The price of downloading games!
The price of downloading games!
Author
Discussion

woppum

Original Poster:

1,137 posts

209 months

Monday 29th April 2013
quotequote all
I'm sure you have all noticed this but the price of downloading a game is far more expensive than just buying through amazon etc. abut double the price, even with store plus. Any ideas why they charge so much?

god'sunwantedkid

256 posts

155 months

Monday 29th April 2013
quotequote all
You're paying for the convenience of not leaving your house/wait for a delivery.

I much prefer having the disc!!

The Nur

9,168 posts

208 months

Monday 29th April 2013
quotequote all
god'sunwantedkid said:
You're paying for the convenience of not leaving your house/wait for a delivery.

I much prefer having the disc!!
It used to be that they were cheap because you weren't paying for the packaging and retail, now its expensive because you don't have to go through the fuss of going out and buying it in person?

This isn't an attack on you, its an attack on marketing.

Absolute bks!

judas

6,210 posts

282 months

Monday 29th April 2013
quotequote all
From my understanding it's because all the big retailers had a dummy-out-of-pram moment and threated to refuse to stock games that were sold online for less than full price on release.

Slink

2,947 posts

195 months

Monday 29th April 2013
quotequote all
on the 3DS eshop, they are actually the same price as the boxed version.

and if you get the buy a code for an shop game off GAME atm they are 25% off the boxed version

but, on xbox they are quite a bit more and its out of order.

but at the same time as being out of order that they charge more, 1) its the convenience of having the game to hand 24/7 an not having to get the disk, 2) the games creater will not let them sell it (most of the time) for the same or less as a download as that would be taking retail box'd games sales away, as if I'm correct, the likes of microsoft get a big chuk of money from the sales an the game makers do not get any were as much as they do from a box's sale, so they do not sell them for the same amount , as if the games makers didnt get a decent amount of money, they wouldnt be making games anymore.

littlebasher

3,926 posts

194 months

Monday 29th April 2013
quotequote all
Quite

Foolishly i forgot to password protect my account on my sons Xbox 360

The other day i get an email from Microsoft - purchase confirmation for COD : Black ops 2

£50 charged to a credit card attached to my live account

You can get it for £30 elsewhere AND get a nice case to put on your shelf AND something you can sell / Trade

Little st!

woppum

Original Poster:

1,137 posts

209 months

Monday 29th April 2013
quotequote all
I don't believe the price is just down to convenience. If they priced the same I bet their volume would go up to the extent it way surpasses the profitability of current levels. There needs to be another reason.

god'sunwantedkid

256 posts

155 months

Monday 29th April 2013
quotequote all
littlebasher said:
Quite

Foolishly i forgot to password protect my account on my sons Xbox 360

The other day i get an email from Microsoft - purchase confirmation for COD : Black ops 2

£50 charged to a credit card attached to my live account

You can get it for £30 elsewhere AND get a nice case to put on your shelf AND something you can sell / Trade

Little st!
rofl

Aphex

2,160 posts

223 months

Monday 29th April 2013
quotequote all
Thats weird, I just downloaded all the gta games for ~ £8 biggrin

But seriously, I'd never buy a new game from the likes of psn, completely extortionate.

hombrepaulo

1,403 posts

194 months

Monday 29th April 2013
quotequote all
Aphex said:
Thats weird, I just downloaded all the gta games for ~ £8 biggrin

But seriously, I'd never buy a new game from the likes of psn, completely extortionate.
They were £5 not so long ago tongue out

woppum

Original Poster:

1,137 posts

209 months

Monday 29th April 2013
quotequote all
Aphex said:
Thats weird, I just downloaded all the gta games for ~ £8 biggrin

But seriously, I'd never buy a new game from the likes of psn, completely extortionate.
But surly it's the future? Apple TV of gaming?.

Slink

2,947 posts

195 months

Monday 29th April 2013
quotequote all
woppum said:
I don't believe the price is just down to convenience. If they priced the same I bet their volume would go up to the extent it way surpasses the profitability of current levels. There needs to be another reason.
see the last paragraph i posted.....

woppum

Original Poster:

1,137 posts

209 months

Monday 29th April 2013
quotequote all
Slink said:
see the last paragraph i posted.....
You can only compare it to iTunes at it must be the most similar model.
iTunes offer deals and prices, they may not be as good as clicks or bricks but they are close.
The playstation store is virtually double the price, in some cases more.

Slink

2,947 posts

195 months

Monday 29th April 2013
quotequote all
woppum said:
You can only compare it to iTunes at it must be the most similar model.
iTunes offer deals and prices, they may not be as good as clicks or bricks but they are close.
The playstation store is virtually double the price, in some cases more.
yes, cause the second half of what I posted in the last paragraph, the game makers dont want them to sell digi games for the same or less money than the box'd games, cause the developers would loose money as microsoft or sony would take a large chunk out of what its selling for on there market place..........

Aphex

2,160 posts

223 months

Monday 29th April 2013
quotequote all
woppum said:
But surly it's the future? Apple TV of gaming?.
Quite possibly but it won't be one I'll be partaking in at their prices. The playstation brand would collapse if the only games available were all £50+ and would be pirated up to its eyeballs too

vonuber

17,868 posts

188 months

Monday 29th April 2013
quotequote all
Dunno, if you wait for a steam sale they are really cheap.

woppum

Original Poster:

1,137 posts

209 months

Monday 29th April 2013
quotequote all
Aphex said:
Quite possibly but it won't be one I'll be partaking in at their prices. The playstation brand would collapse if the only games available were all £50+ and would be pirated up to its eyeballs too
I agree, that's my point.

Mr Whippy

32,219 posts

264 months

Thursday 2nd May 2013
quotequote all
vonuber said:
Dunno, if you wait for a steam sale they are really cheap.
I just play games a year later. Cheap on Steam, fully patched up and bug-fixed etc. A well developed on-line community if it's needed.

Running out to buy games at release these days seems to just be a long list of negatives.

Hmmm

Dave

opieoilman

4,408 posts

259 months

Thursday 2nd May 2013
quotequote all
Certain games I'll get on the day that they come out, but that is always via a shop so I have the DVD (I have a really slow download rate at home). If I see a bargain on Steam (all GTAs for £4.99 a little while back), I don't mind waiting.

The worst downloadable pricing I saw was last year when I was looking for a book online. I have an ereader, so was looking for a version for that as I thought it would be cheaper, but on Amazon it was £8.99 or £9.99 (can't remember) for the electronic file, which would then need converting to work on my Sony or £6.49 for the physical, hard cover version that was about at thick as a phone book and must have cost half of what I paid to send it. Okay, the Ebook would have been instant, but I was in no rush.