Test Drive Unlimited limited to $40

  • By Patrick Caldwell, GameSpot
  • Posted Jul 20, 2006 10:56 am PT

Atari mandates a $39.95 price for the Xbox 360-bound racer, matching the game's price on other platforms.

Less than two months before its release, Test Drive Unlimited has received a lower-than-expected price. Instead of the now-standard Xbox 360 price of $60 for third-party games, Atari announced today that the next-gen version of its upcoming street racer will cost gamers $39.95.

The move means the 360 version of Test Drive Unlimited now matches the price of the game on its other platforms--the PC, PlayStation 2, and PlayStation Portable--as listed by online retailers.

While $60 is the standard for a new Xbox 360 game, it's becoming increasingly common to find games going for less. In May, Rockstar released its next-gen debut, Table Tennis, on the 360 for $40, and in March, Koei offered Dynasty Warriors 5 Empires on the system for the same price. In May, many of the 360 games saw price slashings, including Electronic Arts' Burnout Revenge and a host of titles in its flagship sports franchises, Ubisoft's King Kong: The Official Game of the Movie, and THQ's The Outfit.

A demo of the Xbox 360 version of the game has been available on the Xbox Live Marketplace since May. For more information on Test Drive Unlimited, check out GameSpot's previous coverage.

79 Comments

  • messin18

    Posted Aug 2, 2006 5:40 pm PT

    "Now next-gen games are taking less work to produce"

    Your knowledge of development costs is extremeley limited.

    The reason why 360 games currently cost $60 is not only because it costs developers alot of time and money to initially learn the next gen hardware but the instalation base of 360 is around 5 million compared to 100 million ps2 and 30 million xboxs. So less gamers have the ability to buy the game meaning less money.

    Test Drive is banking on the fact that being one of the only $40 will mean a ton more sales.. We'll see if it pans out for them. Atari is on the verge of going out of business anway. Looks like a desperation move to me.

  • hazuki

    Posted Jul 22, 2006 5:00 am PT

    Doom 3 on the pc started the whole higher-pricing next gen thing releasing it at 55$. It had a reason to be released at that price because it took nearly a century to come out. Now next-gen games are taking less work to produce, so this 60$ thing is just to try and get more money. Yeah some xbox 360 games are actually worth it, but most deffinately not all. Test drive unlimited, good demo- id say it could've been released for 50$ and been alright, but 40$? Thats a deal.

  • _Sam_

    Posted Jul 21, 2006 11:44 pm PT

    Very nice!

  • diablo9601

    Posted Jul 21, 2006 1:30 pm PT

    Well it is indeed a good value...because games aren't quite cheap and with this reduction in price it makes the game alot more interesting to buy

  • phrank_3

    Posted Jul 21, 2006 9:31 am PT

    Do you guys think that the lower price means that we will have to buy more stuff on XBL? That certain cars will only be available for purchase with Marketplace Points? That would be an interesting way to market games. Give us a choice about what we want to pay for instead of packing a game full of stuff that most users don't care about. This lower price will also get the game into more gamers hands, and we'll have a lot better online experience as well. I think this is great!

  • ortan13

    Posted Jul 21, 2006 9:26 am PT

    That is the best news I've heard for a while. I hope some other game companies follow these foot steps or at least go back to $50 like the past

  • shasam712

    Posted Jul 21, 2006 7:10 am PT

    Fantastic, hopefully other developers will catch on and we will get some more cheaper games. So long as the game isn't losing any content or anything then we will all be happy...

  • DrKill09

    Posted Jul 21, 2006 5:55 am PT

    Hopefully more developers will lower the price to $40, until that is the standard price. DVD's cost $3 to produce. A $60 price tag is too high, imho. Becuase of the $60 price, I've been renting games instead.

  • thatguytony

    Posted Jul 21, 2006 5:35 am PT

    The demo showed promise and I hope more developers will choose to lower their next-gen prices. I personally am more likely to buy a game at a $40 price point then a $60 one.

  • lightning3001

    Posted Jul 21, 2006 3:32 am PT

    Yeah! They better slash the Price in the UK aswell. Well done Atari we all know you need the money.

  • mithund

    Posted Jul 21, 2006 12:09 am PT

    hey, great move Atari... that'll really help sell the game.

    Since E3, I've been excited about the prospects of this game.

  • nintendorocks

    Posted Jul 20, 2006 11:36 pm PT

    Sounds good. I hope this doesn't diminish the quality of the game.

