Roughly two months ago, Signal Hill analyst Todd Greenwald said publishers would ease up on the standard $60 pricing for Triple-A games, but now he's changing his tune. According to Greenwald (via GamesIndustry.biz), the $60 price tag won't change anytime soon, as consumers are satisfied with the current pricing and enjoy spending more on premium-priced special edition software. So it's all your fault.
Although, with a growing market for cheap, used games (Toys R' Us and Amazon joining the fray) and a trend towards cost-cutting digital distribution, you'd think there would be even more pressure put on the relatively high retail pricing. Greenwald takes this into account, too; he states that although "near-term fundamentals are holding up well," a long-term projection is "cloudy." In short, as long as games continue to fly off the shelves like they are now, $59.99 is here to stay.
Reader Comments (77)
Posted: Mar 27th 2009 9:03PM Nick the Hero of Canton said
As long as it doesn't go up :/
Posted: Mar 28th 2009 11:35AM SoCoolCurt said
yea i remember the $40 PSOne days. i still think $49.99 looks much better on a sticker than $59.99 though and i feel like it really does make me think twice about buying more games. 2 games is $120 which is alot of fricken money, even compared to $100.
as long as it doesn't go up, i'll manage i guess. but $69.99 games might me rethink my hobby of choice.....
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as long as it doesn't go up, i'll manage i guess. but $69.99 games might me rethink my hobby of choice.....
Posted: Mar 28th 2009 7:19PM (Unverified) said
Yeah, us Canadians are screwed over and you'd be nuts to buy a newly released game at retail here. Now most of us are forced to buy games used elsewhere and that doesn't help the publishers at all.
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Posted: Mar 28th 2009 8:51PM ALBGunner04 said
When this generation started back in 2006-2007 (I never checked 360 launch game prices), one game would cost $69.99. Over the years though, when the Canadian dollar went up, becoming much stronger than the U.S. dollar, retailers such as FutureShop brought prices down to $59.99. Now, even though the U.S. dollar is stronger than the Canadian dollar, prices have remained the same. I remember I also bought my PlayStation 3 in Canada, which cost me like $630 (20GB Launch). Now, PS3s go for $399, and $499. Considering these prices, buying a PlayStation 3 now is more cheaper in Canada for Americans, since our dollar is weaker, meaning they pay less.
Anyway, people need to ditch game stores like GameStop/EBGames. They suck, and they always try to rip you off. Retailers like BestBuy and FutureShop are much more reasonable to deal with from my experiences.
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Anyway, people need to ditch game stores like GameStop/EBGames. They suck, and they always try to rip you off. Retailers like BestBuy and FutureShop are much more reasonable to deal with from my experiences.
Posted: Mar 27th 2009 9:05PM (Unverified) said
EDIT: NO ONE reserves the right to say "first." It's a bannable offense if repeated actually. I promise if you post first in the comments, without saying it, people will KNOW you posted first. It's a crazy world.
Posted: Mar 27th 2009 9:05PM (Unverified) said
FFFFFFFFFUUUUUUUUUCCCCCCKKKKK...better luck next three months...
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Posted: Mar 27th 2009 9:19PM (Unverified) said
lol, actually that was added as an afterthough because living in a British timezone, I get far more opportunities to do it than the banhammer would allow me to.
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Posted: Mar 27th 2009 9:39PM (Unverified) said
Levi:
Well do to the lack of Space Nazis, I'd have to say "no"
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Well do to the lack of Space Nazis, I'd have to say "no"
Posted: Mar 27th 2009 9:07PM moofree said
It'll be safe till the prices start getting adjusted upward for inflation.
End the Fed!
End the Fed!
Posted: Mar 27th 2009 9:12PM (Unverified) said
Good thing I've got a Wii, where that games are still $50, unlike all the other consoles which are inferior in some way.
Posted: Mar 27th 2009 9:19PM (Unverified) said
It's a good thing you don't have to spend that $50 too much thanks to the drought.
I don't care if I am getting a Wii people, I still reserve the right to toy with stupid fanboys.
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I don't care if I am getting a Wii people, I still reserve the right to toy with stupid fanboys.
Posted: Mar 27th 2009 9:29PM (Unverified) said
wow tmac, I never knew that the PS3/360 drought had worked its way over to the Wii.
I must of been too busy stimulating the economy, $50 (or for PES, $40) at a time
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I must of been too busy stimulating the economy, $50 (or for PES, $40) at a time
Posted: Mar 27th 2009 10:23PM snarfoogle said
I thought Wii games were however much a blank DVD-R costs?
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Posted: Mar 28th 2009 9:02AM GewurztraminerX said
First of all, most Wii games that aren't worth $50 aren't sold at $50. It's nice to have a lower costing alternative for the frugal minded gamer out there (i.e. me for the last two years).
However, after recently getting a 360, the $60 price for games on it is actually starting to make sense (graphics, online features, etc); but just because I understand it doesn't mean I have to like it.
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However, after recently getting a 360, the $60 price for games on it is actually starting to make sense (graphics, online features, etc); but just because I understand it doesn't mean I have to like it.
Posted: Mar 27th 2009 9:16PM ChaseOrBeChased said
These analysts are paid way too much.
Posted: Mar 27th 2009 9:17PM (Unverified) said
I hate paying $60 for a game and it really makes me pick and choose my games these days. For instance I was interested in getting Guitar Hero: Metallica because I love rhythm games and I like their music, but once I saw it was $60 instead of $40 I decided against it. I can understand why most games are $60, but sometimes publishers need to think about whether the content they are putting on the disc justifies a $60 price tag.
