100 plus games for under $4.99 at EBGAMES.CA

dvdswapper

dvdswapper

CAGiversary!
I know some of you won't care about this but after finding some titles that are $15.00 at Walmart and $7.50 going for $2.99/$4.99 at EBGAMES, I thought I'd make a list of all the cheap games for under $4.99. More to come next week(so I was told by one csr)
Not all games are at all locations you need to do a search for each game to see what store has it instock.

(u)=used
(n)=new


WII
$1.99
Brothers in Arms: Double Time(U)
Rygar: The Battle of Argus(U)

$2.99
Rayman: Raving Rabbids(U)
Red Steel - Used
Broken Sword: Shadow of the Templars(U)
Naruto: Clash of Ninja Revolution(U)
FaceBreaker K.O. Party(U)
Sega Superstars Tennis(U)

$3.99
Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer(U)
Showtime Boxing(U)
Shaun White Snowboarding Road Trip(U)
Winter Sports Ultimate Challenge - Used(U)


$4.99

Indiana Jones and the Staff of Kings(U)
Grey's Anatomy(N)
Broken Sword: Shadow of the Templars(N)
Gold's Gym Cardio Workout(N)
No More Heroes(U)
Samba De Amigo(N)
Deer Drive(U)
Rockstar Games Table Tennis(U)
Rayman: Raving Rabbids(N)
Prince of Persia: Rival Swords(U)
Academy of Champions: Soccer(N)
Shaun White Snowboarding: World Stage(U)
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen(U)
Donkey Kong Jungle Beat(U)
Guinness World Records: The Videogame(U)
Overlord: Dark Legends(U)
Neighborhood Games(U)
Soul Calibur Legends(U)
TMNT: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles(U)
Brothers in Arms: Double Time(N)
M & M Cart Racing - Used(U)
Monster Trux Offroad(U)
SpongeBob SquarePants featuring Nicktoons: Globs of Doom (U)
Rayman Raving Rabbids TV Party(U)
Manhunt 2(U)
AstroBoy(U)
My Fitness Coach 2: Workout & Nutrition(N)
Hardy Boys: The Hidden Theft(U)
Medieval Games(U)
**************************************************************************************************************
360


$1.99
Alone in the Dark(U)
Supreme Commander(U)


$2.99
Forza Motorsport 2(U)
James Cameron's Avatar: The Game(U)
Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood(U)
Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter(U)
Madden NFL 09 20th Anniversary Collectors Edition(U)
Shaun White Snowboarding(U)
Tom Clancy's End War(U)
Conan(U)
Rainbow Six : Vegas 2(U)
Marvel: Ultimate Alliance(U)
BlackSite: Area 51(U)
X-Men: The Official Game(U)
Rainbow Six: Vegas(U)
Juiced 2: Hot Import Nights(U)

$3.99
Smash Court Tennis 3(U)
Virtua Tennis 3(U)





$4.99
Morphx(N)
Project Gotham Racing 4(U)
Call of Duty 4: Game of the Year Edition(U)
UFC 2009 Undisputed(U)
Prey(U)
Tomb Raider Underworld(U)
Bionic Commando(U)
Crackdown(U)
Sonic the Hedgehog(U)
Saints Row(U)
Clive Barker's Jericho(U)
Watchmen: The End is Nigh Part 1 & 2(U)
Superman Returns: The Videogame(U)
Hour of Victory(U)
The Outfit(U)
Don King Presents Prize Fighter(U)
Perfect Dark Zero - Used
Disney's Bolt(N)
Lord of the Rings: Battle for Middle Earth II(U)
Enchanted Arms(U)
Pure(U)
LEGO Indiana Jones(U)
The Darkness - Used
Dragon Ball Z: Burst Limit(U)
Universe at War: Earth Assault(U)
Rainbow Six : Vegas 2(N)
Supreme Commander(N)
Raiden IV GameStop Exclusive Limited Edition(U)
Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood(N)
Kameo Elements of Power(U)
Blazing Angels: Squadrons of WWII(U)
Sega Rally Revou(U)
Tony Hawk's Proving Ground(U)
The Last Remnant(U)
X Blades(U)
Virtua Fighter 5(U)
Dead or Alive Xtreme 2(U)
Tetris Evolution(U)

