Retail Radar: Two more 360 games now $40?

[UPDATE] Online retailers mark down Condemned and Ridge Racer 6, but Sega says former game remains full price "as of today," Namco confirms price drop.

When it was revealed that $59.99 would be the standard third-party price point for Xbox 360 titles, many a gamer lamented. After all, the cost of truly entering the "HD Era," as Microsoft executive J Allard once called the dawn of high-definition gaming, was already plenty high. Besides the $399 a premium Xbox 360 would set you back, gamers would also have to shell out at least $500 for an HDTV. That's not even counting the cost of a subscription to Xbox Live and high-speed Internet service fees for online gaming.

Last week, 360 owners got some good news when a slew of 360 games' prices dropped to $39.99. Ubisoft cut King Kong's cost, THQ lowered the price of The Outfit, and Electronic Arts discounted (deep breath) Burnout Revenge, Madden NFL 06, NBA Live 06, FIFA Soccer 06: Road to FIFA World Cup, and Tiger Woods PGA Tour 06. They joined a growing catalog of games already priced at $40, such as the just-released Rockstar Games Presents Table Tennis.

Today came word that two more 360 games would soon bear a smaller sticker price. The online stories for GameStop, EBgames, Amazon, and Best Buy all list Sega's Condemned: Criminal Origins and Namco's Ridge Racer 6 for $39.99.

When contacted by GameSpot, Sega denied any price drop had taken place. "We are still at 59.99 for Condemned as of today," a rep told GameSpot on Tuesday. "Sega doesn't have any product selling at 39.99 for the Xbox 360 at this time."

[UPDATE] Namco, on the other hand, was more than happy to confirm Ridge Racer 6 is indeed now officially cheaper. "Yes, we did change our price just as other publishers have done this month," said a rep.

Calls to several GameStop and EB Games locations added to the confusion. Clerks at both stores said that Ridge Racer 6 was indeed priced at 39.99 new, but that Condemned was priced at $49.99 new.

61 Comments

  • granposho

    Posted Jun 8, 2006 5:28 am PT

    That's something bound to happen, sooner or later prices must drop

  • 2TrickedOut

    Posted Jun 8, 2006 1:17 am PT

    I love ridge racer sure its not as good as the other racers,but its a great arcade style racer. It also has a lot of content on live to d/l for it. New cars ect.

  • jon1233

    Posted Jun 7, 2006 4:48 pm PT

    RIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIGE RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACER!

  • moocow21

    Posted Jun 7, 2006 3:30 pm PT

    I would maybe buy Condemned if it was $20, but not even at that price for RR.

    Seriously, where's the $20 games? What's the point of lowering to $40? that's still not worth buying a mediocre game at that price

  • MysticGenie

    Posted Jun 7, 2006 11:42 am PT

    Seraphim_24
    But even so I am baffled as to why the 360 version of a game costs $59.99 when the PC version goes for $39.99 of less? Developing for the high end PC, one would think, would be just as expensive, so why the price difference?


    PC games are cheaper because developers have to pay licensing fees to have their games play on consoles (Roughly $20 or less per copy). MS gets $20 for every game sold on their platform, same with Sony and Nintendo. The PC doesn't have those licensing fees. If the 360 version cost the same as the PC version, the developer would be making $20 less profit per copy sold. This way, all different versions yield the same $$$ profit.

  • fatman250

    Posted Jun 7, 2006 11:29 am PT

    I just got Condemned for $39.99 brand new at my local Gamestop. The shelf display had the $49.99 price tag but before I even went to check it out, the worker said thats its only $39.99 THEY LIE!!!!!!!! GO OUT AND BUY CONDEMNED, EVERWHERE ELSE ITS 59.99. GO TO UR LOCAL GAMESTOP AND GET IT!!!!!!! NOW 39.99NEW,DOIT

  • Sydwynder

    Posted Jun 7, 2006 11:23 am PT

    Bought Burnout Revenge yesterday. Didn't buy it for xbox since I knew it would be out for 360 and I figured I would wait for the price drop. If publishers want to sell off some inventory during the painfully slow summer months, now's the time to drop that price.

  • Maquis_UK

    Posted Jun 7, 2006 11:15 am PT

    desperation.

  • samekila

    Posted Jun 7, 2006 11:03 am PT

    Condemned: Criminal Origins was my first 360 game and im glad they put a price drop on it because its a amazing game I loved it . It was to short but a very good game with surround sound to match it because the sounds effects are great in it

  • gametester1424

    Posted Jun 7, 2006 10:39 am PT

    Look at the economy and you can see that only the rich are getting richer under Bush and that many of the mom and pop type businesses are closing down. Add to that the fact that many tech jobs are getting outsourced and you see that the average consumer can barely afford to purchase next-gen systems let alone pay $60 for the games. It's just sad that in the end, it's the developers that will probably loose out, not to mention we the gamers, who will get less and less innovation due to the fact that publishers won't be willing to take risks anymore.

