Recent PC Game Crop: Price versus Playability

[DunkinSPE]

I have been reading recent reviews of some of the current PC game crop that has come out in the past month. After reading various reviews as well as first impressions by gamers it seems like the finished products we as gamers are getting may not be as polished as we would like.

My questions are:

Is it a matter of gamers having higher and higher standards after each new batch/generation of game?

Is it a matter of game companies rushing to meet due dates and forgoing further testing to enhance the finished product?

Is it just about getting a box on the shelf/download list to get the most money possible for the PC?

Are the initial price points for PC games becoming inflated or are the production costs that high for game creation?

Is the overall ratio of What you Pay vs. What You Get becoming skewed? Or more simply is the Retail Price you pay really indicative of the level of satisfaction you should get from a game?

Are the FPS flagship game series titles like COD, MOH, and BF pushing pricing of other game genres up as well?

Those are just the questions that have been popping up in my mind as I look at the price and quality of games on the market in preparation of my holiday shopping.

[CptainCrunch]

Re: Recent PC Game Crop: Price versus Playability

As for the push to release, some of it is a time issue. Deadlines are set in stone and there is so much marketing and anticipation for a game that once its announced when it will be released, publishers get hell when they have to push it back. We say we want to wait for a game and let it be polished and done, but look at the titles that get pushed back and what the comments are.

For whatever reason, these huge companies like EA and Activision think they have to make a movie blockbuster game with millions invested in it, when in fact we dont care about that. Yet when a game is released and the story has holes in it, look how it gets bashed. Same with the voice acting. If it doesnt seem right, its touted as being rushed when it may not be at all.

The gaming industry shifted to where the masses do not look into the finer details of a game. They want a title, play it, and move on. Longevity seems to be a thing of the past. Add DLC and no modding tools on top of that and a game is generally designed to fade away in a year to two years, long enough for that sequal.

I dont know why beta testing is out of the question now. Maybe its still a time issue. Maybe the money involved to halt everything for tests makes it harder to meet deadlines. With the first few weeks of release, the big three games of BC2, MoH, and Black Ops have been very bad with all kinds of problems. Reading through all the forums everyone is mad about it, but then say, "What do you expect, its first day?" We are starting to get used to it and accept it. Even when we give our input after a game is released, it seems to be ignored or not considered top priority. An issue may never get patched at all though its been reported since beta and is still a bug to this day. I cant really explain why that is except that its obvious not a concern or that it cannot be fixed and instead of saying that, its ignored.

I dont think it has to do with most money possible because delays and updates do not seem to lower the cost of a game at all. Very seldom is something free given for "our troubles." Again, the hollywood attitude and technology involved in making a game more realistic has really gone up. All kinds of things from actors to sensor suites and greenscreens are used now to make effects in a game. Dont forget about music throughout the game. This could be affecting price as well as cost going up. Again, its a hollywood thing that we dont really need in games, but makes it seem more cool.

The price doesnt always mean satisfaction. I dont think anything is being skewed. Ive paid $40 and $50 for games for the last 14 years and some were great games and some total bombs. For me, the games going up $10 with everything you get now seems to be a fair price. Just my opinion, but look at all the stuff you get. Yeah, there are issues, but they tend to get worked out.

Yes, flagship games are pushing others up on price. Someone has to test the water and take the lead. When you know without a doubt that people are going to buy a game no matter what, what will you do? Its supply and demand. Not to mention console games have always been in the $60 price range. They say its for licensing fees and for being on the consoles network, but whats the PC excuse other than more money?

So going over all this, I think there is plenty of fault and expectations going around for everyone to be a bit at blame. After a period of time, games do go down in price, even for consoles, but we cant seem to wait. We know there will be issues, but we still buy. We know that something might change or others have reported problems, but that doesnt stop us. We shout about how we want this or that and the devs listen and add it.

Sometimes we get what we ask for and dont even relize it.

Crunch