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Gaming Forums => General Gaming => Topic started by: Toruresu on May 20, 2005, 11:13:48 AM

Title: Price of next-gen gaming? $1,710
Post by: Toruresu on May 20, 2005, 11:13:48 AM: Here's an article on CNN, read and discuss.

http://money.cnn.com/2005/05/19/technology/personaltech/e3_expensive_gaming/index.htm

"The bundle pack for Sony's PSP costs $250, as opposed to the $99 initial price for a standalone Game Boy Advance. PSP games? Those run $40 to $50, versus the $20-$30 range that has been the norm for other systems for years."

Nintendo going smaller and cheaper may be good after all.
Title: RE: Price of next-gen gaming? $1,710
Post by: Bill Aurion on May 20, 2005, 02:46:55 PM: Actually having a DS could be more expensive just based on the fact that there are so many fantastic looking games, 1st AND 3rd party, coming out...
Title: RE: Price of next-gen gaming? $1,710
Post by: Arbok on May 20, 2005, 05:23:59 PM: "If prices do go up, there's still a way to enjoy the next generation without digging deeper into your wallet."

Yes, buy a Revolution.

Anyway, the fact that he brought buying a HDTV into the equation was pretty, for a lack of better words, stupid. It's like saying that DVDs are expensive due to the fact that some support widescreen TVs...
Title: RE: Price of next-gen gaming? $1,710
Post by: nickmitch on May 20, 2005, 06:07:00 PM: Well, you'd eventually spend that much but it'll be well spread out and not all up front.
The article is over exagerating the facts.
Unless of cource you buy all 3 consoles when they're and get the full launch library, then you obviously have enough disposable income to do so.
A good article though; it does make you think a little.
Title: RE:Price of next-gen gaming? $1,710
Post by: nemo_83 on May 20, 2005, 08:21:04 PM: ha, I'm not buying an HD tv for at least two more years. If I need HD to play REV games I can do it on my PC LCD.
Title: RE: Price of next-gen gaming? $1,710
Post by: KDR_11k on May 20, 2005, 09:36:55 PM: We won't see consoles costing 400 at launch, the people don't buy that. MS found that out the hard way by releasing the XBox for 480 in Europe, they had to drop the price to 300 two months later.
Title: RE:Price of next-gen gaming? $1,710
Post by: nemo_83 on May 20, 2005, 10:27:09 PM: The PS3 and 360 will simply be too expensive for anyone who is not hardcore.
Title: RE: Price of next-gen gaming? $1,710
Post by: KDR_11k on May 21, 2005, 04:37:42 AM: I doubt that, those companies aren't stupid. They know they need to price these things so they appeal to casual gamers since those are their primary userbase.
Title: RE:Price of next-gen gaming? $1,710
Post by: Bill Aurion on May 21, 2005, 06:14:31 AM: The problem is that these companies would love to see a profit off their hardware as well...Since both MS and Sony are adding all this extra entertainment system garbage, the price for hardware production increases...The question is, "How much are these companies willing to lose?"
Title: RE:Price of next-gen gaming? $1,710
Post by: Ymeegod on May 21, 2005, 01:58:38 PM: For one, DS is $150 and the games are $30-$40 and the GBA games are actually $30-35.
Title: RE:Price of next-gen gaming? $1,710
Post by: darknight06 on May 21, 2005, 02:23:36 PM: I've seen $39 GBA games. Heck the Game Gear used to have $39 games.
Title: RE: Price of next-gen gaming? $1,710
Post by: Caliban on May 21, 2005, 03:40:16 PM: I'm expecting that both PS3 and XBox360 start in the USA at $299.99 and the Rev at $249.99 . Well I sure hope so, that way at least Rev here in Canada will be $299.99 or less.
Title: RE: Price of next-gen gaming? $1,710
Post by: KDR_11k on May 21, 2005, 10:41:58 PM: For those who still complain about "rising" prices with DS games, you should realize that what you pay for that nowadays is MUCH less than you paid when the GBA was released. The dollar is worth almost nothing now. GBA games cost about half of their worldwide prices in the US, they obviously can't maintain that price. Nintendo and Sony are not US-based, they make less money when the dollar drops and as it is now the US demands games to be vastly cheaper than all other territories. Perhaps that's why NoE can get all those handheld games faster, they make almost twice the profit per unit sold. Perhaps you should brace yourself for prices that martch the international level, 70$ for a GC game and 50$ for a GBA game.
Title: RE: Price of next-gen gaming? $1,710
Post by: jasonditz on May 22, 2005, 06:35:37 AM: The thing is, if you look at international exchange rates, a $450 PS3 launch would actually be about the same as the $300 PS2 launch was. The consumer might not see it that way, but from the perspective of the Japanese manufacturer US dollars just aren't worth what they once were, and since they're not manufacturing the consoles here they either need to raise the price or eat the cost difference. Microsoft in all liklihood will just eat the cost (since they've subsidized the hell out of their hardware from day one), Nintendo always manages to keep their costs to a minimum anyhow (and was actually somehow able to manufacture Cubes for less than the $99 they retail for). Sony's not in the same position, and I think the arrogance of being the leader for two generations combined with having the best visuals might lead them to believe they can justify the higher price.
Title: RE: Price of next-gen gaming? $1,710
Post by: KDR_11k on May 22, 2005, 06:59:15 AM: Sony is arrogant but I doubt they'd trip up that badly. now, of course, they have plenty of time to set a good price because the PS3 will sell for 1k on eBay anyway. The X360 being older at that point and having enough time to pricedrop in the meantime will corner Sony even more. Okay, I guess Sony WILL have to raise the price a bit. Also, Goldman Sachs predicted the X360 will be "more expensive than expected".

