Current Events > Digital sales has kind of ruined videogame affordability, hasn't it?

(+) Yeah! (+)

Nintendo Switch is porting games from 2001 at 40. Are you fucking kitten me

As an aside, I have no idea why the PS4 is still so expensive but it depresses me that a 6 year old console is literally 280 still.
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Many digital games dont even go down in price for a long time too compared to their physical counterparts

ffmasterjose posted...

Many digital games dont even go down in price for a long time too compared to their physical counterparts

Or ever in ubisofts case.


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I play exclusively digital on ps4. If I'm not buying a game at launch, I don't buy it until it's on deep sale.

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pres_madagascar posted...

I play exclusively digital on ps4. If I'm not buying a game at launch, I don't buy it until it's on deep sale.

This for me too. But the alternative was largely GameStop for me where while sometimes you got a solid deal or two I largely paid about the same as I do now (balancing between releases and sales).

It depends though because a lot of the psn classics or even the 19.99 ports we get would be 40-50+. Sometimes I look for ds, GBA, 64, and ps1/2 games and they get crazy expensive.

My roommate and I bought Super Mario Sunshine for 60 bucks like a year ago and we had to hunt for like 5 months in San Diego to find it for anything lower than 100. Couldnt find anything online either until we found GameStop with one finally and had it mailed to us.

So kinda good kinda bad. Double screwed when it comes to hardware and AAA titles, screwed when it comes to trade in value, but kinda helped when it comes to others.

Think about FF 9 if were including phones (though similar sales on steam and switch happened) I got that for like 6 followed and tactics for another 6 bucks lol. For me thats a huuuuuggggggeeeeee boon lol.
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Nintendo has been resting on its laurels since the late 80's, with a few exceptions.

They have been anything but innovative. And laughing themselves all the way to the bank.
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I still find plenty of sales.
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SiO4 posted...

Nintendo has been resting on its laurels since the late 80's, with a few exceptions.

They have been anything but innovative. And laughing themselves all the way to the bank.

wat? lol

Overpricing certain games doesn't mean nintendo hasn't been one of the biggest driving innovators of the industry, which they have been
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Wetterdew posted...

SiO4 posted...

Nintendo has been resting on its laurels since the late 80's, with a few exceptions.

They have been anything but innovative. And laughing themselves all the way to the bank.

wat? lol

Overpricing certain games doesn't mean nintendo hasn't been one of the biggest driving innovators of the industry, which they have been

They haven't been. They are stale as hell.
Same few games over and over.
They haven't pushed the limits since they put a battery in the original Zelda Golden Cartridge.
Donkey Kong Country was dope, as was the first Pikman. I'll give you that.
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SiO4 posted...

Wetterdew posted...

SiO4 posted...

Nintendo has been resting on its laurels since the late 80's, with a few exceptions.

They have been anything but innovative. And laughing themselves all the way to the bank.

wat? lol

Overpricing certain games doesn't mean nintendo hasn't been one of the biggest driving innovators of the industry, which they have been

They haven't been. They are stale as hell.
Same few games over and over.
They haven't pushed the limits since they put a battery in the original Zelda Golden Cartridge.
Donkey Kong Country was dope, as was the first Pikman. I'll give you that.

Counterargument - they've been much more innovative on a hardware level than the other two big ones.

Sony and Xbox have been providing the same console with updated specs since 1994. Nintendo have basically reinvented the console every 2 years, to varying degrees of success.
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pinky0926 posted...

SiO4 posted...

Wetterdew posted...

SiO4 posted...

Nintendo has been resting on its laurels since the late 80's, with a few exceptions.

They have been anything but innovative. And laughing themselves all the way to the bank.

wat? lol

Overpricing certain games doesn't mean nintendo hasn't been one of the biggest driving innovators of the industry, which they have been

They haven't been. They are stale as hell.
Same few games over and over.
They haven't pushed the limits since they put a battery in the original Zelda Golden Cartridge.
Donkey Kong Country was dope, as was the first Pikman. I'll give you that.