*******************************************************************************************
psp

$1.99
Star Wars Battlefront: Renegade Squadron(u)
Daxter Greatest Hits(u)
Wipeout Pure(u)




$2.99
Twisted Metal: Head-On(u)
SOCOM US Navy Seals Fireteam Bravo 2(u)
Iron Man(u)
Rainbow Six: Vegas(u)
Burnout Legends
Killzone Liberation(u)
LocoRoco 2(u)
Hot Shots Golf: Open Tee 2(u)
Need for Speed: Shift(u)


$4.99
Syphon Filter: Logan's Shadow(u)
Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops(u)
Need For Speed: Underground Rivals(u)
Naruto Ultimate Ninja Heroes(u)
Splinter Cell: Essentials(u)
Need for Speed: Pro Street(u)
Prince of Persia: Revelations(u)
Tomb Raider: Legend(u)
Tony Hawk's Project 8 Greatest Hits(u)
Final Fantasy II(u)
Final Fantasy I(u)
Hot Shots Golf: Open Tee(u)
Untold Legends The Warriors Code(u)
Dissidia Final Fantasy(u)
Patapon(u)
Untold Legends: Brotherhood of the Blade(u)
Death Jr(u)
Field Commander(u)
Street Fighter Alpha 3 MAX(u)
Marvel Nemesis: Rise of the Imperfects(u)
Tony Hawk's Underground 2 Remix(u)
Iron Man 2(u)
MotorStorm: Arctic Edge(u)
Buzz Master Quiz(u)
MX vs ATV: On The Edge(n)
Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters(u)
Star Wars:Clone Wars Republic Heroes(u)

More to come for ps3/nds
 
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I'm not too keen on these being mostly used games, but I guess it's good for those prices. Anyone have any recommendations? The list is pretty much ancient or crummy games.
 
I'm only interested in new games, and of the new games listed the only ones I'm interested in are:
Broken Sword: Shadow of the Templars (Wii)
Bolt (360)
Rainbow Six: Vegas 2 (360)
Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood (360)

Maybe the (3)DS and PS3 games might have a better selection?

I know you only posted $4.99 and under games, dvdsapper, but:
Splinter Cell: Conviction for $10? It's a price drop, right? :)
http://www.ebgames.ca/xbox-360/games/splinter-cell-conviction/245819
Other M for $10?
http://www.gamestop.com/wii/games/metroid-other-m/75084
 
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[quote name='Booyakz']I'm only interested in new games, and of the new games listed the only ones I'm interested in are:
Broken Sword: Shadow of the Templars (Wii)
Bolt (360)
Rainbow Six: Vegas 2 (360)
Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood (360)

Maybe the (3)DS and PS3 games might have a better selection?

I know you only posted $4.99 and under games, dvdsapper, but:
Splinter Cell: Conviction for $10? It's a price drop, right? :)
http://www.ebgames.ca/xbox-360/games/splinter-cell-conviction/245819
Other M for $10?
http://www.gamestop.com/wii/games/metroid-other-m/75084[/QUOTE]


Why did you post a link from the american site?

It's dvdswapper:lol:
There's lots of price drops and games under $10.00.
I counted over 300 games. Your eyes might bleed if I posted that list.
I only posted $4.99 and under because some of these games are more money elsewhere.

example
(lego indy jones)
RCSS (7.50)
Walmart(18.xx)
Zellers($19.99)



ps3

$2.99
Hellboy: Science of Evil(u)
Rainbow Six: Vegas(u)
Prince of Persia(u)
Tom Clancy's End War(u)
Turning Point: Fall of Liberty(u)
Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer(u)
Splinter Cell: Double Agent(u)
Rainbow Six : Vegas 2(u)
Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway(u)
WWE Smackdown vs RAW 2008 Collector's Edition(u)


$4.99
UFC 2009 Undisputed(u)
Haze(u)
Virtua Fighter 5 - Used
Unreal Tournament III(u)
Rainbow Six: Vegas(n)
WWE Smackdown vs RAW 2008 Collector's Edition(n)
Rapala Fishing Frenzy(u)
Tomb Raider Underworld(u)
Viking: Battle for Asgard(u)
Condemned 2: Bloodshot(u)
Call of Duty 4: Game of the Year Edition(u)
Pure(u)
Prince of Persia(n)
Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway(n)
 
Sorry dvdswapper! Clearly I need to learn how to proof read, and pay more attention to the websites I'm on. Other M is still $53 at EB is Canada. >.< That's disappointing.

