Microsoft Increases Prices of Digital Xbox One Exclusives in UK

[roseofbattle]

Microsoft Increases Prices of Digital Xbox One Exclusives in UK

Games like Dead Rising 3 that were previously £44.99 are now £49.99 on the Xbox Games Store.

Microsoft has increased the prices of Xbox One exclusives in the UK by £5 on the Xbox Games Store, making the digital versions of the exclusives more expensive than the physical copies.

The company did not explain its decision. Speaking to Eurogamer, a Microsoft spokesperson said, "Pricing for select digital content in some markets has changed since launch." When the Xbox One launched in the region on Nov. 22, digital versions of Dead Rising 3, Ryse: Son of Rome, and Forza Motorsport 5 were £44.99. They are now £49.99.

"Digital content pricing is subject to change and we may occasionally offer various deals or promotions," the spokesperson added. "Ultimately pricing and promotions will vary by region." No reason for the unannounced price increase was given. All Xbox One launch titles are $59.99 in the US.

Consumers have been unhappy with the similar pricing structure of games from physical to digital, but a digital version costing more than a physical version is even stranger. Sony is also selling physical versions of PS4-exclusive games for a cheaper price than digital versions. Digital will have a hard time taking off as a standard if Microsoft and Sony sell physical copies of their games for cheaper prices than the digital versions. Of course, either way the prices for Xbox One and PS4 games are expensive.

Source: Eurogamer [http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2013-12-11-microsoft-hikes-price-of-xbox-one-exclusives-by-5]


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[Stavros Dimou]

It's just that they use the offer/demand rule of making business without keeping in mind the costs required to make each product.
So perhaps more people bought digital,and because they saw the demand for digital to rise,they thought of raising the price, even if its more affordable for them sell digital copies than physical copies.

Now for general retail prices,well the price in Euro countries is 59.90 euros.
According to Google 49.99 British Pounds is 59.33 euros. So it's at least cheaper than what it is in the Eurozone!
Still 59.99 dollars is equal to 43.61 euros or 36.74 pounds though.
Which means that by paying 49.99BP or 59,90E we pay 81.60 or 82.50 dollars for each game respectively.

But it's ok with software. It usually gets annoying when it comes to hardware.
So 500$ in the US for xbox one,and 500E in the EU.
500E is 687.65 dollars. ouch!

When you factor that for the most part PC hardware prices in Europe doesn't get the same treatment,it's no wonder that PC gaming is more popular in Europe.

 

[Hawkeye21]

Welcome to the glorious next gen.

It's just that they use the offer/demand rule of making business without keeping in mind the costs required to make each product.

Except there is no shortage of supply. Digital products aren't the same as physical products, you make product once and can distribute it ad infinum. I can't think of a single justifiable reason to raise established prices for digital games.

 

[AndrewC]

The prices for new-gen games is disgusting: upwards of £50-£60 per game?

Pricing stuff at £40 was pushing it per game. If you wanna rip people off with game prices how about developers make something worth the buck.

Go fuck yourself consoles. Here's betting that in 10 years time for the next gen it'll be £70 per game.

"But if you can afford a new console, you can buy these games!" - I think most people would like not having to take out a mortgage to buy games.

 

[fix-the-spade]

The more Microsoft do, the more I am convinced that they are gearing up to abandon games consoles as a manufacturer, they simply don't have the guts to come out and say it, so they're trying desperately to manufacture a catastrophic failure scenario that will allow them to claim the industry moribund and walk away.

The reveal, the limited international launch, the price of it, the F2P nonsense in their flagship titles and now jacking up prices on what is already the most expensive of the new consoles, it's as if someone really doesn't want you to buy the Xbone.

 

[Stavros Dimou]

It's just that they use the offer/demand rule of making business without keeping in mind the costs required to make each product.
So perhaps more people bought digital,and because they saw the demand for digital to rise,they thought of raising the price, even if its more affordable for them sell digital copies than physical copies.

Now for general retail prices,well the price in Euro countries is 59.90 euros.
According to Google 49.99 British Pounds is 59.33 euros. So it's at least cheaper than what it is in the Eurozone!
Still 59.99 dollars is equal to 43.61 euros or 36.74 pounds though.
Which means that by paying 49.99BP or 59,90E we pay 81.60 or 82.50 dollars for each game respectively.

But it's ok with software. It usually gets annoying when it comes to hardware.
So 500$ in the US for xbox one,and 500E in the EU.
500E is 687.65 dollars. ouch!

This used to so piss me off, but now I am more than willing to pay higher prices for single purchase items compared to what American's pay. Just as long as I get to keep the much cheaper UK monthly cost for TV/Internet/Phone services.

