GU Comics by: Woody Hearn

At GDC last week, high profile game designer and head of Disney's Junction Point Studios, Warren Spector, called the industry out over game pricing. Using other big media as a measure and drawing attention to the disparity in the price of games versus books, movies, and CDs, Spector suggests that dropping the price point of videogames could stimulate growth in the industry.
Source: GameIndustry.Biz [ more info ]

Oh common sense how I enjoy your occassional visits. It's just too bad that the people who should be listening... aren't. I've always just kind of accepted the somewhat high cost of videogames. But Why? I don't go to the movies regularly because tickets are $10 each and concessions are ridiculous. I don't buy CDs because $12 seems like too much to pay for 3 songs I "might" like out of an entire album. And books are only $6, but I rarely buy one unless it's something I'm really, really interested in. Yet videogames are $60 and I don't hesitate to plop down the cash even if there is only a chance I'll like it.

I can't say I'd buy more games if they were less. But, I can tell you I paid subscription fees to MMOs because it was "cheaper than buying a new game" and I've spent plenty on downloadable music for Rock Band because the price "is right" for what I want out of it. There are so many games out there right now that I'd love to play. But, it's just too expensive to buy them all (and I hate renting games).

Now, it may be a bit biased and unfair of me to depict the stereotypical gaming exec as having so much money he's got nothing better to do with it than to shove it in his ears and smile ignorantly in the face common sense. But, I'm willing to accept the potential fallout if it means championing the idea of lowering videogame prices in order to make them more accesible.

[ discuss ] - replies ( 51 ) last post by: KaiTenSatsuma