Cheaper Software In The Future?
See Full ImageConsidering that certain old-school cartridges from two decades ago cost the same as games today (despite the massive advancements in the industry and inflation), many will complain about the $60 price tag for new video games.
But might that soon change? According to Game Informer, EA Canada senior producer Jason DeLong believes that lower prices for new software looms somewhere on the horizon. It may not be this year but nevertheless, the lower price tags may still be inevitable. Said DeLong:
"I think that we’re going to start to see – maybe not in the next year, but in the near future – games go down the route of smaller up-front experiences and lower prices at the beginning, and then the ability to extend the game through episodic material or future feature material. I think that’s a direction we’re probably heading in."
Ah, so there's a catch! Is he only talking about smaller titles followed up by episodic content that requires an additional charge? Well, not really, because he expands on the idea by clearly referring to regular, big-budget titles:
"Games are getting more expensive, and times are tough, and it’s getting harder to purchase every game you want. So, how can we keep people playing and offer them more but not have to make them break the bank to do it? It’s going to be an interesting creative problem for us to solve."
It's an ongoing debate in the gaming world: "how much should new games cost?" There are those who believe they're too expensive while others (usually older gamers) look back to a time when they cost the exact same amount...and we certainly didn't get the product we get today. But at the same time, $60 is tough to spend on a frequent basis for your hobby, regardless of how you see it.
1/5/2010 12:26:32 PM Ben Dutka
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Comments (Beta)
fluffer nutter
Tuesday, January 05, 2010 @ 12:47:20 PM
7 up, 0 down
556pineapple
Tuesday, January 05, 2010 @ 12:52:07 PM
7 up, 0 down
Jawknee
Tuesday, January 05, 2010 @ 12:53:01 PM
3 up, 0 down
BTNwarrior
Tuesday, January 05, 2010 @ 7:07:35 PM
1 up, 0 down
rogers71
Tuesday, January 05, 2010 @ 10:02:05 PM
Anyway,
I would be willing to bet we will see shorter games for cheaper prices and alot more DLC for those games. I don't know about you guys, but that will suck.
0 up, 0 down
neighber
Tuesday, January 05, 2010 @ 12:49:23 PM
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1 up, 2 down
SnipeySnake
Tuesday, January 05, 2010 @ 6:41:24 PM
0 up, 0 down
Jawknee
Tuesday, January 05, 2010 @ 12:54:20 PM
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Ripoff!!
18 up, 0 down
phudge_supreemz
Tuesday, January 05, 2010 @ 1:08:28 PM
edit: my point being that we're not being as ripped off as we once were
Last edited by phudge_supreemz on 1/5/2010 1:11:53 PM
2 up, 2 down
556pineapple
Tuesday, January 05, 2010 @ 12:54:28 PM
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I C E_COLD
Tuesday, January 05, 2010 @ 12:55:49 PM
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1 up, 0 down
NoSmokingBandit
Tuesday, January 05, 2010 @ 1:11:22 PM
Reply
Last edited by NoSmokingBandit on 1/5/2010 1:11:33 PM
15 up, 0 down
phudge_supreemz
Tuesday, January 05, 2010 @ 1:14:14 PM
2 up, 0 down
hezzron73
Tuesday, January 05, 2010 @ 1:18:45 PM
The whole broken-up game concept just sounds sloppy to me.
3 up, 0 down
bigrailer19
Tuesday, January 05, 2010 @ 2:19:42 PM
There have been plenty of controversial dlc releases (RE5, cough, cough*), as of late and it bugs me that im starting to feel like all my games are incomplete unless i buy the dlc. I really hated that Fallout 3 had 5 dlc packs come, and i had to wait even longer cus i own a PS3. Luckily i am fond of amazon and found the game of the year edition for $30 on Christmas day. I sold my original Fallout 3 copy for $15 bux so i got a good deal.
More and more though dlc seems like its a force buy if you want more from your game, which maybe in some cases should already be there.
