pc game pricing

[egor110]

How come pc games are cheaper than console?
bf3 on xbox is £38 on pc £28
cod mw3 xbox £39 on pc £19
surely the pc is going to have better graphics?

[dave_s13]

As simple as supply and demand.

[repiV]

PC games are a lot cheaper to develop, as it's an open platform and they don't have to pay Sony or Microsoft.

[davepoth]

The simple reason is that Microsoft/Sony/Nintendo take a hefty cut of the profits to allow your game to be on their console, which doesn't happen with the PC. The difference between the two is probably that fee.

[vonuber]

There's also a lot more outlets to get the games from, many digital download stores, brick and mortar and also the usual online retailers.

[egor110]

I'd of thought it would cost more to develop a pc game as no pc is the same, different cpu's, graphics cards etc. Atleast with a console there all the same.

[vonuber]

egor110 said:

I'd of thought it would cost more to develop a pc game as no pc is the same, different cpu's, graphics cards etc. Atleast with a console there all the same.

Games are developed on PCs though.

[Tycho]

Easier to pirate PC games so they have to keep prices lower to get customers from just downloading them.

[vonuber]

Tycho said:

Easier to pirate PC games so they have to keep prices lower to get customers from just downloading them.

This is not true. Piracy is an issue (especially in Asia/Eastern Europe), but to say that's the reason prices are lower is nonsense. This whole PC = Piracy talk is really irritating.
Console prices are higher because people pay them, simple.

[rampageturke]

They don't have to pay to put Microsoft/XBox or Sony/Playstation all over it

[weyland yutani]

Steam is fantastic for bargains during sales and special deals. I bought 8 great titles recently for a total of just £35, less than one console game Yesterday I got Dead Space 1 and 2 for just £6 total. They also look a million times better too

[snuffy]

I've always thought it was maybe because the price of the games is used to subsidise the price of the console.

For example, an Xbox 360 is £130, you can spend that much on a graphics card alone, never mind the rest of the PC.

So, maybe it's like mobile phones ? A top handset is maybe £400 or so, but if you get it on a contract, you get it for nothing, but pay for it via the cost of your calls ?

Or like a printer ? £30 for the printer, £50 for some bloody ink !!