Is modern gaming sustainable? Where is the industry headed?

[Brickman | 3,983]

21 minutes ago, DoctorEncore said:

Sustainable? Apparently not at current prices. Sony signed up for the price hike we've been hearing about lately and is charging $70 for first party PS5 games. Even crazier, they are charging 80 euros in the EU which comes out to about $95!

Australia is matching the Euro pricing too, but isn't the difference due to the US not including VAT/GST? Europe and Australia include the tax in their price so there might not be a huge difference.

For me it will be best to import from Canada because our dollars are pretty much at parity. Thanks Canada, you guys rock!

I won't be getting the new gen for a long time with these prices. I'll stick to switch and PC MS game pass. MS have really nailed it with Game Pass for me.

 

Edited September 18, 2020 by Shmup
spelling

[Code Monkey | 2,006]

Initially there was a defining line between watching an action hero in a movie and playing the role of that action hero in a video game. As time progresses, the movies slowly merge with the games with cutscenes and now where you press buttons within time limits during cut scenes. I think the end will be fully interactive movies where you watch the action hero in a movie but you fully control them in a sort of virtual reality and you are the main character in the movie. You can interact with other characters, interact with environment objects, the path to the end is yours.

[TDIRunner | 2,731]

10 hours ago, DoctorEncore said:

Gaming is expensive now!

Gamers from the '80s are saying "that's cute" right now.  

[Gloves | 11,771]

Just now, TDIRunner said:

Gamers from the '80s are saying "that's cute" right now.  

Only 80's gamers will remember these 10 rad GAMING FACTS!

[Nintegageo | 582]

10 hours ago, Shmup said:

For me it will be best to import from Canada because our dollars are pretty much at parity. Thanks Canada, you guys rock!

I've purchased via Australia as well  you seem to have had a decent arcade scene in the country.

[RegularGuyGamer | 2,012]

10 hours ago, Code Monkey said:

I think the end will be fully interactive movies where you watch the action hero in a movie but you fully control them in a sort of virtual reality and you are the main character in the movie.

Man, I hope not. 

[DoctorEncore | 3,690]

12 hours ago, Shmup said:

Australia is matching the Euro pricing too, but isn't the difference due to the US not including VAT/GST? Europe and Australia include the tax in their price so there might not be a huge difference.

For me it will be best to import from Canada because our dollars are pretty much at parity. Thanks Canada, you guys rock!

I won't be getting the new gen for a long time with these prices. I'll stick to switch and PC MS game pass. MS have really nailed it with Game Pass for me.

 

The VAT is certainly part of it, but sales tax in the US varies from 0-10% depending on the state. So we're talking $70-77. Still nowhere near the ridiculous $95 Europeans will be paying (or the unbelievable prices in South America).

[Code Monkey | 2,006]

1 hour ago, RegularGuyGamer said:

Man, I hope not. 

That's where it's going. The cinematic portions of the games are becoming more involved as technology progresses, the only logical end is for the game and movie to become one.

[RegularGuyGamer | 2,012]

28 minutes ago, Code Monkey said:

That's where it's going. The cinematic portions of the games are becoming more involved as technology progresses, the only logical end is for the game and movie to become one.

I mean for some genres yeah. But you had the most wiley accept best game of a decade released in BOTW that had none of that.

That format will exist but I don't think it's where the industry as a whole is headed. Frankly, I think people are sick of those types of games already which is why the draw to GTA, BOTW, even Fortnite is so great. 

[Tanooki | 4,932]

21 hours ago, Code Monkey said:

Initially there was a defining line between watching an action hero in a movie and playing the role of that action hero in a video game. As time progresses, the movies slowly merge with the games with cutscenes and now where you press buttons within time limits during cut scenes. I think the end will be fully interactive movies where you watch the action hero in a movie but you fully control them in a sort of virtual reality and you are the main character in the movie. You can interact with other characters, interact with environment objects, the path to the end is yours.

I know you're shooting for the moon, well more accurately maybe in sci fi terms...shootin for the holodeck, but that's about it.  TO be fair, I would pay that $100 game fee to get that, if not more.  But the current expensive hardware I know in a dickish honest way about it, is a joke at that price to me personally, because the actual performance is on par with a 5-7 year old PC with a top of the line video card from that 5-7years ago.  My i7/980 8GB video card/16GB RAM combo computer is coming up on 6 years old here in another 2 months it at same style resolution (720 or 1080p) I can outperform the PS4 and Pro models (MS versions too.)  If I'm going to spend crazy money on a system it makes more sense to me to just upgrade the computer as it does hundreds more things.  My PC isn't creating that life in a movie holodeck experience, but if a console did I'd pay up.

Right now I need sadly a gimmick, like the handheld that docks thing Nintendo did, not going for raw power but other potential on top of their unique releases.  MS already has for awhile now, and now Sony is talking about shoveling their stuff on PC too, so it's like why the hell bother?  Also outside of random clearance bins and some by store choice sales, physical is more, and digital is mostly more on their walled garden store fronts.  Yet, you see the leader Steam with their weekly sales, then the deep dive quarterly and big holiday(christmas etc) sales that cut 50, 70, 90% off on those console games since the third parties almost all shovel their stuff on computer too.  So if I can wait a month or a quarter, pay $15 instead of $70, hell yeah.  Cheaper, better performance, AND they work beyond one generation too and kept working, not half backed backwards compatibility, or just being dumped.

[arch_8ngel | 1,597]

Big gaming news today was that Microsoft is buying Bethesda.

Has the interesting side effect of reuniting Fallout with Obsidian.