  • REVENGEotSITH

    Posted Jun 7, 2006 10:26 am PT

    Riiiiidge Raaaaacer! Can't wait for NFSMW to drop.

  • vashvsgoku

    Posted Jun 7, 2006 10:12 am PT

    60 bucks is way too much for a videogame. all games should be $40 to start off with. but then again it takes longer and longer to make a quality game these days, and production costs are high.

  • RLJSlick

    Posted Jun 7, 2006 9:47 am PT

    That't great news to hear, I've almost stop buying 360 games, because of the cost. Specially since I can get the same game for the PC for $20 cheaper. I think it shows that many gamers wasn't gonna pay that price, and they had to lower the price. I see a lot of 360 games just sitting on the shelf at stores.

  • enoslives7

    Posted Jun 7, 2006 9:14 am PT

    looks like the crapbox 360 is headed for the bargain bin....to keep the xbox and gamecube company

  • Seraphim_24

    Posted Jun 7, 2006 8:45 am PT

    Price drops are a good thing, especially when the game is available for PC well below the $59.99 price tag. In fact with my hardware set up the PC versions of many-a-games is starting to look more inviting than the 360 version... except my chair hurts my back so playing consoles is still more preferable... But even so I am baffeled as to why the 360 version of a game costs $59.99 when the PC version goes for $39.99 of less? Developing for the high end PC, one would think, would be just as expensive, so why the price difference?

  • KamaKase

    Posted Jun 7, 2006 7:21 am PT

    I wonder whether $60 is going to be the rule, or the exception.

  • eljono

    Posted Jun 7, 2006 7:08 am PT

    WOOOT FInally some news i care about coming from sexbox 360. i will def go get a couple games now. Condemed was the best launch title. its def worth the $40 if you havent already got it.

  • grave_rob

    Posted Jun 7, 2006 7:01 am PT

    yah $59 is ridiculous. I make a decent living but droppin nearly 60bucks on games that aren't even that good is for chumps. I don't mind playin xbox1 games on my 360 till prices drop.

  • Fragmaster3000

    Posted Jun 7, 2006 6:56 am PT

    I agree with what Cliffy B. said at E3 '05, about how we should price games cheaper, then more people would buy them. It seems the publishers realize that pople won't pay for a $60 game unless it's the best game for the system.

  • snakes2solid

    Posted Jun 7, 2006 6:33 am PT

    i'm waiting for the 360 games to drop to 20 - 25 range..then i'll get alot of them!!

  • nutonyachin23

    Posted Jun 7, 2006 6:08 am PT

    ill wait for it to go bout 20-30 for condemned and dont really care for ridge racer but id like to see full auto hit that price

  • paradyme777

    Posted Jun 7, 2006 6:07 am PT

    Now maybe more of you will think of picking up Condemned. It is, for lack of a better term, underrated. A very creepy and entertaining game, short, but entertaining.

  • skitzocyko

    Posted Jun 7, 2006 5:51 am PT

    about time!!

  • ptown58

    Posted Jun 7, 2006 3:55 am PT

    Still waiting for Far Cry and Quake 4 to drop to $40 also, then I shall buy both.

  • OPOLO

    Posted Jun 7, 2006 2:56 am PT

    Theres just to many bad or just ok games priced at $60.00

  • Imavnas

    Posted Jun 7, 2006 2:14 am PT

    "Sony is gonna be in trouble considering the price drop on 360 games as well as a lack of release titles announced for the PS3."

    Dont count your apples yet. Remember that the 360's full launch lineup wasnt known till 1 month before launch. Its amazing we actually have such a solid amount of info on PS3 and Wii games considering how close to the 360 launch consumers had to wait to get 360 launch game info. Besides, every system gets its fair share of EA titles at launch anyway. Its become somewhat of a trend. And price wise, you dont see the games that are selling well going down in price do you? Oblivion and Graw are still selling for a full 60 bucks. And for damn good reason.

  • savage161

    Posted Jun 7, 2006 12:41 am PT

    The only games that should be $60 are Oblivion.

    Graw, Cod2, Fight night rd and maybe Pgr3 should of been $50 at most

    A coulpe should of maybe been $40 maybe, Top Spin 2, Football manager, Hitman etc

    The rest are just mock ups of xbox games and only should be at most $40 or less probaly $30 and some should be $25- $30 Eample Table Tennis and Condemed becuase it probaly took them one week to make due to how short it is.

