IGN: "Console Gaming is Too Damn Expensive, Something Has to Give."
Neofire
Member
I agree, PC gaming is still far more expensive for equal and greater specs.
Bonfires Down
Member
Almost all digital Nintendo games also have 30% off sales on a somewhat regular basis.
Neofire
Member
Hold up all you need to run games on a PC is a gfx card now? No motherboard, power supply, CPU, keyboard and mouse, decent monitor to put the visuals? Not to mention case, ram and software lol all that shit is doubled the cost of a PS5 pro and that's if you get the bare minimum parts that 4070 needs to function.
hemo memo
You can't die before your death
If you bought five games a year, that is £400.
Mr Reasonable
Completely Unreasonable
I think if you don't then you're making it harder to be profitable.
Nintendo are the only ones to not have a multiplatform strategy and they have the largest margins because they've been working in a sort of time warp where development costs are grounded years gone by but they price according to current market rate.
All the stuff that you mention about Nintendo aren't really about cost - Nintendo hardware not being the strongest and whichever third party engines not being optimised for them would mean that it'd be a no brainer to not use them. So why use them? Because developers know how to use them and so you either have to hire and train developers to use your bespoke software environment which takes time and means increased cost or you use the environments that you can recruit practically all engineers from. Of course if you can retain staff forever then you only need to train them once.
I don't think that seems like a terrible situation, it sounds pretty good to me. But for whatever reason, companies are using 3rd party engines like Unreal etc presumably because it costs less and gives them more flexibility when hiring from a limited pool of skilled developers.
That doesn't mean that I don't feel affection for the days where companies had their own engines that had some sort of mystique about them, but I don't think it'd be cheaper to go back to those days - companies would already be doing it if it was.
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Cakeboxer
Member
Lower game prices + no penalty fee for online gaming x ~6 years
KyoZz
Tag, you're it.
Why are you just responding to that? Also you are the one bringing PC in there dude.
Skifi28
Member
Being able to afford something and seeing the value in it are very different things.
Astray
Member
If you play F2P games or don't play online at all, then you don't have to pay for online on any console.
Felessan
Member
Yeah, every company should ignore their own rising costs and give you products for free just because cost of life is rising. Yeah, it sure does this work in reality.
You mean f2p online stuff, the main games on PC and mobile "those will stay"
F2P is exactly the dark side of accessible gaming on multi-purpose devices - it's so accessible that people play for free and there are not much room for premium games.
PC gaming is much cheaper in the long run, and it's not even close. And most people dont care that much about graphics because the majority of PC gaming takes place on laptops. And many have laptops already so there's a lot of people for whom switching to PC doesn't even come with additional cost of buying hardware because they already have it, they just didnt use it for that.
Also a lot of people dont care for AAA gaming and while on console you need to upgrade your console because games will just stop releasing for the old one. On PC you can have a 10 year old PC and 90% of games that release work on your platform, and do so perfectly fine because most games are indie games that dont require good hardware. I do play some new AAA games but if i had a choice between owning an outdated 10 year old PC or a PS5 pro i would choose the PC any day of the week. Just has a vastly better a bigger library, that keeps getting bigger every day.
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GoldenEye98
posts news as their odd job
It depends on if you play non-F2P online.
Otherwise you basically gotta tack on hundreds of extra dollars over the course of a generation.
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Guilty_AI
Member
Games dont exist in a vacuum in our lives. Many people need PCs for a variety of tasks, and when you take that into account, a gaming PC often comes cheaper than a console + PC combo.
Plus, although physical can indeed offer cheaper prices theoretically, in practice it runs into supply issues. Meaning things like simply living in the wrong place can make certain game disks not-so-cheap anymore, or the game in question isn't even available physically. Not to mention older games that stopped being printed and essentially became expensive collectors items.
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they have addressed both. Just 2 quick Google searches:
Switch 2 Around the World: High Game Price Is a Universal Pain - IGN
IGN editors from across the world discuss the global reaction to Switch 2, from hardware improvements to high game prices.