Where are you getting this list? I'd like to look through it only for the new games...
 
[quote name='Booyakz']Sorry dvdswapper! Clearly I need to learn how to proof read, and pay more attention to the websites I'm on. Other M is still $53 at EB is Canada. >.< That's disappointing.

Where are you getting this list? I'd like to look through it only for the new games...[/QUOTE]

I went through the entire website and made a list of everything I found on a text file. From price drops/used games/deals collected as much info(except sports games) and made the post.

I asked you guys if you wanted my list a few days ago in the other thread but no one answered.


I uploaded my text file here for those on the go:
http://www.mediafire.com/?u7ryq6mlr8hd59h
 
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nds
$0.99
Personal Trainer: Cooking(u)
Star Wars Lethal Alliance - Used(u)



$1.99
Age of Empires: Age of Kings(u)
Naruto: Path of the Ninja(u)
Catz - Used
Naruto Ninja Council 3(u)
Ratatouille - Used
Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword(u)
Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith(u)
Need for Speed: Pro Street(u)
Quick Spot(u)
Surf's Up(u)
Lost Magic(u)
Worms: Open Warfare 2(u)
Justice League Heroes(u)
MX vs ATV: Untamed(u)
Flash Focus: Vision Training in Minutes A Day(u)
Need For Speed: Most Wanted(u)
Prism: Light the Way(u)
Jenga(u)




$2.99
CSI Dark Motives(u)
Brain Age: Train Your Brain in Minutes A Day(u)
Brain Age 2: More Training In Minutes A Day(u)
High School Musical 2: Work It Out(u)
Tony Hawk's American Sk8land(u)
Zoo Tycoon(u)
Crash of the Titans(u)
Naruto Ninja Destiny(u)
Drawn to Life(u)
Spectrobes - Used
Purr Pals(u)
Naruto: Path of Ninja 2(u)
Mega Man Star Force 2 Zerker X Ninja(u)
Spectrobes: Beyond The Portals(u)
Advance Wars: Dual Strike(u)
Need for Speed Carbon Own the City(u)
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix(u)
Ben 10: Protector of Earth(u)
Asphalt: Urban GT 2 - Used(u)
High School Musical: Makin' the Cut(u)
Skate It(u)
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed(u)
ZUBO(u)
Imagine: Family Doctor(u)
Marvel Nemesis: Rise of the Imperfects(u)
Prince of Persia: The Fallen King(u)
Spider-Man: The Movie 2(u)
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix(u)
Ben 10: Protector of Earth(u)
World Championship Poker(u)
Overlord: Minions(u)

$3.99
Kim Possible Kimmunicator(u)
Scooby Doo! Who's Watching Who?(u)




