Microsoft Increases Prices of Digital Xbox One Exclusives in UK

[Brian Tams]

I'm so glad I decided to give next gen consoles a miss. *hugs PC tightly* Don't you ever change...
Fuck you, M$

 

[Reed Spacer]

You know, this would have been far easier if you'd just used the headline 'Microsoft fucks something up. As usual.'

If fact, you could have used those two sentences as the bulk of the article itself.

 

[zumbledum]

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...

correct me if im wrong here but haven't Microsoft solved the 2nd hand issue this time buy making it so you have to take games to certain licensed retailers no doubt theres a special App they have to use to move the game across accounts and M$ get to get paid again and again.


would explain why they dont want any digital presence

 

[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.

Didnt you know that Valve is just as bad at fuckin over Australia as everyone else is? Try Amazon next time. Its only 20 bucks on Amazon for the digital download and Amazon UK has the physical disk for £7.47, though shippin to Australia would probably push that well beyond 20.

On topic. Totally not surprised. Everyone wants to embrace digital distribution so badly but are so petrified of terrifyin retail stores that they're not willin to go all in.

Its gettin pretty pathetic. They say digital distribution is the future all while turnin around to places like Gamestop and the like and promisin that they don't actually mean it.

As I said just above your reply, my point is it's not just Microsoft screwing people over digitally. It's everyone. Harping on MS for doing what Valve already does while simultaneously praising Steam is, at the very least, blatantly hypocritical.

 

[ThriKreen]

Why do people keep forgetting the retailers in the whole equation?

 

[shintakie10]

-snipped-

Its not everyone though. GoG has fair prices for every territory. Amazon generally has good prices for everyone as well. The only ones who actually fuck over everyone are the big publishers, Valve included, because they're terrified of retailers.

 

[josemlopes]

Well, if people are ready to pay that amount of money, it can't be a problem. If they aren't, Microsoft will suffer the consequences.

This, games drop their prices so fast that I kind of dont even mind.

 

[putowtin]

fuck you microsoft

As long as I breath I will not buy a xbox one!

 

[MetalDooley]

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.

Digital copies on Xbox Live have almost always been more expensive than physical copies.For example certain titles on XBL launch at ?69.99 when physical copies of the same game are retailing for ?49.99-?54.99

I've had a Wii U for a couple of months now and I can tell you that Nintendo's Eshop is the same.Digital copies are often up to ?10 more expensive than physical

I don't have a PS3 or 4 but from what I've heard PSN operates more or less the same

Hell even the much vaunted bastion of cheap games Steam isn't afraid of charging more for digital copies outside of their sales

Sadly it seems that digital copies costing more than physical is not actually that unusual

 

[Angelous Wang]

Why do people keep forgetting the retailers in the whole equation?

That is what I was thinking, maybe Microsoft made some deal with the UK retailers to not undercut or compete with them for certain period of time, maybe as some sort of way to stop retailers overcharging from XBOnes so that Microsoft can sell more out of the door.

Because many retailers have been selling the PS4 for almost £100 more than Sony's retail price (which itself is already £200 more than the US price; £399.00 = $649.57).

 

[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...

correct me if im wrong here but haven't Microsoft solved the 2nd hand issue this time buy making it so you have to take games to certain licensed retailers no doubt theres a special App they have to use to move the game across accounts and M$ get to get paid again and again.


would explain why they dont want any digital presence

No they removed all of that in the face of the big 180 after black lash from gamers, now they are just regular disks you can trade anywhere.

 

[Grouchy Imp_v1legacy]

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.

That pricing system is just Microsoft taking the piss. At current exchange rates £49.99 converts into $81.72 for Microsoft. If UK pricing were to be adjusted to match the US pricing system we should only be getting charged £36.70 to ensure Microsoft get their sixty bucks.

Capitalism, fuck yeah! /sarcasm

 

[Strazdas]

You saw it here folks. On Xbox One prices actually increase with time isntead of decreasing, so better all buy it at launch or not at all!

Why do people keep forgetting the retailers in the whole equation?

Because retailers need to die.

Capcha: carpe diem
seize the day indeed!

 

[smithy_2045]

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.

That pricing system is just Microsoft taking the piss. At current exchange rates £49.99 converts into $81.72 for Microsoft. If UK pricing were to be adjusted to match the US pricing system we should only be getting charged £36.70 to ensure Microsoft get their sixty bucks.

Capitalism, fuck yeah! /sarcasm

I fail to have much sympathy for you Brits when down here the standard price has dropped to ~$90AU after being between $100-120 for the previous generation despite the AUD being worth more than the USD for the past 2 years.

 

[Grouchy Imp_v1legacy]

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.

That pricing system is just Microsoft taking the piss. At current exchange rates £49.99 converts into $81.72 for Microsoft. If UK pricing were to be adjusted to match the US pricing system we should only be getting charged £36.70 to ensure Microsoft get their sixty bucks.

Capitalism, fuck yeah! /sarcasm

I fail to have much sympathy for you Brits when down here the standard price has dropped to ~$90AU after being between $100-120 for the previous generation despite the AUD being worth more than the USD for the past 2 years.

Yeah, you guys and gals get the rough end of the stick when it comes to games pricing. Still, in the age of digital distribution where there's no retail middle-man and no physical copies that need to be actually shipped thousands of miles I would have (foolishly) expected this next gen of consoles to at least begin to bring in some measure of price parity.

 

[Gunner 51]

Oh, sweet mercy! Microsoft just keeps shooting itself in the foot as if it has a compulsive foot-shooting disorder, doesn't it?

Game prices for a new game are just about extortionate as it is, but this extra fiver they're charging just pushes things into "crazy" territory. Super expensive console, costs for XBox Live, Phone Bills and now 50 quid games for the supposedly cheaper digital downloads (which take forever to download and now have to be installed).

For me, personally - tipping point has been reached. Microsoft has just priced me out of even thinking about buying their console. I don't know who set the price for it or it's games, but they haven't just screwed the pooch - they wined it, dined, screwed it and married it.

I really didn't want to return to PC for my gaming, but I guess I'll just have to look elsewhere for my gaming needs.

 

[KingsGambit_v1legacy]

£50 for a digital game is quite ludicrous. And the chances of a Winter sale? o.o Maybe for a collector's ed of an eagerly anticipated title, but for a generic, franchised, DLCd-to-death "aaa" game...ummm, no. There's no game I want that badly.

Steam sales combine digital distribution with good prices, and the great part is that there are alternatives too. You have no alternatives with a console's walled garden.

 

[smithy_2045]

Yeah, you guys and gals get the rough end of the stick when it comes to games pricing. Still, in the age of digital distribution where there's no retail middle-man and no physical copies that need to be actually shipped thousands of miles I would have (foolishly) expected this next gen of consoles to at least begin to bring in some measure of price parity.

Well, if you ignore North America, we appear to have parity; problem is that the parity excluding North America is about $30USD higher than than the cost of games in North America...

 

[Grouchy Imp_v1legacy]

Yeah, you guys and gals get the rough end of the stick when it comes to games pricing. Still, in the age of digital distribution where there's no retail middle-man and no physical copies that need to be actually shipped thousands of miles I would have (foolishly) expected this next gen of consoles to at least begin to bring in some measure of price parity.

Well, if you ignore North America, we appear to have parity; problem is that the parity excluding North America is about $30USD higher than than the cost of games in North America...

Ah, that'd be the $30 'serves y'all right for not being an honest-to-goodness American citizen' tax. I always forget about that one.

 

[Hagi]

Behold, the reason why PC Gamer Master Race is taken seriously at times and not always as a joke.

I'm just glad that if Steam ever decides to pull this kind of crap there are other digital distributors I can move to for my games, instead of being stuck to a single marketplace that's fully controlled by a single company.