This post is somewhat written in frustration, but I will try and stay away from "this is f******g b******t" sentences.
I just spent some time browsing a few download services like Direct2drive, Gamersgate and of course steam for prices on different games for the PC. I then compared it to the on-line retail site i usually use when buying games.
And what frustrates (but didn't shock) me was that unless it is a special deal, games on these services are still the same price or often more expensive than in retail!
examples:
fallout new vegas: steam price: 49,99€
same game on-line retail: 19,99€*
witcher 2: steam 49,99€
online-retail: 40€*
Deus ex human revolution: steam preorder 44,99€
Online retail pre-order: 40€*
*these prices are converted from a Danish retailer, and as we are a part of the Euro, the prices are slightly altered for convenience.
and I could go on and on.
A few months back i bought Dragon agerigins ultimate edition, Assassins Creed 2 and Mass effect 2, as on-line retail.
price: 35€.
the same purchase on steam would have been something like 65€.
Why are the prices so high on steam?? You would think that with all the expenses for producing discs, boxes etc, the removed shipping expenses, that the prices would drop, at least below retail.
I know that steam and the games industry are a business, and that their goal is to make money. But to me it seams strange, that they don't want to take a larger share of the market by being competitive on prices with retail services. Why would I buy a game on steam or other download services, when i can get it cheaper somewhere else?
Not only are they limiting their share of the market, but cheaper games would also appeal to a larger crowd of gamers(each games would sell more) and the accessibility and lower prices, would to me seem like a good method to combat piracy of games, that again would increase sales.
I am not a businessman, and I don't know what deals and contract exist between download services, and the publishers. But I would think it would be in the interest of both to increase sales of their games by make the games as appealing to the largest amount of gamers as possible, and by combating piracy.
And of course the loosers are the gamers like me who are stuck with retail versions or more expensive games, when I would prefer download services like steam. And this is my frustration. I want downloads like steam, as it the way of the future, and very manageable, and the accessibility, to a huge amount of games is great. But as long as I can get my games cheaper elsewhere, why should I buy my games on steam??
I just spent some time browsing a few download services like Direct2drive, Gamersgate and of course steam for prices on different games for the PC. I then compared it to the on-line retail site i usually use when buying games.
And what frustrates (but didn't shock) me was that unless it is a special deal, games on these services are still the same price or often more expensive than in retail!
examples:
fallout new vegas: steam price: 49,99€
same game on-line retail: 19,99€*
witcher 2: steam 49,99€
online-retail: 40€*
Deus ex human revolution: steam preorder 44,99€
Online retail pre-order: 40€*
*these prices are converted from a Danish retailer, and as we are a part of the Euro, the prices are slightly altered for convenience.
and I could go on and on.
A few months back i bought Dragon agerigins ultimate edition, Assassins Creed 2 and Mass effect 2, as on-line retail.
price: 35€.
the same purchase on steam would have been something like 65€.
Why are the prices so high on steam?? You would think that with all the expenses for producing discs, boxes etc, the removed shipping expenses, that the prices would drop, at least below retail.
I know that steam and the games industry are a business, and that their goal is to make money. But to me it seams strange, that they don't want to take a larger share of the market by being competitive on prices with retail services. Why would I buy a game on steam or other download services, when i can get it cheaper somewhere else?
Not only are they limiting their share of the market, but cheaper games would also appeal to a larger crowd of gamers(each games would sell more) and the accessibility and lower prices, would to me seem like a good method to combat piracy of games, that again would increase sales.
I am not a businessman, and I don't know what deals and contract exist between download services, and the publishers. But I would think it would be in the interest of both to increase sales of their games by make the games as appealing to the largest amount of gamers as possible, and by combating piracy.
And of course the loosers are the gamers like me who are stuck with retail versions or more expensive games, when I would prefer download services like steam. And this is my frustration. I want downloads like steam, as it the way of the future, and very manageable, and the accessibility, to a huge amount of games is great. But as long as I can get my games cheaper elsewhere, why should I buy my games on steam??