$4.99
Nancy Drew: Hidden Staircase(u)
Clubhouse Games(u)
X-Men Origins: Wolverine(u)
Imagine: Fashion Designer(u)
Mech Assault: Phantom War(u)
SpongeBob SquarePants featuring Nicktoons: Globs of Doom(u)
Hotel Dusk: Room 215 - Used
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Ring of Fates(u)
LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga(u)
The Legend of Spyro: Eternal Night(u)
Drawn to Life: Next Chapter(u)
Spongebob: Truth or Square(u)
Need for Speed Undercover(u)
The Suite Life of Zack & Cody Circle of Spies(u)
Age of Empire: Mythologies(u)
Wall-E(u)
Ice Age 2: The Meltdown(u)
Spore Hero Arena(u)
Assassin's Creed: Altair's Chronicles(u)
Spider-Man 3 - Used
Guinness World Records: The Videogame(u)
Nancy Drew: Clue Bender Society(u)
Indiana Jones and the Staff of Kings(u)
Hannah Montana(u)
Sim City DS(u)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 3: Mutant Nightmare(u)
Mystery Case Files: MillionHeir(u)
LEGO Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy(u)
Hamsterz Life(u)
Rabbids Go Home(n)
Tom Clancy's End War(n)
MX vs ATV: Untamed(u)
Hell's Kitchen(u)
Zoo Tycoon 2(u)
LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga(u)
The Legend of Spyro: Eternal Night(u)
MySims Party(u)
Lord of the Rings: Conquest(u)
Rayman Raving Rabbids TV Party(u)
Brain Quest Grades 5 & 6(u)
Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker(u)
Super Monkey Ball Touch & Roll(u)
Broken Sword(n)
Mega Man ZX Advent(u)
Battle of Giants: Mutant Insects(n)
What's Cooking? Jamie Oliver(u)
Transformers: Decepticons - Used
Dragonball: Origins(u)
Spore Creatures(u)
Imagine: Cheerleader(u)
Shaun White Snowboarding(u)
Dogz - Used(u)
 
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[quote name='Booyakz']I'm only interested in new games, and of the new games listed the only ones I'm interested in are:
Broken Sword: Shadow of the Templars (Wii)
[/QUOTE]

Don't touch that port, it's a waste of your time and money. It's a great game, but like half an hour into it there's some lock puzzle that's virtually impassible due to pure shit Wiimote controls.
 
[quote name='onemorechanc']Don't forget, for those who do not mind buying used, an Edge card cuts another 10% off the price.[/QUOTE]
LOL, do you work for EB?
 
you can just go to the wbesite anytime and sort by price, have a list right up to date. Most of those have been those prices for quite some time and there wont be many around.
 
[quote name='Mr.']LOL, do you work for EB?[/QUOTE]

Nope, I just happen to subscribe to the ethos of this forum ... something about cheapness.

Considering the amount of used games that I buy in a year, the $5 outlay for an Edge card more than pays for itself.
 
[quote name='zoro69']you can just go to the wbesite anytime and sort by price, have a list right up to date. Most of those have been those prices for quite some time and there wont be many around.[/QUOTE]

You can go to EBGAMES.CA and check out the daily deal too but yet we still have a thread for it. I just saved people time by listing it. Some were price dropped as well.
 
Advance Wars: Dual Strike and Megaman ZX: Advent are the real stand outs there for DS IMO.

Shame most of these are used.
 
[quote name='VetraX']Advance Wars: Dual Strike and Megaman ZX: Advent are the real stand outs there for DS IMO.

Shame most of these are used.[/QUOTE]

And, what is wrong with buying used?..
 
Most of those are cheaper then on ebay and you can check the condition in person. That's about the only reason the shop there.
 
[quote name='OmegaChaos']And, what is wrong with buying used?..[/QUOTE]

When you buy used, only the retailer (EB) profits from your purchase. When there are deals, the retailer eats the cost, but the developer still profits.

dvdswapper, I ripped your list apart leaving only the new games, as it seems most of us are only interested in new games. Here it is:

Wii
$4.99
Grey's Anatomy(N)
Broken Sword: Shadow of the Templars(N)
Gold's Gym Cardio Workout(N)
Samba De Amigo(N)
Rayman: Raving Rabbids(N)
Academy of Champions: Soccer(N)
Brothers in Arms: Double Time(N)
My Fitness Coach 2: Workout & Nutrition(N)

360
$4.99
Morphx(N)
Disney's Bolt(N)
Rainbow Six : Vegas 2(N)
Supreme Commander(N)
Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood(N)

PS3
Rainbow Six: Vegas(n)
WWE Smackdown vs RAW 2008 Collector's Edition(n)
Prince of Persia(n)
Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway(n)

P.S. Thanks for the heads-up ragnar14! You wouldn't happen to know if the DS version is also broken, would you?
 