Hey, with some luck the high prices combined with no real advances might make the casual gamers hold off on the next gen, killing sales and destroyig EA's bottom line...
Title: RE: Price of next-gen gaming? $1,710
Post by: jasonditz on May 22, 2005, 07:03:12 AM: The thing is, look at how much money Microsoft lost last generation. They were finally just getting to near breakeven on a current basis, but they still couldn't wait to get to the nextgen.

They seem perfectly willing to just eat huge losses in the name of their eventual goal, which I'm assuming his something to do with putting us all in pulsating pink pods and harvesting our energy.

If they have to drop another billion dollars to keep the X360's price down, I don't think they have a problem with it.
Title: RE:Price of next-gen gaming? $1,710
Post by: Artimus on May 22, 2005, 07:40:34 AM: Quote
Originally posted by: Caliban
I'm expecting that both PS3 and XBox360 start in the USA at $299.99 and the Rev at $249.99 . Well I sure hope so, that way at least Rev here in Canada will be $299.99 or less.

$50 difference? Thats' IT? I expect the Rev to be at least $100 less than the others. Otherwise Nintendo isn't being cost effective at all, and the Rev won't stand a chance. I expect $200 for the Revolution at launch.
Title: RE: Price of next-gen gaming? $1,710
Post by: jasonditz on May 22, 2005, 07:48:19 AM: My guess is the Xbox 360 starts at $299.99 with a higher priced version with Dvr capabilities at $499.99

The PS3 launches at $399.99

The Rev launches at $199.99
Title: RE: Price of next-gen gaming? $1,710
Post by: jasonditz on May 22, 2005, 07:52:44 AM: another possibility is that the Rev launches at $249.99, but comes with two controllers and a game, whereas the others coming with only a single controller and no games
Title: RE: Price of next-gen gaming? $1,710
Post by: KDR_11k on May 23, 2005, 03:44:23 AM: MS's Game Division is nowhere NEAR breakeven, they just had one positive quarter because of Halo 2 but they don't expect to break even before 2007, which is the year they EOL the old XBox.
Title: RE: Price of next-gen gaming? $1,710
Post by: stevey on May 23, 2005, 09:15:16 AM: "I'm expecting that both PS3 and XBox360 start in the USA at $299.99 and the Rev at $249.99 . "

Well I'm expecting that both PS3 and 360 start in the USA at $499.99+100 for the delexe and the Rev at $199.99~.

"dollars just aren't worth what they once were"

Don't blam me I vote for kerry
Title: RE:Price of next-gen gaming? $1,710
Post by: Spak-Spang on June 03, 2005, 09:10:27 AM: In more recent news the predicted prices for the next generation systems seems to be very bloated...just like they were for the PSP.

Xbox 360 will likely be priced at the $350.00 to possible $375.00 range yeah its pretty high for an entertainment system, but it won't be a deal breaker.

Playstation 3 is supposedly going to retail around that price too. So expect a drop in the Xbox 360 price when the PS3 is launched.

Its looking very much like this generation it is going to be better to wait a few months before you buy your system anyway...perhaps wait a year.

I would suspect Nintendo is designing their hardware with a price point in mind. I am guessing it will be anywhere between $199.00 to $250.00 by the time the Revolution is launched I predict the competition to be pricing around $299.00 for Xbox 360 and PS3...but I also expect them to be losing money.

If Nintendo launches at $199.00 and offers a substantially different play experience then it will become the system of choice for a complimentary system. Xbox and PS3 will be very similar, but if you want something different buy Nintendo for a nice price. All your gaming needs will be settled.

That is my prediction anyway.
Title: RE: Price of next-gen gaming? $1,710
Post by: Uglydot on June 03, 2005, 10:31:05 AM: I seem to remember some N64 games being 70. Games have come down in recent years. Originally the Final Fantasies cost an astronomical amount by today's standards.

