Games on Demand: Fair Deals & Price Hikes

[StrainedEyes]

http://xboxlive.ign.com/articles/101/1012828p1.html

August 11, 2009 - As of today, your Xbox 360 is going to require an update, which improves the dashboard and adds new features. One of those features is the availability of games on demand. Now, you can download full retail versions (with cash or Microsoft points) of select titles.

The launch lineup has more than 20 titles, all of them fairly old offerings. Prices are either $20 or $30 US. As such, few if any of the Games on Demand titles cost less than they do at retail. Still, for some the convenience of downloading a game rather than driving to a store is going to be tempting. We did a little comparison shopping, the results of which are very disappointing. There are no good deals on the list (despite the fact that Microsoft has cut out the retail outlets). About half the games are of fair market value, the other half are inexplicably more expensive to download than to purchase through Gamestop or Amazon.com.

Fair Deals

Listed below are all of the games we found to have the same cost on Xbox Live Marketplace and in retail stores in the U.S.

Assassin's Creed - $30
Burnout Paradise - $20
Fight Night Round 3 - $20
Mass Effect - $20
Meet The Robinsons - $30
Need for Speed Carbon - $20
Need for Speed: Most Wanted - $20
Prey - $20
Ridge Racer 6 (US only) - $20
Sonic the Hedgehog (US only) - $20
Viva Pinata - $20

Bad Deals

And here are all of the bum deals for games we could easily find at a better value through a retail outlet.

Battlefield: Bad Company – $20 on Xbox Live (XBL), but you can get the special Gold Edition new for the same price on Amazon.com.
BioShock (US only)/The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion - $30 each on XBL, but you can get a combo pack in retail for just $40.
Call of Duty 2 – A surprising $30 on XBL. Not only is it old, you can find the used Game of the Year edition at Gamestop for $13.
Dance Dance Revolution Universe (US only) – Sure, it's only $30 on XBL, but doesn't come with the dance pad. If this is the first DDR game you buy, you can't actually play it!
Kameo: Elements of Power – $20 on XBL, but $14 new on Amazon.com.
Karaoke Revolution American Idol Encore (US only) - For $30 on XBL you can buy the game but not the mic.
LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga - $30 on XBL, only $20 new on Amazon.com.
MX vs. ATV Untamed - $30 on XBL, but $20 new at Gamestop
Perfect Dark Zero – Only $20 on XBL, but you can get it for $14 on Amazon.com.
Rockstar Games Presents Table Tennis – $30 on XBL, but retails for $20 in stores.
Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Vegas – $30 on XBL, but retails for $20 in stores.
Viva Pinata: Trouble in Paradise - $30 on XBL, but retails for $20 in stores.

Either way they seem to be a little over priced. The minute they put up a new game for $60.00 is when I'll never buy something off of this service. The whole purpose of On Demand is that the games are cheaper to release and therefore should be cheaper to buy. As it stands now they are either selling them for equal or more than what you pay for them new at a store.

 

[ProjectPat2280]

But aren't you paying for convenience?

I dont think they should always be cheaper.

 

[Addendum]

I'd rather deal with the "inconvenience" of driving to a store where I can get it cheaper and actually have a copy in my hands, rather than pay more for a download

 

[Dark Helmet]

Am I the only one surprised that Gears Of War 1 & Halo 3 did not make the first rounds of games online ?

 

[William_C]

You know over in AUS. Mass Effect is (or was?) going to be 6000 MP.

 

[amazingfantasy15]

http://xboxlive.ign.com/articles/101/1012828p1.html

Either way they seem to be a little over priced. The minute they put up a new game for $60.00 is when I'll never buy something off of this service. The whole purpose of On Demand is that the games are cheaper to release and therefore should be cheaper to buy. As it stands now they are either selling them for equal or more than what you pay for them new at a store.

The price for games has more to do with development costs than shipping and disc production, those costs might amount to $5 tops. The reasons X-Box Live games don't cost too much is because they're usually developed for far less than ones in stores, not because they don't have to manufacture a disc. How much do you think a new game should cost if they ever start being released over X-Box Live?

 

[StrainedEyes]

The price for games has more to do with development costs than shipping and disc production, those costs might amount to $5 tops. The reasons X-Box Live games don't cost too much is because they're usually developed for far less than ones in stores, not because they don't have to manufacture a disc. How much do you think a new game should cost if they ever start being released over X-Box Live?

I'm not saying they should be half price or anything, but if you get a game off of Steam or buy a CD through itunes, it's usually cheaper than buying it at the store. Take whatever the shipping, box and cd production costs are and minus it from the whole. Even 55 bucks over 60 would at least be a gesture.

 

[amazingfantasy15]

I'm not saying they should be half price or anything, but if you get a game off of Steam or buy a CD through itunes, it's usually cheaper than buying it at the store. Take whatever the shipping, box and cd production costs are and minus it from the whole. Even 55 bucks over 60 would at least be a gesture.

Most full CDs on iTunes cost the same amount as they would at the store actually.

 

[Brainiac 8]

I don't mind that they are a bit more in price. Like Pat said, you pay for convenience. Go to any gas station, a 20oz drink usually cost the same if not more than a two leader...why? Because you pay for convenience.

 

[Havok83]

http://xboxlive.ign.com/articles/101/1012828p1.html



Either way they seem to be a little over priced. The minute they put up a new game for $60.00 is when I'll never buy something off of this service. The whole purpose of On Demand is that the games are cheaper to release and therefore should be cheaper to buy. As it stands now they are either selling them for equal or more than what you pay for them new at a store.

says who? They shouldnt be more expensive than retail copies, but that doesnt mean they should be cheaper. Thats a misassumption that people tend to have about digital releases.

 

[Addendum]

I'll stick with either waiting for the price drop on new copies, or just get it used

 

[Flash Facts]

I agree that digital distribution should result in cheaper software. The way video game publishers/developers try to justify the cost for their products at retail is by saying that they incur significant cost in the production and distribution process so if a large portion of that cost is removed than i believe the cost of the product should be reduced. Unfortunately unless the majority of consumers realize this and stop to purchasing these products the publishers/developers will continue inflating prices.

Also in my opinion licensing a digital copy of a game is less convenient than purchasing a retail disc of the game.

 

[KALEL114]

The price for games has more to do with development costs than shipping and disc production, those costs might amount to $5 tops. The reasons X-Box Live games don't cost too much is because they're usually developed for far less than ones in stores, not because they don't have to manufacture a disc. How much do you think a new game should cost if they ever start being released over X-Box Live?

QFT.