Counterargument - they've been much more innovative on a hardware level than the other two big ones.

Sony and Xbox have been providing the same console with updated specs since 1994. Nintendo have basically reinvented the console every 2 years, to varying degrees of success.

They held back hardcore during the Genesis/Megadrive area, and completely stalled in the face of Disc games. Sega wiped the floor with them in the innovation department. It may have cost Sega everything, but they were the innovators.
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SiO4 posted...

They held back hardcore during the Genesis/Megadrive area, and completely stalled in the face of Disc games. Sega wiped the floor with them in the innovation department. It may have cost Sega everything, but they were the innovators.

Alright but you're going back pretty much 30 years at that point. What's happening now? Sony and Xbox made "the same console but better" once again for the 4th time in a row, Nintendo made an entirely different hybrid console that nobody thought would work at all. That's pretty cool, even if you are right to say that they're still milking the same franchises.
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pinky0926 posted...

Counterargument - they've been much more innovative on a hardware level than the other two big ones.

personally i disagree, i think they've been a whole lot more gimmicky then innovative. the switch is just their first gimmick that really took off with their core fanbase
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pinky0926 posted...

SiO4 posted...

They held back hardcore during the Genesis/Megadrive area, and completely stalled in the face of Disc games. Sega wiped the floor with them in the innovation department. It may have cost Sega everything, but they were the innovators.

Alright but you're going back pretty much 30 years at that point. What's happening now? Sony and Xbox made "the same console but better" once again for the 4th time in a row, Nintendo made an entirely different hybrid console that nobody thought would work at all. That's pretty cool, even if you are right to say that they're still milking the same franchises.

I went full PC this gen man.
Console gaming has gotten weird. The whole Xbox one roll out turned me off.
The PS is whatever...and Nintendo has just been a snore for so long.

To be fair, it follows a trend in my life, I never meant to set it, but it stands up.
I've generally gone console, pc, console pc, etc.

Starting with a pong machine, then vic 20, then Atari 2600, then C64..and on.

Though there is so much money is consoles nowaday. I'm not sure what they are going to look like in the future.
IMO, Video games were a bit more fun when they were slightly underground. Or even frowned apon.
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I have a PC that I do 90% of my gaming on, and then a Switch for travelling. It's a great console for that, and fun for casual multiplayer.

I'd like a PS4 for some of the exclusives but can't justify spending 300 on a piece of hardware inferior to my PC that I can only play like my PC.
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PC digital game sales are amazing. Consoles digital game sales are a joke, I just buy used physical copies (in Japan anyway they're incredibly cheap compared to even digital sale prices).

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pinky0926 posted...

I have a PC that I do 90% of my gaming on, and then a Switch for travelling. It's a great console for that, and fun for casual multiplayer.

I'd like a PS4 for some of the exclusives but can't justify spending 300 on a piece of hardware inferior to my PC that I can only play like my PC.

Ya, I just don't modile game that much. And I did have an original Gameboy as well as a Game Gear.
And I get the concept of the switch, but it's nothing really new.
If I want to play a game when I'm waiting somewhere I just play something I have on my phone.

Or just sit their chillin' I do still make a break better normal life and digital life.
Call me old fashioned.

BTW, I'm not messing with you, I trust that you know that!!
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I know man :) It's all good. I'm also not a nintendo fanboy, I just like that they're doing things a little bit differently to the other two, although I'm critical for them in many other ways.
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nintendo stuff has been overpriced for a very long time, even as far back as stuff on the GC and the DS. that includes physical stuff, first party nintendo games at gamestop even used are always super high priced

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ssjevot posted...

Consoles digital game sales are a joke

Absolutely this. I'm sure there's probably an incredibly simple explanation but I have never understood why a medium that removes physical production and shipping costs does not in any way result in lower prices. You'd think it would be pushed for just from an environmental standpoint with how much plastic is involved.

