Game Prices Getting Cheaper? We Can Only Hope!
Videogames are a pricey hobby, with the average retail price of a current-generation title going for $60. As the consoles have gotten more and more powerful, the prices of games have become more and more expensive. However, EA Canada senior producer Jason DeLong mused in a GameInformer interview that perhaps that trend may reverse itself in the near future.
"I think that we're going to start to see -- maybe not in the next year, but in the near future -- games do down the route of smaller up-front experiences and lower prices at the beginning," he said, "and then the ability to extend the game through episodic material or future feature material. I think that's a direction we're probably heading in."
In these rough economic times, I'm sure lower, more attractive price points would be appealing for developers. Although I have to admit I'm not sure how I feel about the idea of only getting part of a game up front. And after a while, DLC can get more expensive than the game itself. That said, I'm sure there might be some games where I wouldn't mind paying less for a shorter gameplay experience and still be perfectly satisfied with my purchase. Even without any additional content. Sometimes a taste is all you need!
Software Price Drop For 2010? [GameInformer.com]
Wootini
Posted to Video Games on 4 January 2010
· Comments (4)
Other stuff like this: ea canada, jason delong, price drop, speculation
With game rental services like GameFly, the era of my personal game library is over. If I want to play it, I rent it, and I save hundreds of dollars per year.
To the contrary! Games will become more expensive: You'll probably pay $40 for the first 10 hours of Dragon Age: Origins (PC). The downloadable episodes of, say, 10 hours of gameplay each will be sold for the "reasonable" price of $5 each.
A 60 hours game like Dragon Age would then cost $65, more than an expensive console game.
On the bright side, it will become harder for publishers to justify 6 hour games at $50 (yes, I am looking at you, MW2)
Oh and, shouldn't we be playing Half Life 2: Episode 5 by now?
or, how we are going to screw your wallet one game at a time. given DLC as an indicator, expect the missions that should be standard, to run you out an extra $10-15. just imagine, Fallout 3, with half of the content, and then to add in those mission lines, a nominal $10. sure starts to sound a little steep, doesn't it? this is EA we are talking about here, masters of giving the customer the shaft. as if their mandatory linking of a secondary e-mail account to your gamertag for the free DLC I got with Dragon Age was not insulting enough? I doubt my BF could access that content on his profile on my Xbox without paying for it. instead, he is stuck using mine. please EA, explain how these actions are anything other than greed.
Agreed... I think this is a horrible idea. DLC is great but should only be used to add onto an already complete experience!