2012-04-28, 09:46 | Link #103 | |
Bearly Legal
Join Date: Jun 2004
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Unfortunately, Japanese corporation is quite resistant to changes so I highly doubt Square Enix will adopt the new model anytime soon. Personally, i felt the Square Enix have lost it's brand power these days compare to Blizzard and Bioware. It's going to be uphill battle for subscriber unless they toss in a better deal. As for dead games, yeah.. it's a problem that no one have an answer for as of yet. Maybe they could release server source code at later dates? But I highly doubt many big company will do that. It might be one of those issues that people just got used after awhile.
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2012-04-28, 11:21 | Link #104 |
temporary safeguard
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Germany
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I sure hope japanese corps don't adobt the f2p model.
If the other asian f2p games are anything to go by, they would first release for the domestic market and english translations would come years later, if at all. |
2012-04-28, 20:29 | Link #105 | |
Senior Member
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Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: USA
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2) Not unless it's a MASSIVE amount of content like enough for an expansion. If they want to add tid bits, it should be free. 3) Nope. They don't give you physical product. If you want one, you have to provide your own disc. Hell, you have to use your own internet connection to get the product as well, and that costs money for some people per gigabit. Fortunately they offer discounts a plenty on platforms like Steam. 4) I suppose it depends on if you consider there to be minimum price for them, but I'd say yes, since you don't get a physical copy either. 5) Yes (isn't this the current norm?) I feel I should mention that I think there are worthwhile advantages that digital distribution offers (if your disc is f'd, you can still get a copy without paying for it again, connection pending). But I don't know if they necessarily outweigh my dislikes of it (I'm the guy that still prefers books over e-books).
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2012-05-07, 17:09 | Link #106 | |
sleepyhead
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Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: event horizon
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2. I do a rough calculation on the money something is worth before I consider it's price. In that sense it's irrelevant to me if you get it though 3 payments or 1 payment as long as I see it as worth it cumulatively. That said, very few things are worth their price, particularly the $60+ ones. Nickle and dimming you with DLC is just the tip of the iceberg... 3. You're getting "less" so obviously: NOPE. Though frankly worse things happen; like price fluctuations between regions. 4. Don't care. 5. Shit you pay for should belong to you. Nuff said.
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2012-05-08, 11:09 | Link #107 | ||
Adeptus Animus
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Join Date: Jan 2007
Age: 36
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That being said, I don't see how this shows the digital platform can't undercut retail prices yet. Indeed, the lower sales should be an encouragement to do so, since it will increase their market position. Right now, there's a lower digital market mainly because the retail market has a strong position, true, but also because there is no real reason to buy digitally. You are, after all, paying the same price. Why not stick with retail? Digital will only become attractive when it has an advantage over retail, and one advantage the platform can lord over retailers is a lower price. |
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2012-05-08, 11:29 | Link #108 |
Obey the Darkly Cute ...
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Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: On the whole, I'd rather be in Kyoto ...
Age: 66
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I can walk into Gamestop and their "PC game" section is about 4 linear feet of pathetic, abused, often used drivel. Prominently displayed is a big catalog you can order download games from. Seriously past the tipping point of charging the same for virtual and physical.
The chain stores (Target, etc.) really ought to just free up the space - there's almost no movement at all in product and the shelf is obviously stocked by clueless idiots. Collector's editions should be the focus of brick'n'mortar. You know, maps, posters, shirts, and cool stuff in the box.
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2012-05-08, 13:30 | Link #109 |
blinded by blood
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I don't see the issue because a) Steam sales are pretty much constant and b) I never buy a game when it's brand-new unless I really, really wanted it in which case a $60 price tag isn't going to dissuade me.
I do wish the $60 + DLC price model would go away though, especially for digital content. The last game I bought was preordering Torchlight II, which cost a grand whopping $15 since a couple friends and I went in on a 4-pack.
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2012-05-08, 13:56 | Link #110 |
Adeptus Animus
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Join Date: Jan 2007
Age: 36
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I was actually talking about digital distribution in general. Steam sales are a good thing for steam. Not so good for other online platforms who don't do such sales.
