Xbox 360 dev: most downloadable games are under priced

[Zeus]

An Xbox 360 developer has thrown out a thought that most downloadable games are under priced. He thinks that paying $10 for a game like Bionic Commando: rearmed or $15 for a game as 'big' as Castle Crashers is silly as they have a whole lot more value than their price tags would suggest.


“I want to go on the record and say I feel like most downloadable games are under-priced. As a collector, I can relate to people who enjoy buying a game and having the game box, and manual. However, paying only 800 points (only ten US dollars) for a game as nice as ‘Bionic Commando: Rearmed’ or 1200 points ($15US) for a game as big as ‘Castle Crashers’ seems ridiculous to me.”


News Source: <A href="http://multiplayerblog.mtv.com/2008/11/24/one-liner-downloadable-games-too-cheap/" target="_blank">MTV</a>

[DSnoob]

Its not the size, its how you use it, I don't care if you give me 100000 levels, I care about what I do in them, and while I may not be speaking for others, I for one refuse to pay more than $10 for a "casual" game.

[rddr]

This shows how games that are overpriced is a bigger ripoff than games that are better and cheaper.

[DaFireStarter]

Yeah OK? I don't know anyone who would pay $20 for Castle Crashers, a 2D brawler...

[sagosen]

I don't see anything wrong with "underpricing" downloadable games, as there are less costs per game sold then with physical copies. There's no printing involved, and shipping + store commission goes to XBLA and Microsoft. I gotta say I've bought more original content online than ever in stores. Physical games VERY often get re-sold, downloadable games are non-refundable and tied to one account.

There you have it, a few reasons why the pricing isn't so bad after all. I'd much rather buy Fable from Xbox Marketplace than preplayed, both since the pricing is pretty much equal and the makers themselves actually get a revenue. Don't think I'd buy it online if cost double of what it does now.

[Angel]

Funny how this guy thinks the situation is the EXACT OPPOSITE to how I see the situation.

The vast majority of these downloadable games, IMNHO, are waaay overpriced.

[cc2000]

Gamers think most of them are OVERPRICE, is that clear Dev?

[zymologist]

this just in: game developers significantly over-value their software. gamers say they should be happy that its selling at all at current inflated prices

whatever happened to selling cheap and making money in volume? I know I would be buying 3x-4x as many xbox arcade titles if they were half the price. I'm sure I'm not alone

[Rockman_Joey]

I agree to some extent. Bionic Commando Rearmed is a fantastic remake which could have easily been a lot more for value but it's priced like that to draw attention to many audiences and its low because of the platforms it is released on.

There are games on there I'd be willing to pay £40 for they are that good!

[sigma8]

Funny how this guy thinks the situation is the EXACT OPPOSITE to how I see the situation.

The vast majority of these downloadable games, IMNHO, are waaay overpriced.

I fully agree. He even mentions that he is a collector, and notes the importance of the box. He's obviously lying, since if he's a true collector, he'd remember that the value of a downloadable-only game to any true collector is freaking $0 because they don't get anything with any permanence!

I don't buy online music or online games, because IMO they should all be free. Perhaps charge me a bit of money for the bandwidth, and maybe a couple of nickels of profit per transaction.

HELLO WELCOME TO THE DIGITAL AGE. Everybody should be able to access everything that is digitally available! It's virtually FREE to replicate! I can only imagine how this might be different it we could do this with food and water. If, even if these things were unlimited and free, we'd restrict their access so that people could continue to profit off of them.

I'm not saying IP holders deserve nothing.. But I'd rather see them charging a billion people a quarter, rather than charging 25 million people $10. To a certain extent, this is supply and demand. Photoshop charges $500 because if they charged $50, they'd probably not gain enough new customers to make up the difference. Photoshop is too complex for mass market.

However, with game devs, ESPECIALLY with games that have passed their launch window/primary profit-making zones, I see no reason why there can't be dramatic price drops.

[Spnoz]

I think the problem is not downloadable games being underpriced, but crappy retail games being overpriced.

It's funny we always see developpers complaining that their downloadable games are underpriced, but we never see them complaining when their crappy games are sold at $50.

Bionic Commando rearmed is simply good value for the money. And if it was released at a higher price, it would have simply sold less, which would probably mean it would get the developper the same amount of money in the end (more money per sale, but less sales). I don't understand why those people aren't getting that. Game developpers often think that people would buy their games, whatever the price. They think that if it sells 1 million copies at 400 ms points, it would sell just as much if it was 800 points. It's the same thing when the industry talks about piracy. They presume everyone who copy a game would have bought it instead. This is completely ridiculous.

In fact, when you lower the price, effects on sales are exponential. A half-priced game doesn't sell double. It often sell more than that, if the game is good.

For example, I would have bought Super Street Fighter II HD Remix if it was 800 points. But at 1200? I'm not buying it.

[FearEvil]

I agree with all of you in that the games are overpriced IMHO. The beauty of a game like BC and Castle Crashers is that you are getting a good/decent game for a low price. If these games were priced any higher they wouldn't be bought. Why pay $15 for a game like Castle Crashers when most AAA early titles like GoW, Dead rising and others can be bought now for the same amount or less than that?

[danight]

im scared of the word premium. Thats a fancy word to say over priced. Like the new themes. I fear we will be seeing more premium downloads coming real soon and for some reason i expect them to cost more because of that word.

[Appleseed]

Oh PLEASE. like anything in the gaming industry is NOT overpriced. here in the uk games are grossly, and ridiculously overpriced. in fact, if anything, due to the recent price wars between supermarkets its appearent how much profit these people were making from games.

A game is still bought in bulk for under £20 pounds when it comes out and then sold for a RRP of 34.99 - 49.99.

[BurningLung]

Is this guy for real? I think everything on LIVE Marketplace is over priced.