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Why are PC versions of games cheaper than the console versions??
omv
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Apologies in advance if this has been address already, but my rudimentary searches didn't turn anything up.
Ever since Fallout 3 came out, I've been surprised by how the PC version of a game seems to be $10+ cheaper than the ps3/xbox. For games that initially came out for consoles first, I could see this making a bit more sense, but lately there have been a bunch of simultaneous releases, and they all seem to be a bit cheaper on the PC (here's the list of ones I've personally bought/preordered)
Fallout 3
Overlord 2
Badlands (granted, avail 1 week earlier on consoles)
Dragon Age
Mass Effect 2
Over time, the prices seem like they re-converge (Red Faction:G is now $40 on both, Fallout 3 original now appears to be $40 on both, though GOTYE is $50 on PC, $60 on consoles).
Does this make sense to anyone? With the greater number of hardware configs to support, and the increased chance of piracy, it seems to me the PC versions should be more expensive. Does microsoft/sony take that large a cut of each console game sold!?
Ever since Fallout 3 came out, I've been surprised by how the PC version of a game seems to be $10+ cheaper than the ps3/xbox. For games that initially came out for consoles first, I could see this making a bit more sense, but lately there have been a bunch of simultaneous releases, and they all seem to be a bit cheaper on the PC (here's the list of ones I've personally bought/preordered)
Fallout 3
Overlord 2
Badlands (granted, avail 1 week earlier on consoles)
Dragon Age
Mass Effect 2
Over time, the prices seem like they re-converge (Red Faction:G is now $40 on both, Fallout 3 original now appears to be $40 on both, though GOTYE is $50 on PC, $60 on consoles).
Does this make sense to anyone? With the greater number of hardware configs to support, and the increased chance of piracy, it seems to me the PC versions should be more expensive. Does microsoft/sony take that large a cut of each console game sold!?
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Really though I think it has more to do with the fact that there is no platform holder to dictate prices. Remember how console games used to be $50 as well? And then MS and Sony said the "next gen" games will cost more.
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Unless companies like EA continue to do things like the digital deluxe version of Dragon Age. For $55 you get the first DLC and some spiffy items so I'll probably go ahead and get it. Since it actually has content I'll pay for it, of course that content should be in the game anyway but that's a different DLC debate.
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b: PC gaming and console gaming are two different things in so many ways. Similar to how PC gamers expect dedicated servers for multiplayer games(look at the MW2 shit going down), not to pay for DLC, to have adjustable resolutions, mappable controls, etc. etc. etc. and console gamers expect to put the game in and have it work, have friends lists across everything, etc. etc. etc.
If you want to see what happens when someone tries to break out of this, look at, for instance, GFWL. No one used Games for windows live because PC gamers don't pay for online outside of MMOs. That's just how it works. Expecting PC gamers to pay for GFWL is silly.
I've always thought that ease of piracy on the PC side plays some role in this. The availability of the same products for free acts as a kind of competition, driving prices down; copyright holders need to occupy a price point where their customers' guilt over stealing the game isn't outweighed by the cost of the legitimate product.
This is only happening with MW2 and I have never seen a PC game rise to $60 before.
It will be interesting to see if this will start a trend in which all major cross-platform releases are put out at the $60 price point, or if it will just be a one-time deal where PC gamers get angry at activision. (That said I will be totally willing to shell out $60 for my PC copy)
What's interesting about MW2 is that a lot of retailers are now selling it with special deals so if you look past a single source it's down to $50 again.
Of course activision is doing its best to kill any PC sales so
The digital version of Dragon Age deluxe version is $65.
Anyways, the answer is simply because PC gamers are a fickle bunch who view stealing a game as competition for buying it. When much of your consumer base use the phrase "well I'll just pirate it" to respond to anything they don't like, raising the price is extremely difficult.
You could say that about people who own chipped 360's. In fact moreso because they have to pay more for it.
Now stop talking bollocks please.
CoD4 used to cost 60 euros on Steam.
