I agree, and with a constant flow of DLC for every title we purchase. I feel like Gamers are being dripped dry of any extra funds they might have used to purchase a new game. I also have a limited amount of time to play a lot of these games and that forces me to be much more selective. With new and innovative titles like bioshock and tomb raider, who has 120 bucks to drop on cash in attempts while there are better quality options available.
I'm not ready. Ubisoft already lost my purchase of Rayman on my Nexus 7 because of their requirement of always online. I surely wont buy a console with that requirement. On Sunday I tried to play Spartan Ops in Halo 4 solo, but was unable to because the servers were down. Always online stinks! I'll just buy a PS4 and boycott any AO games.
Steam is using lower prices to take business away from dedicated platforms that use physical media and is not a relative example because the computer is not a closed platform dedicated to Gaming only, so if they can sell anything at all through Steam that is just icing on the cake, and even though you can digitally download Windows software I've never seen Microsoft office on sale for $9.99 on steam. In the case of iOS or android which a lot of people use as examples, they were emerging markets that had no precedent for pricing on games and software and needed lower prices in order to foster adoption of the platform, also software and games are not typically what I consider "AAA" titles and do not have the same development costs they are little more than time wasters.
This model of Direct digital distribution is only about one thing...making more money at the expense of your wallet, its as simple as that. If they can pull it of it's really a brilliant idea. Just imagine, they cut out Gamestop, which publishers and developers seem to support, then they cut out publishers, because they become obsolete with no physical media to publish, and developers don't need them because they can simply self publish, like they do on Steam, iOS or Andriod. Which in the end benefits the Console manufacturer and the developer, and in theory the Gamer just look at iOS etc....In theory.
Lets remember that this is about making more of the green stuff, through control of you as the consumer. It doesn't benefit them to lower prices. Microsoft doesn't care about making great games so you can play great games. They make consoles and games to make money...that is why they have to make great games and consoles. Ideally they want to create a closed platform, that allows them to market to you directly from your living room. There is no pirating, no ownership of physical media a 24/7 "always connected" marketing machine, that allows them to track everything you do on "Your" Console, In your home. Sure you gain the "convenience" of 5GB (multiple hour) direct downloads that and micro-transactions, and DLC ,Oh wait, my bad....we already have those things, so what do we really gain? If we are extremely generous and give them the benefit of doubt maybe a slight reduction in game prices.
In reality what do you give up as a consumer? Your ability to sell used games in order to buy new games, the inability to buy used games that were not worth the hefty $60 price tag, physical ownership, and the inability to play if you are not connected, No thank you! The fact is that your purchases have consequences, if you support this, you deserve the future you get. Just don't be surprised when game prices are still $60. Remember you can choose to decline this future instead of accepting it, by speaking with your wallets, I will be.....BTW I hate Gamestop.
Actually, it is up to us gamers, thats how a free market works. Manufacturers like Microsoft make products with different capabilities and features and consumers (a.k.a gamers) can choose to spend their hard earned money to support these companies or not. We have as choice.
Its a very simple principal...choose to participate in allowing companies to get away from consumer friendly practices or choose to support an alternate company that embraces ownership rights and remains friendly to consumers. Console makers speak the language of money so people need to speak with their wallets, companies will understand the lack of sales and then remember the nature of our relationship.
@kungfuj0 Agreed, I haven't walked into a Gamestop for years thanks to their exploitation of Used video game sales and trade in prices. I do however support used game sales and Peer to Peer, trades. As well as new purchases for exceptional titles.
@carolynmichelle @LastD Wow, must have hit a nerve. I'm simply drawing a contrast between this excellent article by Aaron as a more appropriate response to those who want to demonize a certain genre of video games, instead of Tom's suggestion below.
"Video game developers and the buying public have to take responsibility for how others view our medium. We can no longer point the finger of blame at other areas of society without examining our own impact as well. It's time that we break free of our infatuation with gratuitous violence and instead highlight just how incredible games have the potential to be. Games can be much more than bloody fantasies; they can explore meaningful and mature topics that help us better understand ourselves and the world around us. Because of that, we need to stand strong against anything that could in any way censor us, but instead of reacting with knee-jerk backlash when politicians swoop in, we should focus on self-reflection. Violence has been a crutch of game design for far too long video game Violence "
In my opinion its easy to give in to pressure and get introspective as gamers, and ask ourselves " whats wrong with our industry? Whats wrong with me for liking violent games?" when the appropriate response should be to take ownership of the issue by boldly defending our interests as Aaron has done with his article. In an attempt to explain that nothing is wrong with gamers for enjoying this Non-lethal type of entertainment, and making the valid point that for many of us this a healthy outlet of frustration and stress.
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