PC gaming prices

I was just checking up on Starcraft 2's pricing and the non-collector's edition is 59.99. That seems to be the going rate now for all new video games, regardless of platform. I'm in a shock a little at the supply and demand that's happening here, but not too much. I was just wondering what everyone here at gamespot thought about the current going rate of pc games and what they foresee in the future as far as pricing goes?

lol let's see, 59.99 + 39.99 + 39.99 = 139.99, then with the current tax in my area, that's like $146.19 for the entire non-collector's edition starcraft 2 game. The entire starcraft 1 game was like 79.99 which was 49.99 + 29.99 base prices for the original and brood war expansion

I will never, repeat never, pay $60 for a PC game. The industry standard is still $50 but some companies enjoy gouging their loyal fan-base. Kind of humorous, actually.

I think $60 is a bit much. Though, if a game is very good, I may be willing to pay that price.

I agree as far as buying starcraft 2 goes, there're other games out there, like dominions 3, which have a price tag of 69.99.:| Still not sure what to make of the situation, if you can even call it that.

I will pay the same price as consoles games on my pc, which utilizes an open format hence games should be cheaper, when hell freezes over.BDK-Soft

I will never, repeat never, pay $60 for a PC game. The industry standard is still $50 but some companies enjoy gouging their loyal fan-base. Kind of humorous, actually.

-wildflower-

The fact that millions of people will be playing these $60 games is not humorous.

It will become the standard soon.

Diablo II was originally $60 also, and another one of Blizzard's games from a while ago, so it's nothing they haven't done before. I would only pay 60 for a game that I knew would have hundreds of hours of replayability that I would enjoy, and that's definitely not SC2. Diablo III, however...yes.

Diablo II was originally $60 also, and another one of Blizzard's games from a while ago, so it's nothing they haven't done before. I would only pay 60 for a game that I knew would have hundreds of hours of replayability that I would enjoy, and that's definitely not SC2. Diablo III, however...yes.

Esoteric

I didn't know that was what Diablo II originally cost :| That really adds perspective to this whole supply and demand situation. With games like Dominions 3 though, which are like $69 at base price, I'm wondering also, what kind of standard pc game pricing we'll be seeing. Maybe 40 years from now we'll be paying for our pc games with information as the going currency :|, assuming we're still using computers in 40 years, in generally the same way we do right now.

I will not pay more than the market standard for a game. PC Games are standard at $50.

I rent most of my console games through Gamefly, which costs me $298.44 a year. The wife and I save a boat load using that service with the amount of games that we play.

It's 60 + 40 + 40 = $140. The expansions will be priced as expansions. Also, Wings of Liberty is the length of the entire StarCraft campaign. They're both 30 missions in length. StarCraft 2 might be even longer since it has optional missions you can go on to gain money for things like new units/buildings and upgrades. StarCraft 2 and its two expansions will be 90 missions in length. So you can think of it as getting two expansions instead of one (StarCraft + Brood War).Einhanderkiller

Weird, where in the world did I see the pricing of 59.99 as a base price for all three :| thanks for the info.

It's 60 + 40 + 40 = $140. The expansions will be priced as expansions.Einhanderkiller

The standard market rate for PC expansions is less than $40, you're already being price gouged.

Also, Wings of Liberty is the length of the entire StarCraft campaign. They're both 30 missions in length. StarCraft 2 might be even longer since it has optional missions you can go on to gain money for things like new units/buildings and upgrades. StarCraft 2 and its two expansions will be 90 missions in length. So you can think of it as getting two expansions instead of one (StarCraft + Brood War).Einhanderkiller

GTA IV was $50 it's expansions were priced as expansions and has more missions than Starcraft.

You can attempt to justify the price whichever way that you'd like to, but you're paying an upcharge for no good reason

It isn't anything new really, as blizzard charged $60 for Warcraft 3 when it came out in 02. And when looking at the whole picture Blizzard isn't actually gouging their fanbase, seeing as WoW was only $50, while it's expansions were only $40.