3 up, 0 down
NoSmokingBandit
Tuesday, January 05, 2010 @ 3:49:05 PM
1 up, 0 down
Beamboom
Tuesday, January 05, 2010 @ 4:28:53 PM
Last edited by Beamboom on 1/5/2010 4:30:20 PM
3 up, 0 down
gumbi
Tuesday, January 05, 2010 @ 1:21:03 PM
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Besides, it takes me several months to get through the average game these days (I finally just finished Valkyria Chronicles!). So $60 once every 3-4 months is acceptable to me.
4 up, 0 down
WolfCrimson
Tuesday, January 05, 2010 @ 3:19:25 PM
1 up, 0 down
gumbi
Tuesday, January 05, 2010 @ 3:59:50 PM
0 up, 0 down
fuk u
Tuesday, January 05, 2010 @ 1:29:43 PM
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0 up, 0 down
fuk u
Tuesday, January 05, 2010 @ 1:32:46 PM
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BikerSaint
Tuesday, January 05, 2010 @ 1:35:21 PM
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Like AC2 did.
8 up, 0 down
Minishmaru
Tuesday, January 05, 2010 @ 1:42:08 PM
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Blu rays are about the same as most dvds now...thats if you buy them new release day cuz they are on sale for atleast $10-20 off, I only buy movies I loved seeing in theatres on bluray anyway. It's not like i'm buying Dragon Ball on blu ray...I totally streamed that steaming pile on my computer
3 up, 0 down
Blaiyan
Tuesday, January 05, 2010 @ 3:00:57 PM
Last edited by Blaiyan on 1/5/2010 3:01:26 PM
2 up, 1 down
xnonsuchx
Tuesday, January 05, 2010 @ 1:52:11 PM
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My gaming needs are pretty basic, though...I think I still play GALAGA more often than any other game and that's almost 30 years old (1981). One thing that's good about PSN (as well as other consoles' online features) is that they have the ability to easily sell smaller, far less expensive titles to balance against the more epic retail ones. Not all games have to be super-realistic 3D, but it seems like those are the only ones ever considered "next gen"...a phrase I find overused and unnecessary. I only care if something is fun to play over any other aspect.
2 up, 1 down
jaybiv
Tuesday, January 05, 2010 @ 1:54:02 PM
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Considering today's games essentially cost the same as they did 20 years ago, I see no problem with prices. We are definitely getting a bargain nowadays.
I certainly do not like this idea floated by EA. It smells of a money grab, and yet why am I surprised EA is behind this "new model"???
1 up, 0 down
tridon
Tuesday, January 05, 2010 @ 1:56:10 PM
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1 up, 0 down
SvenMD
Tuesday, January 05, 2010 @ 1:58:56 PM
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If you buy the first part of the game for cheap and then have to download the rest for some price, then eventually it seems like they could try to just do away with the original physical media and then we would all have been bamboozled right into digital distribution.
My point is - I don't like this idea. I want to buy a game....a complete game....ONCE.
5 up, 0 down
BikerSaint
Wednesday, January 06, 2010 @ 12:19:30 AM
a gigantic dildo you never saw cumming.
Don't you get caught with your pants down!!!!!
Last edited by BikerSaint on 1/6/2010 12:21:11 AM
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WorldEndsWithMe
Tuesday, January 05, 2010 @ 2:04:17 PM
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Last edited by WorldEndsWithMe on 1/5/2010 2:04:29 PM
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Naztycuts
Tuesday, January 05, 2010 @ 2:05:01 PM
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5 up, 0 down
fuk u
Tuesday, January 05, 2010 @ 2:06:15 PM
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2 up, 0 down
Phoelix
Tuesday, January 05, 2010 @ 2:08:45 PM
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I do enjoy how a $60 game a year ago is only $20 now. That's a major plus. Good job, EA (Dead Space) and SEGA (Valkyria Chronicles).