I'm sorry I'm not familiar with prices for such services in UK.
Where I live for a phone line with 24mbps ASDL internet connection with unlimited downloads I pay 40 euros per month.
TV doesn't require monthly fees.

 

[elvis-66]

Dear Microsoft, I will say this as plainly as I can...Fuck you and the horse you rode in on. That is all.

 

[Stavros Dimou]

Welcome to the glorious next gen.

It's just that they use the offer/demand rule of making business without keeping in mind the costs required to make each product.

Except there is no shortage of supply. Digital products aren't the same as physical products, you make product once and can distribute it ad infinum. I can't think of a single justifiable reason to raise established prices for digital games.

Well as you put it...

 

[CardinalPiggles]

Birds fly, fish swim, and Microsoft screw over their customers, nothing new here.

I'm so happy I got into PC gaming. Bought Far Cry 3 in the sale for £5. Fuck Xbox One.

 

[loa]

So this is that fabled "future" that we are supposed to "come with them" to as mr nelson put it?
They fucking boast how they see that the future is all digital and how their console fully supports this and this is how they want to pave the way?
Fuck that noise.

 

[SecondPrize]

It cheapens digital distribution to label what microsoft is offering as such. One company with a monopoly on the distribution and the morals of a stage four syphilitic robber baron is not a fair representation of what digital delivery can be.

 

[J Tyran]

For a console that was originally going to attack the used games market Microsoft seem to be working hard to encourage used games, if the retail boxes are cheaper to buy than digitally distributed games people will buy them more often. People can then choose to trade those in later on, obviously digital purchases cannot be traded in.

As Microsoft are making the retail boxes more attractive they must really like used games after all...

 

[Sigmund Av Volsung]

FIFTY BLOODY POUNDS?

It seems bloody ridiculous; I remember when I could buy a game on day 1 for £35(SW:BFII).

I already thought that £45 was steep as fuck, but no, apparently so long as it isn't £60, companies will want to keep on increasing it.

[small]I am both glad that I didn't buy the next gen, and sorry for those who already bought a console >.<[/small]

 

[smithy_2045]

The prices for new-gen games is disgusting: upwards of £50-£60 per game?

Pricing stuff at £40 was pushing it per game. If you wanna rip people off with game prices how about developers make something worth the buck.

Go fuck yourself consoles. Here's betting that in 10 years time for the next gen it'll be £70 per game.

"But if you can afford a new console, you can buy these games!" - I think most people would like not having to take out a mortgage to buy games.

PC gaming isn't any better off. Right now if I wanted to buy Civilization V on Steam, it would cost me $70USD. This is a game that's been out for over 3 years now, with 2 expansions each priced at an additional $50USD and a whole bunch of DLC.

 

[Stavros Dimou]

The prices for new-gen games is disgusting: upwards of £50-£60 per game?

Pricing stuff at £40 was pushing it per game. If you wanna rip people off with game prices how about developers make something worth the buck.

Go fuck yourself consoles. Here's betting that in 10 years time for the next gen it'll be £70 per game.

"But if you can afford a new console, you can buy these games!" - I think most people would like not having to take out a mortgage to buy games.

PC gaming isn't any better off. Right now if I wanted to buy Civilization V on Steam, it would cost me $70USD. This is a game that's been out for over 3 years now, with 2 expansions each priced at an additional $50USD and a whole bunch of DLC.

You picked the odd one out. That's far from an average example.
An average example is buying Metro 2033 2 years ago for 5 euros on Steam Sale.

 

[CriticalMiss]

What people are failing to understand is that Microsoft have to pay people to type out the game code for each digital copy they sell! That's how digital distribution works, right? It's not like they can just endlessly copy the data that is stored on a computer somewhere ready to be downloaded at any time. Because that would be logical.

Anyway, paying more for things is just another part of the "Xbone Experience". Sony have no excuses though.

 

[Shoggoth2588]

"Digital content pricing is subject to change and we may occasionally offer various deals or promotions," the spokesperson added. "Ultimately pricing and promotions will vary by region."

I think Microsoft needs to read up on what a promotion and/or deal is. Now for some horrible metaphorical word-play!

Buying the Xbox One is accepting Christian Grey's invitation into the play room.
Accepting the terms of service is allowing yourself to be strapped into what looks to be a rack
Microsoft has just begun to turn the wheel, stretching those soft, tender dollars. Microsoft knows you're a little piggy and you both know it has only just begun

 

[Pebkio]

Because "fuck you got mine"? I honestly don't know what else to say. How about:

Because computing the exchange rate is haaaaaard.
Because an evil cabal of wizards is skimming five Euros off the top and Microsoft is trying to price correct.
Because 50 is a nice round number. Isn't it? I mean, look at it... 50! Minus 1 cent!
Because they realized they were going to be a bit short in the "Really Big Bananas" fund.