And they still don't excuse charging you the same retail price even though less costs were present on their side and you as a customer get less for your money. |
2012-05-08, 15:24 | Link #111 | |
blinded by blood
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Yet a few years ago AT&T sold unlimited data for $25 a month. Way more than 3GB, and it was cheaper, too! But back then mobile data was more expensive to offer. The technology gets cheaper and easier, but the prices go up? This is all wrong from a pragmatic standpoint. The problem is this: they don't care about the consumer. They only care about profits, and they'll naturally charge whatever they can get away with; whatever people will be willing to pay. They'll charge whatever they can charge. EA started the trend of the $60 new release and now everyone's jumping on the bandwagon. The market will bear that cost for big-name titles, so they're perfectly able to charge that, even if they have lower costs and overhead, even if we don't get a box with a spinny disc in it. The only way to make digital distribution go down in price is to either a) stop buying the $60 new releases until they come down in price (highly unlikely to happen) or b) patronize only the stores that sell digital copies of games much more cheaply than their physical counterparts. The latter is far more likely and is already happening with Steam... EA may refuse to put their biggest titles on Steam in favor of Origin to keep the price at $60 longer, but other publishers don't have the same power EA does. They'll have to fall in line or risk losing money.
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2012-05-08, 15:32 | Link #112 |
Adeptus Animus
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Join Date: Jan 2007
Age: 36
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It's still a terrible decision even from a profit-central standpoint. Take EA, with origin they have a chance to boost the popularity of origin. All those complaints will simmer down if customers can get their shiny EA titles cheaper on origin, which stabilizes the platform and allows them to eventually overtake retail stores in their profit margin, effectively eliminating not only expensive extra productions and trade steps, but also downgrade the competition of the used game market.
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2012-05-08, 15:49 | Link #113 | |
blinded by blood
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Instead, they see the newer companies as competition to be crushed, the new models as dangerous new trends to be smashed. They want to maintain the status quo despite the fact that they could make even more sickeningly large amounts of money if they'd just move with the times. Unfortunately they always seem to see moving with the times as a huge risk, even when it's really not, and they'd rather move heaven, hell and earth with their bare hands to keep everything exactly the same than change. This is why we have record labels suing tweeners for downloading MP3s and shit like SOPA trying to be passed as law. Because these companies refuse to adapt. Just because EA sells video games does not make them immune. They adapt quickly to the trends that benefit them the most in the immediate short-term (chopping up games and selling tons of DLC, for instance) and they resist those that might benefit them in the long-term (selling digital-only copies cheaper than boxed copies).
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2012-05-09, 05:45 | Link #114 | |
Bearly Legal
Join Date: Jun 2004
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The problem for digital distribution is the need for a credit card and teenagers who don't have access to one makes up a good portion of the market. Not to mention other issues like internet connectivity, buyer behaviour and trend. So your traditional retailers are very important to a publisher to access that market and it matters a lot if it's a nationwide big chain like Gamestop. If you priced it lower, you're basically stealing customers from your client but the fact remains that even if it's cheaper to buy online, the majority of your consumer can't get it online cause they don't have a credit card. So don't poke the bear eventhough you're trying to steal it's honey behind it. This is why instead of offering more for digital purchase, some publishers actually gives extra stuff for physical copies that you purchase off certain chains. If more teens have credit cards (or some form of electronic wallet), publisher will be a lot more aggressive in cutting out the middleman. While digital sales are picking up, it will be awhile before we see publishers in a position to undercut retailers. edit: also, i believe this is a key factor why there's digital regional pricing and why there's delay for regions outside US when it comes to digital releases.
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Last edited by Jazzrat; 2012-05-09 at 05:58. |
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2012-05-25, 09:33 | Link #116 |
Did someone call a doctor
Join Date: Apr 2007
Age: 40
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Mebe should have posted this here since it's vaguely relevant, but I kinda forgot about this thread.
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2012-05-25, 10:35 | Link #117 |
Adeptus Animus
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Join Date: Jan 2007
Age: 36
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Australia is one of the most glaring examples, but games indeed do cost too much. Big budgets are slowly stopping to be a valid excuse with movies, which often have the same if not higher budgets, selling their DVD's for a third of the average game price.
The digital retail system points out quite vividly that this is all greed, since the lack of a difference in price between a retail and digital copy clearly points out that the usual excuses of cost (creation, marketing, shipping, retailing) are partially a lie, since the last two don't quite exist as such for digital copies. |
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