6 up, 0 down
bigrailer19
Tuesday, January 05, 2010 @ 2:13:55 PM
2 up, 0 down
Karosso
Tuesday, January 05, 2010 @ 6:43:26 PM
Someone called the shop while I was there asking for PS3s and they did not have any in stock... Hope the momentum keeps going!
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bigrailer19
Tuesday, January 05, 2010 @ 2:13:17 PM
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Even if software dropped to $50, what would i do with that extra $10? There is a few things i could do i guess, but its not like saving that axtra $10 will help me with my bills. I guess throw it in savings and use it towards the next game. Or just buy 3.5 gallons of gas.
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fuk u
Tuesday, January 05, 2010 @ 2:15:47 PM
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3 up, 0 down
Cavan
Tuesday, January 05, 2010 @ 2:27:36 PM
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Cpt_Geez
Tuesday, January 05, 2010 @ 2:47:06 PM
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1 up, 2 down
big6
Tuesday, January 05, 2010 @ 2:54:26 PM
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It's fair in that, sometimes you buy a game and realize you don't really like it, and neither does anyone else, then finding it hard to sell it for a decent price afterwards.
With this new model, you can pay less upfront for *most* of the game, then buy more levels/chapters if you feel you want to play more.
The catch, I think, is *how much* the initial purchase should be. The suggestion of $50 is too high, in my opinion. It should be more like $40.
1 up, 1 down
ebterp
Tuesday, January 05, 2010 @ 3:12:02 PM
EB
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bridgera
Tuesday, January 05, 2010 @ 2:54:31 PM
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Now I personally wait 1-2 years before buying a new game (when it falls in price from $60 to $20), or I wait until there's a sale, such as Amazon's buy $80 get $40 towards a future purchase. (Got Little Big Planet, Dynasty Warriors 6 Empires, GTA IV, and later Ultimate Alliance 2 for a total of $116, or under $30/game).
After seeing the level of detail and the amount of content of GTA IV, I must confess, I feel I ripped off the programmers. The amount of detail in that game is insane, and I don't notice any loading times just driving through Liberty City normally. I certainly didn't get that detail for my $60 20 years ago.
I really think for what we're getting now, newly released games should just stay at $60, and then they should fall in price over time as the developers recoup the costs of programming.
In other words, I don't want anything to change, if you can't afford it, wait for it to fall in price then buy it. You don't need EVERY new game you want at release.
Last edited by bridgera on 1/5/2010 2:55:52 PM
9 up, 0 down
Blaiyan
Tuesday, January 05, 2010 @ 3:17:42 PM
I don't necessarily feel like I ripped the developer off when i get a game that I ended up really liking on sale but I do get a thought like , I wish I paid full price for this, or that it was actually worth full price but it happens the other way around too so it sort of balances itself out.
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Nynja
Tuesday, January 05, 2010 @ 3:27:33 PM
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$60 today nets around 67 (at $0.89 each) McDonald hamburgers
Based on inflation, I believe video game prices are reasonable when compared to the cost from 30 years ago. Omg... I'm old.
4 up, 0 down
SvenMD
Tuesday, January 05, 2010 @ 3:49:28 PM
1 up, 0 down
BikerSaint
Tuesday, January 05, 2010 @ 8:18:32 PM
You can't be that old,
Hell, I remember the giant Chef Burger fast food chains(reversed Burger Chef name in different locales)selling burgers for 12 cents.
And I loved those hot, greasy, 15 cent taco's at the old Jack In The Box franchises.
10 cent for 1 & 1/2 LB loaf of bread
27 cent gas stations, with free front & back windshield glass cleaning.
(and they even gave out free full sized bath towels, dinnerware, glassware, silverware, or 5 LB box's of laundry detergent with every fill-up).
Hell, I better stop now..... I'm starting to feel old enough to be an antique on display, nestled right there between the Brontosaurus & the Tyrannosaurus Rex at one of the Smithsonian Museums.