    Im from Austalia and the $60 games in the us are $90 U.s

  • Carpe_Noctum

    Posted Jun 7, 2006 12:38 am PT

    Congrates to the egg-heads! Not one of those games listed is worth more than $30. Most are rental status.
    What, people buy that stuff?
    I spent $90 on Oblivion, a game like that is not an issue. But, $60 for Burn-Out? Fight Night? Condemned? Umm, no.

  • DoubledToKe420

    Posted Jun 6, 2006 11:24 pm PT

    [This message was deleted at the request of the original poster]

  • insane956dv

    Posted Jun 6, 2006 11:11 pm PT

    *yawn*

  • osxgp

    Posted Jun 6, 2006 10:41 pm PT

    Sony is gonna be in trouble considering the price drop on 360 games as well as a lack of release titles announced for the PS3...Let me Guess??? Madden 07' and a bunch of other EA sports games. There's a shock!

  • playan

    Posted Jun 6, 2006 10:04 pm PT

    It's really great. In belgium it's 70 euros=89.7859 Dollars a game.

  • GoreObsessed

    Posted Jun 6, 2006 9:52 pm PT

    Just the price drop Ive been waiting for on Condemned .

  • AlbertoML

    Posted Jun 6, 2006 9:38 pm PT

    This will help the sales of 360 games... and more games would be sold if their inicial prices were at a max of 50 bucks, not 60

  • vaejas

    Posted Jun 6, 2006 9:36 pm PT

    Only fair that the 360 would follow the PC trend of bell-curve game prices. And not just the crap titles, neither.

  • poodeek

    Posted Jun 6, 2006 9:03 pm PT

    Great to hear. Hopefully this will be a new trend the gaming companys adopt.

  • rykh

    Posted Jun 6, 2006 9:01 pm PT

    Thats good cause I refuse to pay $60

  • LordGamer0001

    Posted Jun 6, 2006 8:51 pm PT

    yeah price drops. i love them.

  • thekey

    Posted Jun 6, 2006 8:12 pm PT

    Nice very nice!

  • Drachman

    Posted Jun 6, 2006 7:57 pm PT

    New games for the PS2 and Xbox are now around 30 dollars and now almost half of the Xbox 360 games are 40 dollars. Honestly, as far as I can tell from working in retail. the 360 games are selling better and probably making the companies more money at 40 dollars than 60. They should keep it that price and watch the money roll in.

  • condemned100

    Posted Jun 6, 2006 7:53 pm PT

    i would definately get burnout

  • Imavnas

    Posted Jun 6, 2006 7:32 pm PT

    Ridge Racer was a horrible game, but Condemned was a great game, so this is good news. Now all they need to do is fix the achievement bugs the game has and itll be all swell.

  • rbarahona

    Posted Jun 6, 2006 7:29 pm PT

    Good news for the 360 users, that way, they can get those games, and probably get new consumers to the 360 bandwagon.

  • EddyG0RD0

    Posted Jun 6, 2006 7:25 pm PT

    Must be because sales are poor.

  • gamerdude27

    Posted Jun 6, 2006 7:19 pm PT

    That's definitely good to hear. At this rate, Microsoft will likely have a Platinum Hits line out this fall at $20 a game. I'm going to be picking up Burnout tomorrow, considering $40 is cheap for such a game. I've still been wanting to check out Condemned, so this price cut should allow me to do that. There are still a lot of games that I want to buy, but that $60 tag is kind of holding me back. Price cuts definitely make me a happy gamer

  • tomamagic

    Posted Jun 6, 2006 7:14 pm PT

    Condemned is an awesome game . . .for those who didn't try it at full retail price, Godspeed!

  • speedsimmons

    Posted Jun 6, 2006 7:13 pm PT

    i think price drops are great for us consumers... but is this saying something... they wouldn't drop the price if games were selling (or good). Personally, I'd rather they keep the prices the same, and just make more compelling games that pull gamers to the stores, without question of spilling 50 bucks on the table. Currently, the game selection for the 360 is pretty weak, hopefully it's only attributed to the lack of competition. If i were MS. i'd be using this time to gain control over as many gamers as i could, to try and sway the masses when it comes time to the ps3 launch (getting into car, buying burnout)

  • Flat_Line_____

    Posted Jun 6, 2006 7:10 pm PT

    MAN that is awsome and QUICK too, I really didn't think there would be a price drop this quick like a platinum collection alrerady.Now I can go get condemned (rented it when it first came out but didn't think it was really worth 60$ heh) And feel like I am REALLY getting my moneys worth,

    Now if we can just get Q4 on that list that would rock.

    Edit: LOL after posting this I look at the next news headline down and see "EA hits 52 week low" That might explain this price drop on their end eh?

  • eckertt001

    Posted Jun 6, 2006 7:05 pm PT

    Very good!

  • blackIceJoe

    Posted Jun 6, 2006 7:03 pm PT

    Awesome Condemned maybe now I will go out and buy it.

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