Why $70 PS5 and Xbox Series X Games Make Sense...but the Timing Couldn't Be Worse - IGN
OPINION: Production values have all gone up, so it’s understandable if prices do too. But it’s not that simple.
So, I don't know what you and your fellow rats liking your post are on about. Get a grip.
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MALpractice311
Member
Glad to hear that. Although who does and doesn't offer sales wasn't really my point. My point was gamers can very easily control how expensive this hobby is by simply controlling when they actually buy games.
Cakeboxer
Member
Yeah and if you don't turn your console on you don't even have to pay for the electricity.
We are here in an enthusiasts forum and i think most here buy several games per year and/or play online.
Astray
Member
If you are going to cite a major cost then cite it correctly.
I personally think that there's a business case to be made for losing paid online, it hampers the growth of paid online-only games too much compared to f2p.
But that doesn't mean I get to distort reality to suit my arguments either.
KungFucius
King Snowflake
This is so fucking naive. These companies have an advantage over consumers. People won't stop buying them, they will make sacrifices if they can't easily afford one. 80 dollar games are 1/7th more expensive. Do you think anywhere near 1/7 fewer people will buy them? Of course not. The vote with your wallet meme is nonsense because most will grin and bear it.
The_Mike
I cry about SonyGaf from my chair in Redmond, WA
Learn to read.
calico
Member
Ok? The statement made was that the average American spends $1000 a year at Starbucks, in the context of using that figure to prove that Americans are so awash with disposable income that the game price rises are trivial in comparison. But the real figure is more like $100 than $1000, which rather undermines the point being made.
I don't know why people be reaching so hard when they try to inflate the price so hard.
What do you mean 100$ per accessories? Why is this included like this is a necessity, had my PS5 for 4+ years now and never bought an accessory lol
Plus, 200$/year for online features, what? lol, it's still a ton but it's 80$/year for online features, if you mean PS+ Extra/Premium sure they're more expensive, but definitely not 200$/year and you seem to forget you still get games included with it, that's like the whole point of the service?
winjer
Member
Regarding the hardware, yes.
But games are much cheaper. Especially using key sites.
So in the long run, PC becomes cheaper than consoles.
PeteBull
Member
If u are hardcore gamer its way more than 80 for a game u spending yearly, many of us buy 20-30games/year(ofc not all of them are full price but still cost adds up), ad to that paying online and cost of console hardware or in pc case even higher cost and it can be few k usd/euro/year, ofc u can game in survival mode aka old games/focus on backlog, or series s+gamepass then its much cheaper, but u dont get that full fat experience some1 gets for buying games at launch/playing on better hardware, be it ps5pr0 or high end pc.
TKOFromTokyo
Member
Console gaming was never really cheap to begin with. Growing up, I was lucky to have 15 games for a console. I'd usually get a game for my birthday and Christmas.
AngelMuffin
Member
I'm guessing neither of those guys bought games/consoles in the 90s.
Team Andromeda
Member
I'm more on about software and console games have always cost 10 to 20 quid more than the same game on the PC, and if you account for inflation, us Mega Drive and SNES fans were paying £80 to £100 in the 90's
So its never been cheap and for me the biggest barrier to gaming taking off to the masses and not the screen bullshit Xbox go on about
Skifi28
Member
You're saying it like it's a bad thing.
MikeM
Member
Not at all. I'm saying affordable gaming still exists for those who can't stomach the price of a Series X/PS5.
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Lunarorbit
Member
I just wait for sales. It's actually an extremely cheap hobby with prices that had been stable for 30 years
These "journalists" know nothing of economics. Yup sales for consoles will be down this gen and next.
Nintendo better start adjusting their forecasts cause people are not going to be able to buy switch 2 at the same volume as the first. People aren't going to be buying 3 switchs for their families. With no sales Nintendo is in for some pain
These "journalists" know nothing of economics. Yup sales for consoles will be down this gen and next.
