Still don't understand - Game Pricing : Othor Games

» Mon Nov 05, 2012 9:35 pm

Well put it this way:

Bethesda spends about 4 years on a game. They release the game for 60 dollars, alright.

Now take a game franchise like Call of duty or Assassins Creed. They pump at least one game a year (if not more) and they charge 60 and sometimes 70 dollars a game. (hell on the PSN you can buy an edition of assasins creed 3 for 120 dollars, like jesus, The game better give me a BJ for that price)

Now if i was bethesda, and i spent 4 times the amount of time and work into my game, and then you see an assassins creed game come out every year for 60 dollars, id sort of be pissed, and i dont blame Bethesda for charging 60 bucks for the game a year later. Why should assassins creed make more money then Elder scrolls just because the game Devs are hacks that like to pump out sub par games?

If anything, we should be lucky that TES games arent 150 dollars when they come out, going off by what other new games come out for. (hell sports games are literally the same game every year with a new roster and they charge 60 bucks every year)

NOTE: The basis on this statement is using Bethesda as a collective unit, not different sectors.

That is hard to justify when you look at what else they have released after Skyrim. They also shouldn't be mad seeing as it's no their fault AC games and such aren't as expansive and open ended as Skyrim is, they chose the road of making such a huge game (not complaining whatsoever, just saying). And seeing as pre 360/PS3 games were like 40 dollars, max of 50 in an actually CD and Case, I think it's a tad ridiculous to sell a virtual copy for 60 dollars a year after the game has been released. However this may be in a different predicament of its own, seeing as I'm also complaining about society's greed and upscale in prices compared to previous console generations.

In short, rather than dropping it down to 50 dollars and making us feel like we've waited long enough we're going to break down an d buy the game, most of us who haven't bought the game are going to wait until either winter sale (assuming they do what they did for the Skyrim Summer Sale), or wait until GOTY edition comes out.

» Mon Nov 05, 2012 10:38 pm

So, I'm still wondering, even now, why Steam don't sell games at prices which are fairly converted between currencies. Why is it most games on the Australian store are more expensive. Take the latest DLC example for Skyrim. Why is it we have to pay $6.49 when others only pay $5, for the same content, when AUD is worth more than USD? Also, with Steam, all shipping and extra costs to get the game to Australia are nonexistant, so why is this the case?

Game, or any final retail pricing has little to do with costs of the products. Taxes, Tariffs, Import Duties, Fees and other pricing factors have to be explored in order to determine why something costs more in one country or region than another.

» Mon Nov 05, 2012 11:11 pm

NOTE: The basis on this statement is using Bethesda as a collective unit, not different sectors.

That is hard to justify when you look at what else they have released after Skyrim. They also shouldn't be mad seeing as it's no their fault AC games and such aren't as expansive and open ended as Skyrim is, they chose the road of making such a huge game (not complaining whatsoever, just saying). And seeing as pre 360/PS3 games were like 40 dollars, max of 50 in an actually CD and Case, I think it's a tad ridiculous to sell a virtual copy for 60 dollars a year after the game has been released. However this may be in a different predicament of its own, seeing as I'm also complaining about society's greed and upscale in prices compared to previous console generations.

In short, rather than dropping it down to 50 dollars and making us feel like we've waited long enough we're going to break down an d buy the game, most of us who haven't bought the game are going to wait until either winter sale (assuming they do what they did for the Skyrim Summer Sale), or wait until GOTY edition comes out.

This is also assuming that Beth has control over when Steam (or Gamestop, or Best Buy, or Amazon) decides to lower their prices. Now, I'm sure there's some influence there, but not direct control.

re: games are too expensive now in general.

Actually, http://shadowofthevoid.wordpress.com/2012/07/03/do-games-cost-too-much/ (inflation-adjusted US prices) since the 90's.

» Mon Nov 05, 2012 9:52 pm

NOTE: The basis on this statement is using Bethesda as a collective unit, not different sectors.

That is hard to justify when you look at what else they have released after Skyrim. They also shouldn't be mad seeing as it's no their fault AC games and such aren't as expansive and open ended as Skyrim is, they chose the road of making such a huge game (not complaining whatsoever, just saying). And seeing as pre 360/PS3 games were like 40 dollars, max of 50 in an actually CD and Case, I think it's a tad ridiculous to sell a virtual copy for 60 dollars a year after the game has been released. However this may be in a different predicament of its own, seeing as I'm also complaining about society's greed and upscale in prices compared to previous console generations.

In short, rather than dropping it down to 50 dollars and making us feel like we've waited long enough we're going to break down an d buy the game, most of us who haven't bought the game are going to wait until either winter sale (assuming they do what they did for the Skyrim Summer Sale), or wait until GOTY edition comes out.

Valid arguments, for sure. But one thing is that the 'games released by bethesda' after skyrim werent MADE by bethesda. Like Dishonored is only produced by bethesda, not made by them. Its the same as fallout new vegas wasnt made by bethesda, so i dont count new vegas as a bethesda game, its an obsidian game (with heavy bethesda influences cus bethesda gave them their content.)

But my point is, Bethesda isnt using their team that makes Skyrim to make dishonored or any other games that have a bethesda name on them that have come out after skyrim. The only games bethesda has MADE in the last few years is Fallout 3, Skyrim, and Oblivion, those are bethesda's newest games as a game maker not a producer. Games like Rage, Wet, Doom and all that dont count as to what im talking about.

» Tue Nov 06, 2012 1:01 am

Exchange rates, greater average income, taxes, etc..

Also brick and mortar stores sell the games at that price, they don't want Valve to undercut them so the publishers set a price that Valve has to sell games at in those territories, from my understanding.

It also has to do with people in those territories are apparently willing to pay the higher price, so why lower the price?

» Tue Nov 06, 2012 12:21 am

The Australian dollar is worth roughly as much as the American dollar. Australian's minimum wage is $15.96. The American minimum wage is $7.25.

This is why Australians pay more.