower the price, only way is if the entire europe boycotts them buy not buying there products (which is unlikely).
Page: