Not Greedy, Just Clueless

[irishda]

Movies cost a lot considering the long pre-production time and extensive editing and test-marketing period. Just because the filming is only a few months doesn't mean it's quicker than for games.

The longer time games take to complete cannot account for the 8 to 15 fold price difference and much MUCH smaller game sales.

When I hear about a movie that's been in production (note: PRODUCTION, not the limbo of a script or some test footage bouncing around) for roughly 14 years, then I'll concede that games take shorter time. It's true games can be rushed out within a year or less time. But honestly, the ones that are are usually the ones that are just the same game with some new gimmick. For the majority of games, the real quality ones take a long time to develop.

And yeah, I'd say "much MUCH smaller game sales" probably answers your question about why one costs more.

"I never did mind the price though, if only because I rarely bought NEW games."

This is the problem, you are depending on a system of so many people selling their games they bought new, this is jsut turning the idea of permanent ownership of the physical copy on its head by how it has to be resold. But that's a zero sum development, for you to get a new game you depend on someone buying your game used so they won't buy it new.

Re-sale is supposed to be a safety valve, not a fundamental component. It seems to really affecting the number of sales consoles could make.

The tie ratio for Xbox 360 is only ten, that means for every xbox 360 sold, only 10 new games have been sold. Over almost 8 years, that should be way higher, the average Xbox 360 gamer has only

We've seen in almost every other area that when games are sold for half their price from $60 to $40, they would sell in more than twice the numbers. That's the company earning more money and more people are happy getting the game. Win-win situation but the companies are too stupid, it's a kind of "greed" as they want to get as much out of each game as possibly they end up earning less.

And why do pools cost so much? People would be willing to buy more pools which means more money for pool guys. Win-win. But they're too stupid to be effectively greedy, so they shoot themselves in the foot trying to charge us so much to put water in a hole. It couldn't possibly be for any other reason other than "they're too dumb to charge less and get more."

Games have gone from 20 hour epics to 5 hour corridor-runs. Graphics have gotten better but the gameplay has gone backwards.

And $60 is the price you get with CONSOLES.

That's not the deal you get with PC gaming, I haven't given up on all gaming for the console practices. I have given up on console gaming for the practices on consoles. I get better quality games on PC for a lower price.

Oh good, a "master PC race" guy. Cause lord knows consoles don't have any sort of online market to buy indie games/older games for lower prices. And yes, tell me all about the stunning stone age of gameplay we find ourselves in since the glorious years of Space Invaders and Pac-Man. Games were 20 hour "epics" because graphics were not massively expensive time wasters, and the levels were the very definition of repetition. In all honesty, this is one of the greatest times ever to be a gamer, but damned if anybody around here can see that.

 

[Treblaine]

When I hear about a movie that's been in production (note: PRODUCTION, not the limbo of a script or some test footage bouncing around) for roughly 14 years, then I'll concede that games take shorter time. It's true games can be rushed out within a year or less time. But honestly, the ones that are are usually the ones that are just the same game with some new gimmick. For the majority of games, the real quality ones take a long time to develop.

They still don't cost more.

http://www.investopedia.com/financial-edge/0611/why-movies-cost-so-much-to-make.aspx#axzz2NgC1eaee

http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=18389

You seem to be referring to Duke Nukem Forever. No. That was not being developed for 14 years. Most of that time that small team was doing precisely nothing or an hugely bone-headed moves abandoning work they had already done to start again from scratch.

And yeah, I'd say "much MUCH smaller game sales" probably answers your question about why one costs more.

You have blatantly reversed the causation.

Can't you see how high prices LOWER sales? Does the price of goods have no effect on you? How can you be ignorant of the huge pre-owned market, which is where people sell the games they bought new to subsidise buying new games and the games they sell of course mean that won't be sold new.

And why do pools cost so much? People would be willing to buy more pools which means more money for pool guys. Win-win. But they're too stupid to be effectively greedy, so they shoot themselves in the foot trying to charge us so much to put water in a hole. It couldn't possibly be for any other reason other than "they're too dumb to charge less and get more."

A pool outfitter can't make infinite copies of pools for free, and can't easily sell them directly to every household.

A game publisher can.

People clearly want to play more games than they are buying new, with this whole mess of the pre-owned business.

And yes they really are that dumb. But mainly it's conspiring factors, like how the console manufacturer's insist on a large monetary cut that makes trying to go lower than $60 untenable. But on PC, it works.

Oh good, a "master PC race" guy. Cause lord knows consoles don't have any sort of online market to buy indie games/older games for lower prices. And yes, tell me all about the stunning stone age of gameplay we find ourselves in since the glorious years of Space Invaders and Pac-Man. Games were 20 hour "epics" because graphics were not massively expensive time wasters, and the levels were the very definition of repetition. In all honesty, this is one of the greatest times ever to be a gamer, but damned if anybody around here can see that.

Oh dear, someone who doesn't get the "master PC race" joke.

I'm not talking about Indie games, I'm talking about new big budget games doing for $30-40. Bioshock Inifinite is on sale right now for £30 on Steam, that's $45.

graphics were not massively expensive time wasters

Nor are they today. Newer 3D authoring tools and animation techniques have increased productivity hugely.

You realise Valve have their fans develop models for games and it's stood up to the professionals?

http://steamcommunity.com/workshop/

and the levels were the very definition of repetition.

Lol. That's not true and you can't possibly back that up.

In all honesty, this is one of the greatest times ever to be a gamer

Honesty? How about you are honest about your experience as a qualifier for your declaring it being better than ever.

 

[YodaUnleashed]

"Steam has not only sold us games we never intended to buy, but they've trained us to treat their advertisements like a reward" Oh my goodness you're so right, I never had any intention of buying Alan Wake (and its expansions) or the thief trilogy, but they were going for such a cheap price in steam sales I couldn't resist what looked like 'steals' to me, and yet there they have remained in my steam collection, uninstalled since the day I bought them (granted only a few months ago but still). I suppose its what drives bargain sale culture so strongly, the mentality that one is making a personal gain when that 'gain' was never even in the mind of the buyer in the first place.