1 up, 0 down
goodgamer
Tuesday, January 05, 2010 @ 4:15:00 PM
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LimitedVertigo
Tuesday, January 05, 2010 @ 4:17:16 PM
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LimitedVertigo
Tuesday, January 05, 2010 @ 4:15:31 PM
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1 up, 0 down
tes37
Tuesday, January 05, 2010 @ 4:27:55 PM
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2 up, 0 down
TheHighlander
Tuesday, January 05, 2010 @ 5:17:10 PM
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Let's imagine an EA version of Uncharted 2.
For $40 you'd get the first 10 chapters as well as the multi-player engine. Then it'd be $2 per chapter from then on. You'd end up paying$72 for the game, and that's assuming they only charge $2 per chapter.
So, far from being cheaper, the game could end up more expensive. Rather like an Xbox360 looks cheaper until you add all the extra's needed to make it match the PS3, then it looks more expensive.
Sorry EA, this feels like a con, you'retrying to get everyone with the nickle and dime approach of a lower up front price and then endless extras to follow. It's like paying $99 a night for a cruise when in fact the true cost is closer to $200 a night. So the cruise line starts nickle and diming you with charges for everything and mandatory tipping of your steward, waiter, Matre'D and so on and so fort until they manage to nickel and dime the other $100 from you during your cruise. Except you find that all in all it'd be cheaper to pay all up front because you spent $150 a day on all that extra crap making the cruise cost $250 a night.
Airlines have adopted this practice too. You pay a "lower" price for your ticket, but you pay a fee to print the ticket, a boarding fee, your bags are charged and you have to buy food and drink on the plane. What's next? Pay toilets on aircraft? (I'd love to see that, can you imagine the mayhem of someone refusing to pay and soiling the seat?)
Of course with all the security crap at airports now you can't buy anything to take on board with you so you are essentially obliged to buy something on board. Not to mention the security bans of carry on bags that some places have enacted means the airline can charge for another bag to be checked. A nice little scam the airlines have there. By the time you add everything up you're paying far more than you were when the price of the ticket included all that stuff.
I guess it was only a matter of time before someone exploited this method of nickel and dime business. No surprise that EA would suggest it, after all the NFS games arrived with all the cars on the disc, but you had to purchase unlock codes for them separately. So you spent $60 on the game and another $20 buying the bloody cars.
I do not like this idea at all.
Last edited by TheHighlander on 1/5/2010 5:19:15 PM
4 up, 0 down
Qubex
Tuesday, January 05, 2010 @ 8:03:39 PM
It really depends on what you as a gamer are prepared to pay for perceived "value for money". What is the cost of entry to you over the life time of the console; and what budget to do you run to sustain your hobby in a responsible way? Typically I will only buy about 3 games per year.
Its is a poultry sum but as much as I can deal with for now. Time and effort to finish games can take weeks for me. I haven't finished the single player campaign of Killzone 2 yet! I haven't purchased Uncharted 2 yet, but will... I am a bit of a slow coach!
But then again, like the PS2, I will have an absolutely huge huge backlog to chose from over the coming years. I don't mind playing Infamous 3 years from now, or Demon Souls... and I will get them for 10 dollars a piece... so it all depends.
Some of the newer AAA I will probably get, like GoWIII, GT5 and Heavy Rain... the rest can come and go depending on the deals I see. This will keep my "average" cost per game down which will help the budget :)
I want this generation to last me at least 5 more years; I want it to be like sipping a fine wine... there is so much more to come, and so many games to play over the coming years... not overly concerned about release dates either... I will play these games when I play them, simple as that...
Q!
"i am home"
Last edited by Qubex on 1/5/2010 8:05:39 PM
1 up, 0 down
TheHighlander
Wednesday, January 06, 2010 @ 9:58:04 AM
I do buy many full price games as well - probably too many for good sense it has to be said. But then again, I neither smoke (at all) or drink regularly, so I don't fritter away my money there and at least I have something besides ash and empty bottle left over to show for my money.