I mean, I'm the type of person who still prefers to have a physical copy of something on my shelf so I guess, whatever, it works for me. I just don't get it.
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I hate to say it, but I find Nintendo to be the Fisher Price of gaming.
I just can't except that they have really pushed any boundaries.
Or maybe just a bitter Sega fan. But I don't think so.
So much of what is taken for granted today, Sega started.
They basically fucked up their own market by bringing in too much money.
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Nintendo is still just catching up to online gaming, but still behind
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LividDK posted...

ssjevot posted...

Consoles digital game sales are a joke

Absolutely this. I'm sure there's probably an incredibly simple explanation but I have never understood why a medium that removes physical production and shipping costs does not in any way result in lower prices. You'd think it would be pushed for just from an environmental standpoint with how much plastic is involved.

I mean, I'm the type of person who still prefers to have a physical copy of something on my shelf so I guess, whatever, it works for me. I just don't get it.

Because price is not dictated by supply or production costs, but by how much they can get away with charging you.

They market it as a better, more convenient product while ensuring you can't buy it second hand or from a third party. Now you're stuck with a single supplier who can dictate the price based on whatever you're willing to pay.
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LividDK posted...

ssjevot posted...

Consoles digital game sales are a joke

Absolutely this. I'm sure there's probably an incredibly simple explanation but I have never understood why a medium that removes physical production and shipping costs does not in any way result in lower prices. You'd think it would be pushed for just from an environmental standpoint with how much plastic is involved.

I mean, I'm the type of person who still prefers to have a physical copy of something on my shelf so I guess, whatever, it works for me. I just don't get it.

Some would say that games have been under priced for a while now. Maybe digital keeps them from having to raise the price
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pres_madagascar posted...

ffmasterjose posted...

Many digital games dont even go down in price for a long time too compared to their physical counterparts

Or ever in ubisofts case.

Ubisoft has a publisher sale at least once a month lol. In fact I believe there is one going on right now for both PS4 and Xbox.
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pinky0926 posted...

LividDK posted...

ssjevot posted...

Consoles digital game sales are a joke

Absolutely this. I'm sure there's probably an incredibly simple explanation but I have never understood why a medium that removes physical production and shipping costs does not in any way result in lower prices. You'd think it would be pushed for just from an environmental standpoint with how much plastic is involved.

I mean, I'm the type of person who still prefers to have a physical copy of something on my shelf so I guess, whatever, it works for me. I just don't get it.

Because price is not dictated by supply or production costs, but by how much they can get away with charging you.

They market it as a better, more convenient product while ensuring you can't buy it second hand or from a third party. Now you're stuck with a single supplier who can dictate the price based on whatever you're willing to pay.

Exactly. In a traditional supply & demand market, things would go down eventually, as unmoved product was a lost to some degree. Now, digital has no supply & the producer has near complete control, meaning the only real pressure for price is consumer demand.
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pinky0926 posted...

Nintendo Switch is porting games from 2001 at 40. Are you f***ing kitten me

This has generally been the trend with ports for decades. Digital has nothing to do with that. This is what games are worth.

Now, if you want to talk about DLC being used to nickel-and-dime us to death by cutting features from the initial release and selling them over the game's initial price, then you've got something. DLC is nothing but a mechanism for stealth price hikes.
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Flash sales are p legit.

I got the Mass Effect Trilogy for $5 years ago. According to a quick Amazon search, you'll pay $30-$60 depending on platform for physical today.
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I initially went digital only as the disc drive on my ps4 broke, but the system itself was fine, so I plugged a 4tb external hdd into it and that's what I've been using since. For years, on the same ps4 slim with the broken disc drive lol.

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I find digital has made gaming cheaper than ever.

Yeah some games are hit with the Switch tax but every week there's a whole lot of games racing to the bottom with pricing. Nintendo games have always kept the value high whether it's physical or digital so that's a different matter.
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Its just a waiting game for sales now. Like Ubisoft games never drop in price but they go on sale to what they should be every now and then.
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It has enhanced it if anything.
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