O and for the record, $40 was a ridiculous price for AC/DC Rock Band, but I still bought it because I love AC/DC and I already have a shit ton of DLC on RB (which is why I'm more hesitant to buy anything GH).
O and for the record, $40 was a ridiculous price for AC/DC Rock Band, but I still bought it because I love AC/DC and I already have a shit ton of DLC on RB (which is why I'm more hesitant to buy anything GH).
Posted: Mar 27th 2009 9:20PM TheDarkWayne said
Well that's great, what are we supposed to do? Not buy new games? Fuck that
Posted: Mar 27th 2009 9:27PM patboy2008 said
That's why I love GameFly. The only reason I joined was because games cost $60. Ever since I been a member I've never paid $40 or more for a game.
Posted: Mar 27th 2009 9:29PM (Unverified) said
No way. I would be getting a lot more games if they weren't so expensive. Now, the first question I ask: "is it worth $60?" Most of the time the answer is no. Most games are only worth $40.
Posted: Mar 27th 2009 9:44PM AoE said
Way more games, or just one more for every 5 you would purchase otherwise? I mean, if you were going to buy 5 games at $60 (for a total of $300) or 6 games at $50 (for a total of $300) that's... not going to encourage game makers/stores to lower the price, as it will actually cost them more $$$ to get your $$$.
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Posted: Mar 27th 2009 9:30PM F1 Basu Gasu Bakuhatsu said
Thank god! I was afraid that they would start to go down!
Posted: Mar 27th 2009 10:36PM (Unverified) said
Posted: Mar 27th 2009 9:38PM (Unverified) said
I live in Vancouver, Canada and the main retailers for video games are Best Buy, Future Shop (owned by Best Buy), and EB Games (owned by Gamestop). There has been a trend in the last 6 months or so to charge above $59.99 for all new releases or popular titles and it's practically impossible to find a new game for less than $69.99 now. The main retailers are all doing it which makes me wonder if they had some secret meeting at their nefarious moonbase or something. Games have always been $59.99 until recently and it's painfully obvious that just because the game industry is not as hard hit by this recession, these retailers are just trying to squeeze more profit out of us gamers. If publishers were suggesting a higher MSRP and they had good reason then maybe it wouldn't seem so underhanded, but the extra money is just making these retailers all the more profitable.
Posted: Mar 27th 2009 9:48PM ch3burashka said
I have the solution for you: leave Canada. They're just a bunch of flapping heads anyways, with their aboots and 'sohrrys'.
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Posted: Mar 27th 2009 9:53PM (Unverified) said
Yeah I live in St.John's and its the same here. I have noticed that new releases for 360 and ps3 are usually 64.99 at Wal-mart, though.
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Posted: Mar 27th 2009 9:38PM retrofuturist said
Goddamn you all, you $60-game-affording oil slicksters.
Posted: Mar 27th 2009 9:41PM Blaquebeird said
This seems backwards. People in a declining economy *want* to spend $60 on a game the ought to be $50 or less? Are people that stupid?
Posted: Mar 27th 2009 9:55PM AoE said
eugh, there was more to the response than that, but i don't want to retype it all. so in a nutshell:
- people seem to love special editions, which can cost up to $90 (that i've seen... more perhaps?) above the $60 regular edition. Just note the frequencey of special editions these days.
- console games jumped to $60 in Nov. 2005, by now most people are over the sticker shock.
- the economy doesn't affect us all equally, some haven't really been affected at all.
- gamers, at least the ones i know tend to not be heavily invested in the stock market or other areas that would cause them to feel the sting of the economic melt-down fully (outside of perhaps losing employment)
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- people seem to love special editions, which can cost up to $90 (that i've seen... more perhaps?) above the $60 regular edition. Just note the frequencey of special editions these days.
- console games jumped to $60 in Nov. 2005, by now most people are over the sticker shock.
- the economy doesn't affect us all equally, some haven't really been affected at all.
- gamers, at least the ones i know tend to not be heavily invested in the stock market or other areas that would cause them to feel the sting of the economic melt-down fully (outside of perhaps losing employment)
Posted: Mar 27th 2009 9:42PM zuburi said
Is the amount of money that they're making on charging an extra $10 worth the money they're losing (all of it) when people buy used to offset said extra $10?
Posted: Mar 27th 2009 9:46PM ch3burashka said
Why is he being paid the big bucks to contradict himself? I wouldn't mind getting paid to say the obvious.
Posted: Mar 27th 2009 9:48PM Erdie said
Who'd they poll? The only games I pay full price for are from my favorite developers.
Posted: Mar 27th 2009 9:52PM (Unverified) said
Want to not pay $60 for games? The answer is simple: SHOP SMART!
I check the CheapAssGamer forums constantly, and though I usually buy from Gamestop, I wait for 20-25 percent off used coupon to get games. You would be amazed how much you can save this way. Sometimes you can get games two days after they come out for $35!
And if you just wait a couple months, most games drop in price drastically. I only pay $60 for a game maybe four or five times a year for a HUGE release like Halo 3 or GTA4.
Be smart, people! Wait! Shop around!
I check the CheapAssGamer forums constantly, and though I usually buy from Gamestop, I wait for 20-25 percent off used coupon to get games. You would be amazed how much you can save this way. Sometimes you can get games two days after they come out for $35!
And if you just wait a couple months, most games drop in price drastically. I only pay $60 for a game maybe four or five times a year for a HUGE release like Halo 3 or GTA4.
Be smart, people! Wait! Shop around!
Posted: Mar 27th 2009 9:54PM Saria the Cat said
I'm a pretty cheapass gamer. If I do buy games at full price, I am extremely choosy.