1 up, 0 down
furbiesmustdie
Tuesday, January 05, 2010 @ 5:27:01 PM
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1 up, 0 down
sniperflash
Tuesday, January 05, 2010 @ 6:08:10 PM
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1 up, 0 down
Scarecrow
Tuesday, January 05, 2010 @ 7:21:40 PM
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Bring them down to $49.99/$44.99 like in the great old days
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MyWorstNightmar
Tuesday, January 05, 2010 @ 8:19:50 PM
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Toy's R Us constantly has buy one, get one half off.
Best Buy was selling on sale MW2 for 39.99 and Dragon Age for 39.99 last week. I went in there, and showed them Toy's R Us ad, and they matched. So I got MW2 for 39.99 and Dragon Age for 19.99. Both games should have cost $120.00 together regularly priced, and I got them for $60.00 total.
If you are a savy shopper, you can either wait for the game to come down in price after it has been out for awhile, or if you have to have the latest release right away, you can just look around and find a good bargain.
My best score was purchasing Uncharted 2 for 1 penny. Not an everyday occurance I assure you.
2 up, 0 down
Scarecrow
Tuesday, January 05, 2010 @ 8:25:29 PM
I fully support great games like Uncharted 2 and come out happy out of the store, knowing a fully supported Naughty Dog with that purchase
Yes, sadly it's the store which gets a good chunk of that extra money. But overall ND got its fair share.
Paying $59.99 for Demon's Souls was well worth it.
Supporting quality is a priority every gamer should have, imo.
I only care 'bout deals when it comes to accessories.
0 up, 1 down
MyWorstNightmar
Tuesday, January 05, 2010 @ 8:49:04 PM
Me? I can't bring myself to pay full price, when I can go across the street and get the same product for cheaper. I have to look out for me and my wallet first.
Last edited by MyWorstNightmar on 1/5/2010 8:52:08 PM
1 up, 0 down
MyWorstNightmar
Tuesday, January 05, 2010 @ 9:08:29 PM
Now that I am older and hopefully wiser, I have not paid full price for a DS, Wii or PS3 game.
Last edited by MyWorstNightmar on 1/5/2010 9:11:49 PM
1 up, 0 down
LimitedVertigo
Tuesday, January 05, 2010 @ 10:56:47 PM
1 up, 0 down
Qubex
Tuesday, January 05, 2010 @ 11:22:32 PM
Q!
"i am home"
Last edited by Qubex on 1/5/2010 11:22:50 PM
0 up, 0 down
MyWorstNightmar
Wednesday, January 06, 2010 @ 12:55:40 AM
Qubex, back when Toys R Us was doing the buy 2 get 1 free deal, I took that ad to Best Buy. I bought Brutal Legend for 59.00, and Borderlands for 59.00, and they charged me 1 cent for Uncharted 2. (So to me, that is three games for 120.00, each costing me $40.00 right?) Well, later I change my mind on Brutal Legend, so I take it back figuring they will give me $40.00 back, but no no no, they give me 59.99 back for it. So I say to myself, if this is their return policy, I am taking Borderlands back, and sure enough, they gave me 59.99 back for it. So that is how I got Uncharted 2 for 1 cent.
2 up, 0 down
hezzron73
Wednesday, January 06, 2010 @ 9:58:28 AM
1 up, 0 down
BikerSaint
Tuesday, January 05, 2010 @ 8:36:39 PM
Reply
And there will still be enough "1st day buy" people who will also trading them back in on the next "1st day buy", so you can always find copies of them on the shelves a few months later.
That's the only way I'm able to buy the games for my collections in batches of 5 to 20.
1 up, 0 down
TheHighlander
Tuesday, January 05, 2010 @ 10:20:14 PM
Shrink wrap and about $15 at retail.
