I realize it’s been an incredibly long time since we’ve done a podcast and I haven’t been writing here lately. However, I wanted to start a discussion here about the increasing price of games.
This week, DC announced the pricing and bonuses for pre-ordering DC Universe Online Collector’s Edition. There are some great perks like a statue of Batman (Jim Lee), a copy of the new comic book DC is releasing and exclusive in-game items.
Now, I think these are very cool things to give buyers as a bonus but at what cost?
I don’t think I’ve ever paid $100 for a game on any platform. Let’s not forget that DCUO is an MMORPG that takes place in the DC Universe and hosted by none other than Sony Online Entertainment. Now, I’ve been a dedicated Everquest and Everquest II player for years but even then, those games were $29 new because SOE understood they are charging $15 a month to play this game.
So let’s consider that to play DCUO for a year you are going to spend $280 the first year. Would you pay this much for any other game? Batman: Arkham Asylum really made you feel like you were the Batman! It was my favorite game of last year and it certainly didn’t cost me $280.
We’re not comparing apples to oranges here, more like oranges to tangerines.
But can game publishers keep upping the price of these so-called “collector editions” and still bring in the real fans? Comics, and the DC Universe for that matter are a niche market. My in-laws and my wife certainly aren’t going to be playing this game. That leaves only fanboys, DC comic book readers and perhaps a few PS3, XBOX, and PC gamers that want to try something new and are willing to pay up for that privilege. Again, are they going to pay the price for this privilege?
I know as a parent, if my kid wanted to play this game I would have to find a way for him to earn the money, especially if I’m going to play it with him in which case I’ll be spending twice as much for us both to play.
I understand why developers do this. They want to recoup as much development cost as possible right away because they don’t know if a game is going to fail or not. Still, there has to be a line. I just don’t think this business model is sustainable when you charge $100 for the game and tack on a monthly fee. How many gamers are going to play multiple MMOs if this is the case? Not many. What do you think?