Nintendo better start adjusting their forecasts cause people are not going to be able to buy switch 2 at the same volume as the first. People aren't going to be buying 3 switchs for their families. With no sales Nintendo is in for some pain
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Raven77
Member
Haha you got me there, but book prices have not been immune to increases either.
Yes, I do. I have nearly 20 years of experience in the global Finance industry - most of it specifically dealing with research and data related to global macroeconomics (trade, currencies, logistics, policy, trends, history, forward looking guidance, etc.)
I'm not sure what you game market comment is supposed to mean.
However, I, like major decision makers at large companies, prefer to deal in facts and numbers.
So here are several:
- AAA game development cost has increased ~100x since the N64 era.
- Game prices have stayed largely the same at an average of $60.
- Inflation has pushed the price of nearly everything up, including labor (developers).
- Other forms of entertainment are generally much more expensive than even 15 years ago.
I don't like it, but the fact is game prices should be over $100 right now if they stayed on trend.
We're lucky they haven't been increasing like everything else for the past 25 years.
Fess
Member
I'm too lazy to look it up but I'll take your word for it. Still, back to topic, gaming was expensive back in the days too.
An Amiga 500 was a $650 purchase in 1987.
If I tap that into an inflation calculator it says that it's the equivalent of $1,800 today.
On SNES I exclusively bought used games because they were so expensive.
Found an old magazine showing Donkey Kong Country costing $75 in 1994. It's the equivalent of $160 in 2025 in the same inflation calculator.
__SteakDeck__
Member
Not true. IGN ripped the PS5 Pro. Called it a waste of money, and that you're better off building a PC. IGN Xbox "journalists" Like Ryan Mccaffrey and Destin Legarie both ripped the price. Only for Ryan to buy it a couple of days ago.
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GoldenEye98
posts news as their odd job
Gaming was expensive back in the day....but renting games was a huge thing.
__SteakDeck__
Member
Exactly. IGN and the media were ripping the PS5 Pro left and right.they have addressed both. Just 2 quick Google searches:
Switch 2 Around the World: High Game Price Is a Universal Pain - IGN
IGN editors from across the world discuss the global reaction to Switch 2, from hardware improvements to high game prices.www.ign.com
Why $70 PS5 and Xbox Series X Games Make Sense...but the Timing Couldn't Be Worse - IGN
OPINION: Production values have all gone up, so it’s understandable if prices do too. But it’s not that simple.
So, I don't know what you and your fellow rats liking your post are on about. Get a grip.
__SteakDeck__
Member
Uh. Idk about that. The Xbox One X version of RDR2 was the best version on console.
rm082e
Member
Then that's capitalism working as intended. If gaming is a high enough priority to a person that they will choose not to spend money on other things so they can save that money and spend it on gaming, what's the problem?
It's not like the console companies are operating at drug dealer margins. Phil Spencer said under oath in the ABK trial that the Xbox division operates at a "single digit profit margin" (note that he didn't say which single digit...). The bean counter guy who took over PlayStation for Jim Ryan did a big review and said publicly that PS hadn't been delivering the margins they should have because they were wasting money. I don't think he stated a profit percentage on their investor call, but I somehow doubt they were significantly higher than Xbox.
If these companies are operating around or under 10% profit as a whole, I don't know how anyone can be upset with them for charging the prices they charge. They are publicly traded companies. That means they have a fiduciary duty to their shareholders. If you don't like it, then buy a console produced by a privately held company.
And if you aren't comfortable paying full price for new games, then wait months for sales or check into GameFly. If you aren't comfortable paying retail prices for hardware, then shop used.
Staying at the "same" price point in the past had to do with larger audience. Many more people these days buy games. That outperformed inflation for a while do much with hat games actually got cheaper and than slowly more expensive.
But that's only the launch prices. Most games these days get much cheaper after a few months. That wasn't really a thing in the early 2000th.