[quote name='Booyakz']When you buy used, only the retailer (EB) profits from your purchase. When there are deals, the retailer eats the cost, but the developer still profits.

dvdswapper, I ripped your list apart leaving only the new games, as it seems most of us are only interested in new games. Here it is:

Wii
$4.99
Grey's Anatomy(N)
Broken Sword: Shadow of the Templars(N)
Gold's Gym Cardio Workout(N)
Samba De Amigo(N)
Rayman: Raving Rabbids(N)
Academy of Champions: Soccer(N)
Brothers in Arms: Double Time(N)
My Fitness Coach 2: Workout & Nutrition(N)

360
$4.99
Morphx(N)
Disney's Bolt(N)
Rainbow Six : Vegas 2(N)
Supreme Commander(N)
Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood(N)

PS3
Rainbow Six: Vegas(n)
WWE Smackdown vs RAW 2008 Collector's Edition(n)
Prince of Persia(n)
Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway(n)

P.S. Thanks for the heads-up ragnar14! You wouldn't happen to know if the DS version is also broken, would you?[/QUOTE]

No problem, hope you find something you need.
 
[quote name='Booyakz']P.S. Thanks for the heads-up ragnar14! You wouldn't happen to know if the DS version is also broken, would you?[/QUOTE]

Are you specifically looking for a non-PC version? If not, you can get all the Broken Sword games for $6 each on Good Old Games. The DS version did get better reviews than the Wii version, I believe.
 
I need to get myself a credit card, I keep putting it off. >.<

Once I get one, I'll just buy them on there. How long are those games?
 
[quote name='Booyakz']I need to get myself a credit card, I keep putting it off. >.<

Once I get one, I'll just buy them on there. How long are those games?[/QUOTE]

I'm not actually sure; I have the first & third but haven't got around to playing them (I hear they're around 8-10 hours). Good Old Games also takes Paypal, and I think they've got their holiday sale coming up starting Monday where it sounds like pretty much their entire library will be 50% off.
 
[quote name='Booyakz']When you buy used, only the retailer (EB) profits from your purchase. When there are deals, the retailer eats the cost, but the developer still profits[/QUOTE]

You're buying games that have been out for years, I seriously doubt the company would make the cash from those games to begin with >_>. Also, every business out there sells used products. Gaming is no different.
 
[quote name='OmegaChaos']Also, every business out there sells used products. Gaming is no different.[/QUOTE] I don't recall Walmart selling used stuff... because I just bought a box of Band-Aids last night.
 
[quote name='Mr.']I don't recall Walmart selling used stuff... because I just bought a box of Band-Aids last night.[/QUOTE]

Walmart sells used games in the states but not here.
 
[quote name='OmegaChaos']You're buying games that have been out for years, I seriously doubt the company would make the cash from those games to begin with >_>. Also, every business out there sells used products. Gaming is no different.[/QUOTE]

Even if they are older games, I'd prefer for GameStop to eat the cost (for example I just bought a copy of Duke Nukem, which came in their original shipment, for $10). Mainly because GameStop corporate sucks. -.- And most of these games aren't that old. >.< Every time GameStop pays for a new shipment of a game, the industry gets cash. If we buy used, they won't ever have to get new shipments, therefore they profit from our purchases, the industry doesn't.

That's not a perfect explanation, but you can understand that most of us dislike GameStop making more money by cutting the people who worked on the game out of the loop, right? :)
 
[quote name='Booyakz']Even if they are older games, I'd prefer for GameStop to eat the cost (for example I just bought a copy of Duke Nukem, which came in their original shipment, for $10). Mainly because GameStop corporate sucks. -.- And most of these games aren't that old. >.< Every time GameStop pays for a new shipment of a game, the industry gets cash. If we buy used, they won't ever have to get new shipments, therefore they profit from our purchases, the industry doesn't.

That's not a perfect explanation, but you can understand that most of us dislike GameStop making more money by cutting the people who worked on the game out of the loop, right? :)[/QUOTE]

Again, Gamestop are not the only ones in the business industry to sell used games. Futureshop/Best Buy/etc all do it. Are you going to hate them as well because they do this? Book stores sell used books, should we hate them too since they're not giving money towards the publishers?
 