  • gameloverx

    Posted Jul 20, 2006 10:05 pm PT

    way to go Atari

  • SnuffDaddyNZ

    Posted Jul 20, 2006 7:51 pm PT

    This will be only the second retail game I will buy for the 360, the first one being Oblivion.

    Nothing to do with price, I've just always wanted to be able to drive around an entire country, kind of like if someone took the concept of Micrsoft Flight Simulator and applied it to a driving game.

    I know that Hawaii is an island and not a country, but it's a start.

    The oldest game I remember that had complete driving freedom was Highway Patrol 2 on the Amiga.

    Midtown Madness let you cruise around a city, and then Grand Theft Auto let you do that and shoot people at the same time.

    San Andreas came closer to the dream, letting you drive through countryside to reach other cities, but sacrificed realism to facilitate the gameplay (I guess not everyone want to drive for hours to reach the other cities, just me).

  • A7Xfan

    Posted Jul 20, 2006 7:32 pm PT

    Good developers are realizing early in the generation a lower price helps alot.

  • thekey

    Posted Jul 20, 2006 6:42 pm PT

    I'll get it if it get's a high rating or I like the demo.

  • Agent_Kaliaver

    Posted Jul 20, 2006 6:03 pm PT

    This game isn't like Table Tennis which wasn't a full game (in a way) and it is only $40..... not bad at all. I'm not a big racing fan, but this online i truly think will define online racing games.

    Let us look back at any racing game from EA and their amazing racers online capabilities......... wow only took 3 seconds to see their was sucked balls. No more taking 2 minutes to start a 40 second racing and then doing it all over again.

    Damn i hope more video games look at the price dorp for this game as a way of saying raising the price back to what N64 games went for is retarded.

  • imautobot

    Posted Jul 20, 2006 5:06 pm PT

    A turd is still a turn at any price. The demo sucked, so I won't be fronting $40 for that POS. I might pay a buck for it.

  • abe2cool4u

    Posted Jul 20, 2006 4:30 pm PT

    see this is the smart thing that there finally doing, because them selling some of there good franchises(which aren't many by the way) was not a smart decision

  • CraigH123

    Posted Jul 20, 2006 4:06 pm PT

    this is awesome that they are selling some of the 360 games for $40, hopefully this will become more prevalent

  • Dic_Dasterdly

    Posted Jul 20, 2006 3:51 pm PT

    Ya, thats not bad. I played the demo and it was ok. Not much into racing games. I bet that will be the new trend though. Games that publishers plan on selling extra packs for on XBL will sell for cheaper. Lets just hope that they dont start taken out normal content and try to sell it to us later.

  • adam1503

    Posted Jul 20, 2006 3:22 pm PT

    Atari **** ROCKS!!!!!

  • smurfa1

    Posted Jul 20, 2006 3:07 pm PT

    That's the way!

  • nenoneno

    Posted Jul 20, 2006 3:00 pm PT

    Im defenitely going to buy this game if anything JUST BECAUSE i support this!

  • dfoz3

    Posted Jul 20, 2006 2:54 pm PT

    I am sure this price point is because they are going to milk the marketplace for all it is worth, charging for car packs, clothes packs, house packs etc. Still, at least this way you can choose what you want and don't want instead of paying 60 and getting it all!.

  • grimzeus

    Posted Jul 20, 2006 2:48 pm PT

    Wanna know how to make all games cheaper MS? Use your arcade like Steam is. Digital delivery is a great thing. Arcade is a lonely place with many cob-webs and such... it's an embarasment and Nintendo is going to destroy you in that arena at this rate.

    Here I am with money burning a hole in my pocket, ready to drop duckets into Arcade and buy more credits, and there ain't a damn thing to buy. Come on dudes, is it that hard to comprehend? More content = more $$$.

    Imagine game systems with no disk players at all. Very cool, and probably quieter and definately faster on load times.

  • faridmon

    Posted Jul 20, 2006 2:41 pm PT

    jofy, actually Arcade games are more fun than sim game, quit being a hatrer, i am an Atari fan, i play Ikaruga and Dragon Ball games for my Gamecube, i hope this game sells well, and for you guys who hate Atari, do u know who published UT 2004, best shooter for the PC? it was Atari, who made Act of War? Atari, and more impotantly who made Fahrenheit (Indigo Prophecy)? it was Atari, so stop hate the good and like the bad *EA*

  • jeebs213

    Posted Jul 20, 2006 2:34 pm PT

    great news! I'll still wait for the gamespot review but $40 will definilty make me take a second look at this game.