Also Activision hates PC games and doesn't want to sell them. I'll wait for Modern Warfare 2 to come down a bit because while the first one was a great ride it was very short and the multiplayer really wasn't all that great.
i am quoting this so because it is so right
but we were talking about real people money
Also that's absurd. Silly european prices.
And yeah, piracy is another thing. Especially since any developer will get laughed out of the room if they try to charge an extra 20% on top of the price and then blame piracy for decreased sales(though god bless them, I'm sure they'd still try).
If the developer decides to give PC gamers the finger, PC gamers respond by, if they have a conscience, not buying the game, and if they don't, pirating the game anyways, because it's just as easy as buying it.
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Also on the PC market you have digital distribution which forces retail to lower prices in order to compete, hence why the PC sections in retail have become smaller (at least where I am) since they make less money from each sale.
The one thing I don't like about this is that you can cut out a lot of content in a normal game and then tack it on for a extra price to make it sound you are getting someting special.
Right now Dragon Age's is weird since its already stated to to curb used sales or something.
People have already mentioned MW2, but isn't activision also raising the price for all their other PC games too? *cough*Starcraft 2*
We'll see, but who here doesn't doubt that IW will put piracy above things such as the price hike or dedicated servers as reasons why the PC version of MW2 doesn't sell better. (Of course, it will still sell pretty well, all things considered)
I've definately been in that sort of mood lately, having traded in several of my games as soon as I complete, obviously if it has good multiplayer or replability then I'll keep but it does mean that I've been able to get a few new games Batman, Wet, ODST, Dirt 2, etc, one after another using trade in cash from the previous to buy the new one. As you say, you can't really do that with PC games anymore, its' a shame too.
They tried it. A lot of places had the original Neverwinter Nights, and a few other PC games around that time for $60, it didn't go over well. If you google around, you'll actually still find a few WTF comments/articles about it out there.
What is this?
Also, consoles are really bad about retail price maintenance. PCs don't encounter the same price control factors you usually see with consoles. While there are certain price maintenance agreements, Amazon, Best Buy or Steam have more discretion with dropping the price of PC software than they would with consoles, because Nintendo, Sony, or Microsoft will be all up in their shit.
This was an issue well before digital distribution. Like, 1980s-era when Nintendo would bust people's balls.
In theory.
In reality the publishers force Steam to price their stuff the same as retail.
Hell, CoD4 is still 50 euros on Steam. I bought it for half retail a week ago.
Preordering the Borderlands 4-pack on Steam is 135 dollars, which works out to about 34 dollars per copy.
Retail price for PC is 50.
Consoles are 60.
Steam is great.
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Hooray, one deal. Everything else is at least 20% cheaper retail.
It depends. For new PC games, its usually about the same. If you hunt around, you can often find pretty good deals in retail. However, the Steam Weekend Sales typically undercut current retail prices by a significant margin, so theres always very good deals to be had.
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True, but the arugment for digital distrubution is cheaper doesn't hold very well if it only applies during sales. Recently, I've been seeing some pretty good bargins (Such as the L4D or Borderlands packs), but these are rare. In my experience, the cheapest I've seen games is via online retail.
I'm sure Valve is enjoying being the ones scooping up that extra margin in "cost for consumer vs cost to distributor". But until brick and mortar stores have no sway(good luck toppling Wal-Mart and Gamestop in sales) things will continue as is.
Unless Steam doesn't have the game the day I want it or I find a good deal through Amazon or somewhere I'd rather pay a bit more to never have to deal with a disk or CD-Key. Plus little things like steam keeping track of play time among other things. Add in the sales and I find it a perfectly fine setup for the foreseeable future.
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No tax for steam games either, at least not for some people so there's that too. Also 4 packs and the like, and no shipping fees if you were to order online.
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Echo, don't even try to pretend you haven't bought an absolute crapton of games on Steam because of their really frequent sales and package deals.
Well I don't know about the next five years, but I can certainly see maybe the next fifteen or twenty years. I do not see box copies going away at all, but I do see them perhaps becoming the domain of collectors/enthusiasts. Much like vinyl records are today I suppose.