[quote name='OmegaChaos']You're buying games that have been out for years, I seriously doubt the company would make the cash from those games to begin with >_>. Also, every business out there sells used products. Gaming is no different.[/QUOTE]

Henry7omgyourserious.jpg
 
[quote name='VetraX']
Henry7omgyourserious.jpg
[/QUOTE]
xD

For starters, I don't remember saying we should hate anyone because of their practices. I try to avoid buying used as much as possible. In the example you gave, with bookstores, I do believe you should buy new, not used. It's the same reason I don't watch movies online or steal my music, the people who actually work to create these products aren't benefiting from all their hard work.

If you really love something, you want it to flourish. I buy all my games new because I want the developers to continue to make games, it's a sad day when any studio is forced to close its doors, never mind studios that have created beloved games.
 
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[quote name='VetraX']
Henry7omgyourserious.jpg
[/QUOTE]

Is it fun for you to find these random imagines to try to show how clever you are? Because, it isn't working.

[quote name='Booyakz']xD

For starters, I don't remember saying we should hate anyone because of their practices. I try to avoid buying used as much as possible. In the example you gave, with bookstores, I do believe you should buy new, not used. It's the same reason I don't watch movies online or steal my music, the people who actually work to create these products aren't benefiting from all their hard work.

If you really love something, you want it to flourish. I buy all my games new because I want the developers to continue to make games, it's a sad day when any studio is forced to close its doors, never mind studios that have created beloved games.[/QUOTE]

First, the developer/author/etc has already gained profit from the product you're buying used. Second, just because the person who made said product isn't receiving the money, doesn't mean you shouldn't buy it. Companies need to make money from selling these products as well. Third, no one even mentioned anything about watching movies online Or stealing music, that is different from buying a used product.
 
I'm not really sure what this thread is turning into... but big thanks to the OP for the post, I was able to pick up 9 really good games (albeit older) for my nephew for Christmas for about 30 bucks. Can't really beat that!

The deal they have going for the buy 2 used get 1 50% off stacks with this as well, as does the Edge discount. The store was awesome and made sure everything had proper cases and looked good for a present.
 
I have dozens of my friends that work in this industry in all of it's forms (retailer, distributor, publisher and developer) and so I feel the need to post this to help my developer buddies.

Buying used does not really help a developer but waiting until a game is $4.99 is actually far worse.

If a retailer buys 500 copies of a game and sells out, the developer just made a percentage of that. Now, some of those games are going to begin a TRADE-USED cycle, so the developer won't see any of that. However, because the more copies the retailer sells, it increases their chance of getting trades, they'll place a 2nd order for 300 more copies. Again, the developer makes some more money. Two things will happen now, the retailer will still keep placing orders because they want as many copies out in the market.The 2nd thing it does, it will increase the chance that the next time this publisher/developer make a game, the retailer will buy copies of the game, and usually in higher numbers.

If a retailer buys 500 copies of a game, the developer will again make a percentage of that just like in the first example. However if the retailer only manages to sell half of those and has 250 copies sitting on the shelf, this is what will happen. One, the retailer won't buy a 2nd or 3rd order because the game is not selling, already the developer has made LESS money than the first scenario. Two, because of the low sales, and especially these days in such a volatile market, there is a chance members of the development team will lose their jobs or worse, the development studio will be closed outright. (ie it's great that everyone enjoyed Split Second , Blur when they were $4.99 as deal of the day, but both those studios are closed now because of the sales results of those games). And last, if the development team manages to stay open, when they make their next game, the retailer will not make the same mistake again and their first order will be much less .


Do not think just because you don't buy used, you are helping the industry. Waiting for price drops or game of the days hurts just as much, if not more. If you truly want to help a developer, you'll buy the game day 1 at the msrp.
 
[quote name='mkrowe']I'm not really sure what this thread is turning into... but big thanks to the OP for the post, I was able to pick up 9 really good games (albeit older) for my nephew for Christmas for about 30 bucks. Can't really beat that!

