Game consoles will be extinct after next-gen, says Jaffe

[MrPopo]

A lot of people just won't be able to afford to game the same way they used to if it means every purchase is gonna come at $60 a pop. That's just too much money for some us to spend on a frivolous hobby.

I dont see why a downloadable game should cost as much as a physical copy, although I doubt that the likes of Activi$ion really care

The same reason XBL Gold costs $60/year. If people are willing to pay it then companies are more than happy to charge it.

[dreamcast4ever83]

A lot of people just won't be able to afford to game the same way they used to if it means every purchase is gonna come at $60 a pop. That's just too much money for some us to spend on a frivolous hobby.

I dont see why a downloadable game should cost as much as a physical copy, although I doubt that the likes of Activi$ion really care

The only stuff i but digital is if it is a digital only game like sonic 4 but i have been guilty of buying a few psx games when i got my ps3 few months ago likse oddworld and spyro 2

[ZeroAX]

Video gamers are highly principled. Remember when everyone boycotted the PC version of Modern Warfare 2 because it wouldn't have dedicated severs?

Oh come on dude. Don't push my buttons . Not having dedicated servers is a legitimate complain since it would cost the company less money (players run them anyway) and it would provide a better service.

BTW I am also one of those people who actually DID boycott L4D2 and COD:MW2....oh wait no I didn't, I just didn't like the first games so I didn't see the point in spending more money on the sequels

People that buy primarily used games (such as myself) may stop buying games altogether if they are digital. I only use the 3DS store for free apps and game trailers.

That is why I said that this would only survive if the services that replaced consoles were like steam (crazy sales, tons of games for 5-10$, bundles with many amazing games at amazing prices).

Yes Steam is waaaaaaaaay overpriced when it comes to new releases, but crazy cheap when it makes special offers.

[Reprise]

About downloadable games, why the hell are they more often actually MORE expensive than the physical versions brand new? When I first bought my PS3 a few months ago, I wasn't interested in buying games by download (unless they are download only games), but I thought they'd at least be competitively priced.

Deus Ex Human Revolution - £10 brand new physical copy from my local supermarket
- £39.99 download
Mass Effect 2 - £19.99 brand new physical copy from my local game shop
- £39.99 download
Standard new release - £37.99 (physical) first week of release. £39.99 second week onwards
- £44.99 download

The f*ck?

[Jamisonia]

Assuming that digital downloads are going to make games go down in price is ludicrous. Remember how moving from cartridges to CDs make games go down in price? Me neither. They promised it then, and they continued to charge the same because they could. The only thing moving to CDs did was forestall price increases.

[AppleQueso]

Assuming that digital downloads are going to make games go down in price is ludicrous. Remember how moving from cartridges to CDs make games go down in price? Me neither. They promised it then, and they continued to charge the same because they could. The only thing moving to CDs did was forestall price increases.

I remember N64 games costing a decent amount more than Playstation games, presumably because of the expense of cart manufacturing...

[MrPopo]

Video gamers are highly principled. Remember when everyone boycotted the PC version of Modern Warfare 2 because it wouldn't have dedicated severs?

Oh come on dude. Don't push my buttons . Not having dedicated servers is a legitimate complain since it would cost the company less money (players run them anyway) and it would provide a better service.

Oh, it was a very legitimate complaint. My point was that everyone caved. Probably should have used the blue text.

About downloadable games, why the hell are they more often actually MORE expensive than the physical versions brand new?

Retail is space constrained. The price goes down because they want to clear out shelf space and get a little bit of money back, as if they destroy the inventory they get nothing (plus all the opportunity cost of leaving it on the shelf for several months). With digital the only reason to lower prices is if they think they can boost sales high enough to make up for the per-unit difference.

The thing is that if consumers are used to paying $60 for a product there is no reason to lower the price if a cost savings is achieved; instead they would rather pocket the extra money.

[dreamcast4ever83]

About downloadable games, why the hell are they more often actually MORE expensive than the physical versions brand new? When I first bought my PS3 a few months ago, I wasn't interested in buying games by download (unless they are download only games), but I thought they'd at least be competitively priced.

Deus Ex Human Revolution - £10 brand new physical copy from my local supermarket
- £39.99 download
Mass Effect 2 - £19.99 brand new physical copy from my local game shop
- £39.99 download
Standard new release - £37.99 (physical) first week of release. £39.99 second week onwards
- £44.99 download

The f*ck?

Agreed