But why is this thread a thing as MS did just what Sony did at the start of the current generation.
Question is also if this is a worldwide thing, as the dollar is currently the main source of the problems and the current us gov seems to make the things worse for the Dollar.
But yes, there is a thing that in general game development got much much more expensive, just because games got bigger, more complex and much more personal is now involved in the development.
DirtyBast8rd
Member
There are settings that you simple do not get on console next gen patch or not. And i know its just an example. Its always an just an example.
Critical Hit
Member
More gamers = more sales = more money.
Don't you think it's one of the reasons why the game industry has grown?
So it's unprofitable right now?
Humdinger
Gold Member
It may be, especially when you consider that most games make the vast majority of their sales within the first week or two. What will happen when more buyers decide to wait, to not jump in during that early period? Do they still end up buying the game 6 months later? Or do they have their attention drawn elsewhere, or their enthusiasm dim, or move on to something else in the interval?
DeltaPolarBear
Member
It isn't the console gaming being expensive, it is the customers becoming poorer.
The bad times are coming and some of us have to make sacrifices. In the end you have more ways to play than ever, even ways to play for free. We all had to budget. We are literally poorer than our parents as a population, that is something we had to live with.
The bad times are coming and some of us have to make sacrifices. In the end you have more ways to play than ever, even ways to play for free. We all had to budget. We are literally poorer than our parents as a population, that is something we had to live with.
rofif
Banned
But the difference is still usually marginal. Even in pt games.
Raven77
Member
You're misconstruing a couple of different things, trying to combine them into some kind of argument that games should never go up in price.
I've already given you the by-the-numbers factual, admittedly highly truncated, version of why games are long overdue for a price increase.
More people excited about and purchasing things within an industry is never tantamount to the prices those consumers pay going down.
Dr. Kitty Muffins
Member
Key resellers are laughing right now.
Indeed. I can get behind console price increases. I mean look at today's consoles (PS5, PS5 Pro and Xbox Series), and all the tech they pack in. PS2 had a DVD player (a huge value back when it launched), but then it had the same PSone wired controller, no internal memory at all, you had to spend money on memory cards. No Wifi either.
Xbox had an internal hdd and could use component cables, no integrated wifi either, and a hideous huge wired controller. Those consoles were $300 back then.
Playstation and Xbox today are state of the art machines. I mean it was simply insane that Sony was as bold as they were pricing a digital PS5 only $400 in late 2020. When you compare it to what a PS4 packed in for $400 in late 2013, it just blows your mind. Even more lopsided in favor of the X when compared to the gimped VHS Xbox One even at $400 (sans Kinect) vs $500.
All that said, increasing the price of games is pure greed. Today these companies make a lot of money selling you digital licenses directly with no intermediary, they still make a lot of money with their sub services which are for the most part slaving scams, and they also make tons of money from add-ons. Making games is expensive? takes more time? Not our fucking problem.
There are hundreds of games that millions love and make bank, get a clue already. Elden Ring, a PS4 game sold 30 million, they probably took 3 years to make that (subtracting time lost due to pandemic), and cost a fraction of many other AAA games. Most gamers, specially new generation gamers don't give a fuck about CG movie-like graphics. Helldivers 2 is $40 and doesn't look "next gen", the minority in forums like here dismissed that game like DOA or something. It made bank, big time.
It's not all about make them bigger and more graphically intricate. They will have to find a middle ground, or crash and burn, because increasing game prices is not the way and it will bite them in the ass.
Portugeezer
Member
Yes and no. The game prices are reaching a ridiculous point. If AAA publishers think their games are worth the higher simply because it's AAA in budget... then they're in for a shock. Fewer and fewer games seem to warrant the high price in terms of quality.
That being said. You buy a console and you're good for the latest games for 10+ years, and now both Sony and MS offer great subscription services which are easy to jump into.
That being said. You buy a console and you're good for the latest games for 10+ years, and now both Sony and MS offer great subscription services which are easy to jump into.