There goes KDR with the normal "The world is ending" posts". Bleh. Looking at actual exchange rates, the dollar doesn't appear to be almost nothing. In fact, it isn't doing too shabby.
Title: RE: Price of next-gen gaming? $1,710
Post by: KDR_11k on June 03, 2005, 11:22:58 PM: Yes, I remember old games being 120 DM but back then they had the cartridges as an excuse. That's roughly 60 Euros so unlike the US we never saw a pricedrop when the media got cheaper. Neither did Japan, AFAIK.
Title: RE: Price of next-gen gaming? $1,710
Post by: jasonditz on June 04, 2005, 09:29:49 AM: I never understood why games in Japan cost so much more. I mean, they'll drop $60 on a GBA game and think nothing of it. Do the game companies just charge a lot more there, or do the retailers insist on a higher markup?
Title: RE: Price of next-gen gaming? $1,710
Post by: Famicom on June 04, 2005, 09:55:26 AM: Outside of print material, entertainment tends to be much pricier in Japan than compared with the states. I've heard various reasons as to why (pricey duplication methods, small print runs, too many limited edition goodies, the people don't care, the economy can handle it, it's a big scam, etc.), but I don't know if it's one or more of them. Typically games cost $60-$100 US dollars, DVD's $40-90 US, and CD albums $20-30 US. Used shops get a lot of business there too (who can blame them?), so that could also be a factor.
Title: RE:Price of next-gen gaming? $1,710
Post by: Mr. Segali on June 04, 2005, 10:03:35 AM: I thought I heard somewhere that there's a law that makes it illegal to resell used videogames in Japan. Am I totally wrong?
Title: RE: Price of next-gen gaming? $1,710
Post by: KDR_11k on June 05, 2005, 03:05:20 AM: That happens when you let corporations control the government.

I think the japanese prices just reflect what japanese gamers have been conditioned to buy, just like US americans have been conditioned to pay 50 bucks for a game and Europeans have been conditioned to expect that console games are a third to a half more expensive than PC games.
Title: RE:Price of next-gen gaming? $1,710
Post by: jasonditz on June 05, 2005, 05:46:54 AM: Quote
Originally posted by: KDR_11k
That happens when you let corporations control the government.

If that's really the reason you'd figure we'd be paying that much here in the US too... its not like we're a bastion of independent, well-meaning politicians.

Then again, I guess the video game industry here doesn't really buy off that many politicians. If they did, you wouldn't have them start railing against (insert mature rated title) just before every election.
Title: RE: Price of next-gen gaming? $1,710
Post by: stevey on June 05, 2005, 06:21:42 AM: I read some were that game in the u.s. are going to cost much much more the x1.5 game are going to be $59.95 and ps3 $69.95 WTF!!!
Title: RE:Price of next-gen gaming? $1,710
Post by: Caustic Saint on June 06, 2005, 03:33:46 AM: Quote
Originally posted by: Mr. Segali
I thought I heard somewhere that there's a law that makes it illegal to resell used videogames in Japan. Am I totally wrong?

You're wrong.

That may have been the case at one point, but these days most every shop here that sells new games sells used ones as well. Good thing too, what with the prices here. (New DS games go for about $42.)
Title: RE:Price of next-gen gaming? $1,710
Post by: couchmonkey on June 06, 2005, 05:24:22 AM: Word from J. Allard is that Xbox 360 will debut for about $300 US. link

I'm a little surprised, and I half expect MS to take advantage of Allard's use of the word "about" to launch at $350 or so...because that ($300) puts it in the same price range as the firxt Xbox, which they lost tons of money on...I thought MS was finished with that? Still, it goes to show they aren't planning some crazy $500 console. Unless he's referring to the cheapo version, but I don't think he is, because MS has implied that the harddrive version will be the main one...in fact I think they may even have cancelled the stripped-down version, but that might be my memory playing tricks on me.

EA and I think one or two other developers have mentioned putting prices up next gen due to the cost of developing increasingly graphically intense games, but they don't speak for the industry as a whole. Nintendo, for example, seems to be determined to keep costs down and I'm sure Nintendo games will continue to sell at about the same prices as on GameCube. I doubt that EA's price increases will last for long, if they happen at all.

edit: added ($300)
Title: RE:Price of next-gen gaming? $1,710
Post by: vudu on June 06, 2005, 08:59:54 AM: Quote
Originally posted by: Mr. Segali
I thought I heard somewhere that there's a law that makes it illegal to resell used videogames in Japan. Am I totally wrong?
Actually, I believe the way it works is, publishers make money on used game sales, which they don't elsewhere. I believe this also holds true for used movie sales. I don't think it applies to music.

The law stems from way back right after WWII when movie studios were getting screwed out of lots of money because theaters would sell/trade used movie reels to each other.
Title: RE: Price of next-gen gaming? $1,710
Post by: jasonditz on June 06, 2005, 09:26:36 AM: So long as the US remains one of the more hotly contested markets I can't see prices climbing too much (on software that is). Sure, EA can justify gouging us on Madden now that its the only game in town, but it seems like in general prices are dropping pretty quick.
Title: RE: Price of next-gen gaming? $1,710
Post by: KDR_11k on June 07, 2005, 08:37:50 AM: jason: The difference is that in the US the game companies don't pay their protecion fees which is why you see all this anti-videogame legislation. Everybody was talking about how evil comic books, TV, D&D was but nobody actually managed to implement a law against them.