Prices are nuts

[benitok]

Ok, the prices of games (Xbox360 & PS3) are crazy. If they don't come down by January I would consider selling my Xbox360.

 

[Ewie]

Ok, the prices of games (Xbox360 & PS3) are crazy. If they don't come down by January I would consider selling my Xbox360.

buy second hand , you will save a ton.

 

[Mephisto_Helix]

yeah 2nd hand/pre played and renting ftw

 

[Info Guy 101]

Ok, the prices of games (Xbox360 & PS3) are crazy. If they don't come down by January I would consider selling my Xbox360.

+1

They are going overboard with the prices I think aswell

 

[doobiwan]

You'll find a lot of cheap games come Jan/Feb - if you look at the Feb release list it's a little bit insane like Xmas all over again, so I'm sure shops will be looking to clear stock.

EDIT: Also never buy retail - kalahari has pretty good prices - you're looking R540-R610 for games that retail at R700.

 

[maestro_za]

Retail is ridiculous. Online, be it locally or overseas is a better bet!

I personally get games from the xbox-360 forum and pre-played at independant gaming stores.

Buy the odd full price game now and then

 

[EtienneK]

Yes, the prices are insane. I really don't know how people can afford it in the current financial climate.

 

[doobiwan]

You would think that developers would have wised up and cut the price on some lesser games like Mirrors Edge or Endwar. I'd love to play both, but given my budget I'll go for the sure bets anyday. When either are R400, they'll get my cash, but not before then.

 

[Praemon]

You would think that developers would have wised up and cut the price on some lesser games like Mirrors Edge or Endwar. I'd love to play both, but given my budget I'll go for the sure bets anyday. When either are R400, they'll get my cash, but not before then.

Mirror's Edge was the lowest AAA title this season, as can be seen at kalahari (R517) - thanks to EA local presence. But it's true not all titles are equal, therefore they should be priced accordingly.

What we really need is local production of console games (more jobs and no more import fees / delays).

Other than that, 2nd hand market ftw...

 

[benitok]

buy second hand , you will save a ton.

More people will look at second hand, but that means that less people are buying new games.

That again means that there will be less second hand available due to less people buying new ones.

 

[metalcore]

You would think that developers would have wised up and cut the price on some lesser games like Mirrors Edge or Endwar. I'd love to play both, but given my budget I'll go for the sure bets anyday. When either are R400, they'll get my cash, but not before then.

Even R400 is too much for me thats why I don't even think of buying a 360 (even the arcade is just too expensive for me at the moment)

This all boils down once again to greed. The console manufacuters don't want to lower their price nor do the game publishers. Why must it cost so much for a game, when frikken hollywood movies on DVD don't cost so much. Movies that cost tens of millions of dollars to produce, including movies that haven't made profit at the box office are all reasonably(relatively) priced on DVD.

The problem is that a revolution is needed, prices need to come down or piracy will get bigger and bigger. However nobody wants to budge, the people at the publishers want their profits, so do the retailers and possibly the developers. Someone will need to make a sacriface, say sacrificing that Ferrari for a M6 rather. Then they will reap the rewards in the long run.

 

[doobiwan]

Even R400 is too much for me thats why I don't even think of buying a 360 (even the arcade is just too expensive for me at the moment)

This all boils down once again to greed. The console manufacuters don't want to lower their price nor do the game publishers. Why must it cost so much for a game, when frikken hollywood movies on DVD don't cost so much. Movies that cost tens of millions of dollars to produce, including movies that haven't made profit at the box office are all reasonably(relatively) priced on DVD.

While we agree that the prices are an issue, I wouldn't say greed is the problem. A game in the US costs $60 but remember that's without VAT or duties, so R700 is pretty much parity. To the rest of the world $60 is not as much as R700 here, you're talking the equivalent of about R300 (which is why PC games settled around that value). The problem is that the prices are set by global rules and we just work out badly.

As for comparing to movies - movies typically cost a lot less than games to make and the audience is wider and longer. Billions of people watch movies, only a few million buy games. Games also have a much shorter window, sometimes barely 3 months. That's why they're so over hyped and highly priced, dropping rapidly in many cases.

 

[Ghost02]

I buy second hand from BT games in the pavillion

 

[DarkWater]

Ok now this is where I'm going to have to be TOTALLY different from all you guys.

Firstly I never ever never buy a pre-played game ever. I just can't! I want the game to be brand spanking new still sealed in the original factory seal This is what gives me pleasure. The excitement of opening it and seeing it in it's all new glory (I just like my new stuff)

I don't buy from retail stores either since I feel that most of their games (even though it's new) still feels secondhand since the seals are almost always broken (CNA, Game, L&L, Musica, Toys, Incredible, BT, etc.)...so I just buy online (it's cheaper anyway).

Now you must think I'm some rich kid but actually I'm far from it. I just never buy the latest titles. I'm probably what you call a back gamer since I usually hunt for the older cheaper A grade bargain titles Except if it's a new game that I just can't resist.

Just look here for example: Xbox 360 (Online Shops)

The Darkness - R178
Command and Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars - R182
Bullet Witch - R209
Assassins Creed - R270
Test Drive Unlimited - R209
Gears of War - R270
Viva Pinata - R220
Burnout Paradise - R270
PGR3 - R199
Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle Earth II - R220
Eternal Sonata - R200
Dark Sector - R250
Rainbow Six Vegas - R200
Half-Life 2: The Orange Box - R250
Dead Rising - R180
Perfect Dark Zero - R260
F.E.A.R. Files - R180
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion - R180

and many more....all these under R300...heck some are even under R200 so no worries here

 

[doobiwan]

exactly, you just have to be patient.

 

[Mephisto_Helix]

that's where gaming on mah PC plays a big part ... keeps me going until the games are cheaper. Not that I mind pre-played anyway, most games after being played to death, I just get rid of.

 

[lord_spaceman]

Something really really has to be done and soon.

Piracy is definitely on in the increase (big time) and already I'm seeing more and more 'backup' Xbox 360 games selling for R80 on Gumtree and services that offer Xbox 360 'chipping'.

While I agree that 'not having the money' is never an excuse for game piracy, it's easy to see why so many people are pirating - games are just too expensive.

In my opinion, any Xbox 360 game over R499 is a rip off. Games need to come back down to R399 to R499. This R699 story is getting out of control.

I mean I don't mind paying R799 for Guitar Hero (as it comes with a big controller), but come on, R699 for a new titles is just plain robbery. Gears of War 2 cost me and arm and a leg. My non-gamer friends think I'm an absolute idiot for paying that much for new games (and I'll admit, I am), but we all know a gamer needs his fix.

Gamers + Patience do not bode well.

 

[lord_spaceman]

Just to add onto that, I don't know what the solution is. It looks like PC gamers are also getting hit hard and as games are now costing around R399 to R499 for a new title - very shocking indeed.

 

[wizdumb]

do that renting thing they have at bt games, something like 199 pm for unlimited rentals, if i remember correctly...

..otherwise do like the others mention and buy online

 

[noxibox]

movies typically cost a lot less than games to make

Games are costing $50 to $200 million to develop plus a similar amount on marketing?

The problem is that the prices are set by global rules and we just work out badly.

They're now at the point where risking the warranty on the console will start looking very attractive to a lot of people.

That's why they're so over hyped and highly priced, dropping rapidly in many cases.

My experience in this country is that they typically don't drop rapidly and often not by much.