2 up, 0 down
___________
Wednesday, January 06, 2010 @ 12:03:38 AM
buy a brand spanking new ps3 game from target and it has scratches all over it because for some reason they keep the games in the manual not the box.
buy a used game from EB and its got absolutely no scratches on it what so ever.
thats why ive only bought 2 games from target and never will again.
take it back with receipt and show them the scratches and they say you did it and refuse to give a refund.
should of reported them to the department of fair trading.
0 up, 0 down
TheHighlander
Wednesday, January 06, 2010 @ 10:02:05 AM
I think perhaps that target needs to be outed, because PS3 games at least cannot be copied and if they sell a bad disc, they should step up and replace it. Now if it were a regular CD or DVD I could understand some of the reluctance once the shrink wrap is broken. But a PS3 game on BD? ridiculous, they should refund or replace. Most places will at least replace the disc with a clean one, I wonder what justification they have for not replacing the faulty disc?
Buy it on a credit card and demand a replacement from Target. If they fail, contact your card issuer and demand a replacement through them because the disk is damaged and therefore faulty and should be covered by their purchase protection.
I'd definitely report that Target branch as you say. Tell them ahead of time that you will unless they uphold your consumer rights to a replacement for faulty goods. You have rights and they should know that.
Last edited by TheHighlander on 1/6/2010 10:04:28 AM
1 up, 0 down
___________
Thursday, January 07, 2010 @ 6:32:59 AM
i have never ever EVER! scratched a bluray disk.
and i even used one as a frizzby outside on the bricks and it still did not get scratched.
target for some reason keeps them in the game manuals instead of the game cases, i think its because they dont get display cases so they have to use those.
opening and closing the draws and such making the disk roll around.
they still should not be getting scratched like they are, so its a stone cold guess why they are.
thats why i never buy games from them, no matter how cheap they are.
instead of siring up a ruckus i just ignore them.
they treat a customer like that, soon there going to mess with the wrong person, and they will find themselves in court.
but i wont be the one there with them, dont have the time or patience.
Last edited by ___________ on 1/7/2010 6:35:56 AM
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___________
Wednesday, January 06, 2010 @ 12:00:44 AM
Reply
yea, i cant see this happening.
ps3 games have dropped slightly, they use to cost 120 each on release now there roughly 108 each on release.
BUT trade value has dropped dramatically.
i remember trading in rainbow six vegas 2 2 weeks after release and got 90 bucks for it.
though i traded in SAW 12 days after release and got 40 bucks for it.
how a game can depreciate 70 bucks in 12 days is beyond me.
SAW was not made by alfa romeo was it?
0 up, 0 down
TheHighlander
Wednesday, January 06, 2010 @ 10:11:38 AM
I've noted that recently Amazon sells brand new top tier games through pre-order at about $56 (no sales tax) with free shipping and generally includes a $5 incentive reward that can be used on your next purchase making the 'real' price of the game more or less $51 not $60. So It's relatively easy to find games below $60 on launch day.
1 up, 0 down
Antu
Wednesday, January 06, 2010 @ 11:21:45 AM
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0 up, 0 down
TheHighlander
Wednesday, January 06, 2010 @ 12:31:53 PM
If ever anyone does actually produce a mod hip for the PS3 there are other things to take into account. Consider the fact that the system was designed with IBM's assistance and almost certainly includes tamper detection allowing the system to silently 'call home' and notify Sony that it's been modded. The net result of modding a PS3 will be a permaban for the PS3 system and PSN id associated. Sounds like a price that's just not worth paying
1 up, 0 down
___________
Thursday, January 07, 2010 @ 6:29:41 AM
special software and a USB dongle that allow you to store and play games off the HDD.
thats if the videos are not fake.
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Geobaldi
Thursday, January 07, 2010 @ 11:46:05 PM
0 up, 0 down
I C E_COLD
Reply
Tuesday, January 05, 2010 @ 12:43:32 PM