[Estil | 1,264]

On 9/18/2020 at 8:52 AM, TDIRunner said:

Gamers from the '80s are saying "that's cute" right now.  

Indeed, like I've often said before, NES and SNES games were easily at least $80-$100 if you adjust for inflation.  And the system at nationwide launch in 1986 (the classic two controllers/zapper/mario/duck hunt) was over $500 adjusted for inflation.

[Tulpa | 3,491]

6 hours ago, Estil said:

And the system at nationwide launch in 1986 (the classic two controllers/zapper/mario/duck hunt) was over $500 adjusted for inflation.

That one, the Action Set, wasn't available until 1988.

The nationwide launch used the Deluxe Set (ROB, Zapper, Gyromite and Duck Hunt single carts) and a little later had the Control Deck (with and without Super Mario Bros.)

A Deluxe Set's $200 MSRP would be worth a little under $500 in 2020, but they didn't stay that price that long. I researched the ads and by early 1986, they were advertising for $160 or even $140, depending on the store. That would put them around $330-$380.

Action Sets went for $150 MSRP in '88, IIRC, which would be about $330 today.

Control Decks were about $100 with SMB, or $90 without, about $240 and $215, respectively.

Edited September 22, 2020 by Tulpa

[SpoonMan Abrams X | 697]

I think the AAA publishers are headed for a crash of some sort, and not necessarily just because the business model is unsustainable as it currently is. Rather, because their practices are going to catch up to them.

The trend really seems to be headed towards the practice loot-boxes being heavily sanctioned if not made entirely illegal and micro-transactions in general just being regulated to high heaven.

And they only will have themselves to blame for it.

I for one welcome it when it comes.

[Link | 2,709]

Comparing prices based on inflation without factoring in the increased capacity of technology is flawed, imo. One could just as easily claim that a NOAC console can be had for $15 now, so it’s worth less than the $500 that inflation says a NES cost 35 years ago. Or SMB1 could now be written in a week by one person, so it would now cost $5 at retail instead of $60-100. 

[Estil | 1,264]

30 minutes ago, Link said:

Comparing prices based on inflation without factoring in the increased capacity of technology is flawed, imo. One could just as easily claim that a NOAC console can be had for $15 now, so it’s worth less than the $500 that inflation says a NES cost 35 years ago. Or SMB1 could now be written in a week by one person, so it would now cost $5 at retail instead of $60-100. 

But those NOAC's aren't real versions and they don't work as good as a real console...and the hypothetical "SMB1 written in a week by one person" wasn't starting completely from scratch, wasn't forced to rely on that special graph paper they used (I forget what it's called) and had NO internet/online help of any kind whatsoever.

Sorry, analogy invalid.

Edited November 22, 2020 by Estil

[Link | 2,709]

On 11/22/2020 at 2:41 AM, Estil said:

But those NOAC's aren't real versions and they don't work as good as a real console...and the hypothetical "SMB1 written in a week by one person" wasn't starting completely from scratch, wasn't forced to rely on that special graph paper they used (I forget what it's called) and had NO internet/online help of any kind whatsoever.

Sorry, analogy invalid.

So you would pay $500 for a new NES now and $140 for SMB1? Or, forget the brand names, same numbers for a new 8 bit console and platformer? 

[Estil | 1,264]

2 minutes ago, Link said:

So you would pay $500 for a new NES now and $140 for SMB1? Or, forget the brand names, same numbers for a new 8 bit console and platformer? 

Noooo, I paid around $125ish (I THINK...) for an AV modded NES toploader oh geez, sometime in the late 2000s decade I think?  I'm just saying a mere NOAC is not as good/accurate as an original system.

[Link | 2,709]

Just now, Estil said:

I'm just saying a mere NOAC is not as good/accurate as an original system.

And I’m changing my question to a hypothetical new Nintendo Entertainment System, since you rightly point out a clone is not the same technology. And you’re saying no, you would not pay the price that inflation says it would be.

[JamesRobot | 5,793]

53 minutes ago, Link said:

So you would pay $500 for a new NES now and $140 for SMB1? Or, forget the brand names, same numbers for a new 8 bit console and platformer? 

I would for a launch system with Zapper, controller and R.O.B., assuming it's all compatible with modern televisions.  Shoot, that would be a steal.

[Andy_Bogomil | 815]

Cyberpunk 2077 was announced 8 and half years ago. 

[Gloves | 11,771]

7 minutes ago, Andy_Bogomil said:

Cyberpunk 2077 was announced 8 and half years ago. 

Time fuckin flies, bro.

[Andy_Bogomil | 815]

Just now, Gloves said:

Time fuckin flies, bro.

It's crazy! I saw a comment on Reddit about all the games/consoles, etc. that have been released in that time and it was pretty crazy. Something like 11 CoD games and the entire lifespan of the Wii U. 

[MegaMan52 | 2,442]

On 9/21/2020 at 5:27 PM, Estil said:

Indeed, like I've often said before, NES and SNES games were easily at least $80-$100 if you adjust for inflation.  And the system at nationwide launch in 1986 (the classic two controllers/zapper/mario/duck hunt) was over $500 adjusted for inflation.

N64 games were expensive as well (and, not surprisingly, still are). During that era, I saw at least one game that was close to $100. My local Wal-Mart still had copies of Pokémon Puzzle League in 2007. They couldn't sell them because they were always full-price.

[Californication | 1,477]

I'm thinking about getting that Cyperpunk on opening day.

The last game I bought on opening day was Black Ops lll for the PS3. I was so angry about that broken pos, I haven't played any new cod game or bought a new game at launch again.