John Walker's response to a statement that second hand gaming is very astute and not a little challenging to gaming publishers. Worth a read if you have the time.
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2 ... e-is-wrong
The Price is Wrong
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buzzmong
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Re: The Price is Wrong
He's not saying anything new though. Games are expensive for what they are, which is why I normally wait for games to come on sale. PC games generally still hang around the £30-35 mark, but console players get shafted with £40+ titles.
The price of console games baffles me considering the target demographic for the biggest games are teens through to 30's. A good part of that range doesn't have much income in the first place, and the other half doesn't have much income left after bills and other expenditures.
It isn't helped by GOTY editions coming out 12 months later generally containing a fair bit of £'s worth of DLC.
The price of console games baffles me considering the target demographic for the biggest games are teens through to 30's. A good part of that range doesn't have much income in the first place, and the other half doesn't have much income left after bills and other expenditures.
It isn't helped by GOTY editions coming out 12 months later generally containing a fair bit of £'s worth of DLC.
Last edited by buzzmong on April 16th, 2012, 19:43, edited 1 time in total.
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FatherJack
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Re: The Price is Wrong
It's an interesting read, but like the article it refers to, I don't think, entirely correct.
One saying he would welcome the 'nuclear option' (blocking used games on consoles) for the sake of diversity and the developers, the other hailing selling used games as a basic human right and the saviour of the industry, blaming the lack of diversity on publishers greedily only wanting to publish successful games.
Neither attitude is particularly helpful, I don't want to be told to suck it up and just find the money from somewhere, but neither do I want people 'campaigning' on my behalf saying that this is why piracy happens - as if criminality is inevitable when people can't afford luxury items such as games or films.
If either of them bothered to look around they'd see that the so-called problem is actually going away. Publishers are reducing their prices, such that games such as Skyrim, Saints Row and Mass Effect could be found for around half their original prices - new - after only a month or two of being on sale. All that is required is a little patience.
The second-hand stores are being priced out of the market, while resold new £40 games that they can buy off you for £20 and sell for £35 make them a nice margin, they are less interested once the new price drops to £20. While that's also a shame for people who fund their next game by selling their old ones, and an obvious tactic by the publishers to massively depreciate month-old games, gamers end up getting the games cheaper if they don't mind a little wait.
For better or worse, the second-hand market of PC games is virtually gone and this may be one reason why PC versions of multiplatform games are often cheaper than their console versions, yet we still see the big discounts after a month or two.
I never sell my games, and I only have a few used ones - I tend to avoid them as I've had a fair few which were broken - but I still think completely blocking used games is a poor move. Sensible pricing, which we are starting to see is the answer, the nuclear option is - predictably enough - overkill.
Sometimes used is the only option for a classic/rare game and I would hate not having that option.
One saying he would welcome the 'nuclear option' (blocking used games on consoles) for the sake of diversity and the developers, the other hailing selling used games as a basic human right and the saviour of the industry, blaming the lack of diversity on publishers greedily only wanting to publish successful games.
Neither attitude is particularly helpful, I don't want to be told to suck it up and just find the money from somewhere, but neither do I want people 'campaigning' on my behalf saying that this is why piracy happens - as if criminality is inevitable when people can't afford luxury items such as games or films.
If either of them bothered to look around they'd see that the so-called problem is actually going away. Publishers are reducing their prices, such that games such as Skyrim, Saints Row and Mass Effect could be found for around half their original prices - new - after only a month or two of being on sale. All that is required is a little patience.
The second-hand stores are being priced out of the market, while resold new £40 games that they can buy off you for £20 and sell for £35 make them a nice margin, they are less interested once the new price drops to £20. While that's also a shame for people who fund their next game by selling their old ones, and an obvious tactic by the publishers to massively depreciate month-old games, gamers end up getting the games cheaper if they don't mind a little wait.
For better or worse, the second-hand market of PC games is virtually gone and this may be one reason why PC versions of multiplatform games are often cheaper than their console versions, yet we still see the big discounts after a month or two.
I never sell my games, and I only have a few used ones - I tend to avoid them as I've had a fair few which were broken - but I still think completely blocking used games is a poor move. Sensible pricing, which we are starting to see is the answer, the nuclear option is - predictably enough - overkill.
Sometimes used is the only option for a classic/rare game and I would hate not having that option.