I can understand concern over what may be pointing to a change in the industry, but I just don't see it happening when taking these factors into consideration.

It isn't anything new really, as blizzard charged $60 for Warcraft 3 when it came out in 02. And when looking at the whole picture Blizzard isn't actually gouging their fanbase, seeing as WoW was only $50, while it's expansions were only $40.

I can understand concern over what may be pointing to a change in the industry, but I just don't see it happening when taking these factors into consideration.

Roris0A

It's just starcraft that I"m mentioning because I'm planning to get it tommorow, orrr later today, since it's 1 in the morning.

I couldn't help but think about the future of pricing standards for pc gaming after doing the calculations for purchasing the entire starcraft 2 game. There's still games like Dominions 3, I like that game alot, which are quite high in price compared to standard pc game pricing at the present time.

I would rather pay $60 for a great game than pay $50 for a mediocre one.......Mafiree

exactly. it ain't cheap making the kind of games like Starcraft II. 7 years of development...

[QUOTE="-wildflower-"]

I will never, repeat never, pay $60 for a PC game. The industry standard is still $50 but some companies enjoy gouging their loyal fan-base. Kind of humorous, actually.

Raymundo_Manuel

The fact that millions of people will be playing these $60 games is not humorous.

It will become the standard soon.

Really? I think it's hilarious that Activison/blizzard/Ubisoft/EA fans are being ripped-off with over inflated prices and nickel-and-dime DLC. I'm not going to pay it so it affects me very little if at all. If there's a game I want that's priced above the industry standard I can gladly wait a few months for the eventual and inevitable price drop. I don't feel the urge to have the newest shiny object the day it's released.

Heck, I still haven't bought the expansion pack for Dragon Age (a game I actually thought was pretty ok) because it was priced $10 more than the standard expansion pack. $40 for an expansion pack? Uhm, no thanks. I'll get it eventually but I'm in no hurry.

So, by all means, let these greedy corporations continue to gouge and attempt monetize everything (paying for user made content now? hahah!) and eventually people will get fed up and things will change or they won't get fed up and I'll find a new hobby. I honestly don't care anymore. This industry and the games it's producing are, with a few exceptions, a shadow of what they once were anyhow. It won't be that big of a loss.

[QUOTE="Roris0A"]

It isn't anything new really, as blizzard charged $60 for Warcraft 3 when it came out in 02. And when looking at the whole picture Blizzard isn't actually gouging their fanbase, seeing as WoW was only $50, while it's expansions were only $40.

I can understand concern over what may be pointing to a change in the industry, but I just don't see it happening when taking these factors into consideration.

ardent163

It's just starcraft that I"m mentioning because I'm planning to get it tommorow, orrr later today, since it's 1 in the morning. I couldn't help but think about the future of pricing standards for pc gaming after doing the calculations for purchasing the entire starcraft 2 game. There's still games like Dominions 3, I like that game alot, which are quite high in price compared to standard pc game pricing at the present time.

While its much more expensive as a whole,in the end you end getting more and you have more choices as a consumer. The only valid complaint that still remains is that fact that things aren't in one nice little package like they were, as it's your money. But don't say you don't have any choices in what to buy.

Personally I felt the same way about things in the beginning, but now it's simply: More = better. :)

Ah, well those prices are the same in my area too. But look at it this way: All three games will be as big as the original campaign, plus they will be spaced apart knowing how long blizzard takes to develop their games. Also you can skip any campaign that you don't want.

While its much more expensive as a whole,in the end you end getting more and you have more choices as a consumer. The only valid complaint that still remains is that fact that things aren't in one nice little package like theywere. But the thing is, you still have the choice to buy things how you want. I hope you can see things better now, as I felt the same way about things in the beginning,butnowit's simply: More = better. :)

Roris0A

Maybe that's what's changing :| The whole "nice little package" deal. I suppose now adays games are split into small manageable chunks while keeping prices consistent? lol I'm a bit confused still, but I think your messege gave me all the more perspective on future pricing standards for pc games. This probably applies to console gaming too, but that's for another topic!