  • Generic_Dude

    Posted Jul 20, 2006 2:29 pm PT

    That's a pretty decent thing to do -- and hopefully one that other developers will start doing (however doubtful)... but still, $40 for a racing game that essentially has only one course is still not for me. I used to love the Test Drive games -- namely because it's one of the few franchines (aside from Gran Turismo and Forza) that includes classic cars. I don't want to drive a f***ing Jetta, I want to drive a f***ing 69 Camaro SS. I don't want to drive a f***ing Civic, I want to drive a f***ing '70 Olds Cutlass. And I want f***ing variety, not to drive around Honolulu all day. Hawaii sucks. I'm waiting for Forza.

  • swhorl

    Posted Jul 20, 2006 2:18 pm PT

    @ jofy
    some of us prefer arcade racers... like burnout.

  • skatefreak89

    Posted Jul 20, 2006 1:55 pm PT

    Wazaaah, great news. My most wanted game for $40.

  • nytrospawn

    Posted Jul 20, 2006 1:54 pm PT

    Have fun paying for monthly expansion packs. X360 is definately more like a PC, in all the wrong ways.

  • jofy

    Posted Jul 20, 2006 1:38 pm PT

    There is a reason for that,the game sucks ,it is arcade ,not sim

  • rokkuman09

    Posted Jul 20, 2006 1:31 pm PT

    Yay sweeett

  • jdbthexboxgamr

    Posted Jul 20, 2006 1:15 pm PT

    YES!!,this is fantastic news to me!,this is one of my most anticipated games coming to the 360 and now its only 40 bux!,sweet!,thank you Atari!

  • shinchy

    Posted Jul 20, 2006 1:13 pm PT

    This game seems to get better and better

  • kekejefferis

    Posted Jul 20, 2006 1:02 pm PT

    Any news if atari are doing the same for us UK customers by knocking the price down to £35-£40 rather than the standard £50?

  • Jypson44

    Posted Jul 20, 2006 1:01 pm PT

    Hell yah!

  • Poltergeist13

    Posted Jul 20, 2006 12:42 pm PT

    The demo was awesome for Test Drive Unlimited. I think 40 bucks for the game is pretty smart for Atari. They will charge for extra content I'm sure, but at 40 bucks you'll feel like your getting more for your money which is a plus. This is the racing game to get this year.

  • arsy130

    Posted Jul 20, 2006 12:35 pm PT

    wow thats great.. well i'll rent the game maybe i like it, and ill buy it

  • cesarotromundo

    Posted Jul 20, 2006 12:18 pm PT

    THIS GAME STINKS ANYWAYS

  • danmp18

    Posted Jul 20, 2006 12:13 pm PT

    I hope more games come out at this price, but I doubt the really high profile one will.

  • SoralinkGS

    Posted Jul 20, 2006 12:05 pm PT

    Now I am getting this game. Def. gonna be worth the $40.

  • fordies

    Posted Jul 20, 2006 12:04 pm PT

    Lets hope this is the first of many publishers to do this.

  • Gaara79

    Posted Jul 20, 2006 12:02 pm PT

    I wasnt planing on buying it for full price, but at 40 euro's I would.

  • zbaird

    Posted Jul 20, 2006 11:59 am PT

    That is good news! Neat-o gang!

  • almightymikenyc

    Posted Jul 20, 2006 11:57 am PT

    This is a smart move not just for more people to buy the product but you guys are missing the most important thing...

    Xbox Live Marketplace....

    A game like this will make a killin selling new cars and customizations for the users. Putting it at $40 gives people the thought that, "I spent $40, why not buy the extra few cars or clothes? I saved money before."

    I had PGR3 (traded it) and I now see you could buy new cars. Thats $60 plus $2 car here and $2 car there. It adds up.

    They giving a little to get a little later. I love the idea.

    Come find me crusin in my Benz in Sept.
    or playin somethin else...

    Gametag- AlmightyMikeNYC

  • ArgoSmekkie

    Posted Jul 20, 2006 11:55 am PT

    I love it when the price of games drops!
    More for less!

  • bossjimbob

    Posted Jul 20, 2006 11:54 am PT

    I could get used to $40 games on 360. Looking forward to TDU.

  • bpmurr

    Posted Jul 20, 2006 11:53 am PT

    As long as it ends up being a half decent game consider one copy sold for $40. We need to show developers that they'll make just as much if not more money at a lower price point by selling more copies.

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