[QUOTE="Roris0A"]ardent163

Maybe that's what's changing :| The whole "nice little package" deal. I suppose now adays games are split into small manageable chunks while keeping prices consistent? lol I'm a bit confused still, but I think your messege gave me all the more perspective on future pricing standards for pc games. This probably applies to console gaming too, but that's for another topic!

$30 is my standard. I won't buy any game over that amount... and even then $20 is a looooooooong shot for me. Steam has made me a cheap PC gamer :PCrazyKilljoy117

lol That's awesome. I used to actualy have a limit of $20, before people started disallowing the sale of used pc games in retail stores, every once in a while I'd get a game for my birthday or christmas that was new. You just got me wondering, again, about what exactly standard will mean in terms of pc gaming prices in the future.

I would rather pay $60 for a great game than pay $50 for a mediocre one.......Mafiree

Then why not pick up one of the several games released this year for $50 and under? People on this board make it like you HAVE to buy Starcraft II now. Wait for a sale or price drop but supporting the price at $60 is supporting a bad standard.

Then why not pick up one of the several games released this year for $50 and under? People on this board make it like you HAVE to buy Starcraft II now. Wait for a sale or price drop but supporting the price at $60 is supporting a bad standard.

Whiteblade999

I don't mind paying some more for the right reason and if it's a game I really want. A higher price might mean more money to the developer for more great games. For multiplatform games though, I will expect the PC version to be cheaper. I'm honestly surprised game prices on all platforms haven't gone up considering inflation has increased more than the prices have, and game development is more expensive than ever too. I honestly wouldn't be too adverse to paying $70 for high quality PC exclusives.

Ohhhhh noooooo 10 dollars?! What will I do without my 10 dollars! I think it's pretty freaking hilarious how stingy PC gamers are. 60 bucks for a great game and some of you won't get it because it's 10 dollars more expensive then usual? Give me a break, it's ridiculous. You can't even buy a pack of good smokes for 10 dollars.

Ohhhhh noooooo 10 dollars?! What will I do without my 10 dollars! I think it's pretty freaking hilarious how stingy PC gamers are. 60 bucks for a great game and some of you won't get it because it's 10 dollars more expensive then usual? Give me a break, it's ridiculous. You can't even buy a pack of good smokes for 10 dollars.

Prexxus

Ohhhhh noooooo 10 dollars?! What will I do without my 10 dollars! I think it's pretty freaking hilarious how stingy PC gamers are. 60 bucks for a great game and some of you won't get it because it's 10 dollars more expensive then usual? Give me a break, it's ridiculous. You can't even buy a pack of good smokes for 10 dollars.

PC gamers tend to be more forgiving at the $60 price point when it's a PC exclusive made by a developer known for their top-notch quality in games.

Paying $60 for a port is what crawls under many persons skin.

lol, C&C 3 tiberium Wars is 55$ dollar here :? It is not that "recent"... That's a Rip off... oh and Modern Warfare 2 is 65$ lol... It is more expansive than the console version. I think my EBgames is f**ked up...

lol, C&C 3 tiberium Wars is 55$ dollar here :? It is not that "recent"... That's a Rip off... oh and Modern Warfare 2 is 65$ lol... It is more expansive than the console version. I think my EBgames is f**ked up...

ABRed

I don't think 60 dollars is too much at all..

The new map editor alone will provide me with a ridiculous amount of entertainment (from the games people make with it)

Some games are WORTH 60 dollars. I agree that it is rare. I usually buy my games on discount. This is a day one purchase for me. That is how much I respect the quality of blizzard games. Its that simple. I've been waiting since broodwar for this game. Its been a long time.

I would rather pay $60 for a great game than pay $50 for a mediocre one.......Mafiree

Id rather pay $50 for a great game then $60 for a great game.

Amazon.com, steam sales.

There are ways of buying these games, (not used) for less than the normal retail price.. It just might take a few months.