The deal they have going for the buy 2 used get 1 50% off stacks with this as well, as does the Edge discount. The store was awesome and made sure everything had proper cases and looked good for a present.[/QUOTE]

That's a great store. The employees there seem to be really good at their job.
I'm happy I helped you out for presents, have a Merry Christmas:applause:


On to the topic that's now taking over my thread for some reason.
It all comes down to what money the consumer has to spend on entertainment. When I was young only people with money had the systems.
Coleco Vision, Atari, Intellivision where all big money back when I was a kid and the games were really expensive(not $5.00 D.D. now).
Times have changed and with affordable game systems people from all income brackets can now afford to buy them. Here's the issues:

1: Only people with money can afford to buy on DAY 1. The average family can't afford to blow $50.00+ plus dollars for every NEW release that comes out. Hence the market for used/sales on new releases.

2: Walmart was the first to figure out that a big drop in price on games will increase traffic in the store and sales in that item. Walmart continues to be the biggest buyer for games out of all DEPARTMENT stores.

3: I've written this before and I guess I'll have to do it again. Games are not realistically priced for today's market. Yes they are very expensive to make but does the C.E.O of Activison need to make millions of dollars for his position. No. If the higher positions took a pay cut(they shouldn't be making such money) and applied that to their division then they will lay off less people. Drop the new release prices to $49.99 and you'll sell more. Having them at $59.99/$69.99 is too much in today's market where people are losing houses/jobs/marriages because of the viotile markets. You need to adjust to the current economic situation in order to continue to make money.

Those two games while they were good games were not worth $59.99/$69.99 some places were charging. If they would have come out with a $49.99 price tag more people would have bought them Racing games rarely outsell FPS/Action games. Charging the same price as BATMAN A.A. makes it a no decision for any consumer(unless you already have BATMAN A.A.)
 
[quote name='dvdswapper']1: Only people with money can afford to buy on DAY 1. The average family can't afford to blow $50.00+ plus dollars for every NEW release that comes out. Hence the market for used/sales on new releases.[/QUOTE]

Then those people can't afford to pay $54.99 for a used copy of a new release.
 
[quote name='Mr.']Then those people can't afford to pay $54.99 for a used copy of a new release.[/QUOTE]

Not always $54.99 for a used new release some titles go down to $49.99 depending on title and store.
 
The rate that new games drop in price these days is also a huge factor IMO as well. I used to buy games at launch a fair bit when I first got my PS3, but kept feeling 'burned' when I'd see the same game a month or 2 later for half of the original price, or sometimes less. New games just don't hold their value anymore, and this trend of quick drops does nothing to motivate me to shell out my hard earned cash early, especially given the short length of most games these days. $60 for a game that people will finish in 10-12 hours and likely not play again (since replay value is nearly nonexistent in a lot of games these days as well) just isn't a worthwhile purchase for a lot of people.

The business practices of companies these days basically seem to be trying to mirror the quick profits of the movie industry, which IMO isn't a good thing. There just seems to be too much focus on making games turn a profit instantly, otherwise a game is generally considered a failure. Developers will quickly pump out the games that make a great first impression to earn the fast dollar, but provide no true replay value and nowadays have a lot of content either locked or held back for DLC later. People buy the games en masse when they come out, and then turn around to trade it in quickly before the value plummets so that they feel like they got their money's worth out of it before the value plummets when the next huge game is released a few short weeks later. It basically seems like a cycle where most big companies appear to take the consumer's cash for granted while considering their own product 'disposable' (I'll get back to this in the next paragraph), and then get upset when the consumer decides to buy pre-owned to get a little more value for their dollar. I usually find that these same companies damage the relationship with the consumer even more when DLC is factored in, which is typically content that was held back, 'unlock' codes for stuff already on the disc (don't get me started on that BS), or shallow and superficial stuff that feels tacked on and overpriced.

Personally, I plan my purchases around how much value or time with the game I expect to get, and figure that roughly $1 per expected hour is a fair ratio. If I know I'll get 50+ hours out of a game (through either multiple playthroughs or one run through, doesn't matter), then I have no problem paying full price on release. If I only expect to get 9-10 hours out of it, I'll wait until I can get it for $10-15 since I'd feel like I wasted money otherwise.

The simple (relatively speaking) solutions would be for companies to let their hard working employees spend the time they need on making a game worth either the high price tag they're slapping on it, or reduce the launch price accordingly (especially for yearly installments without many improvements). More money would likely be made in game sales that way. Look at 2k and EA football titles before EA bought exclusive NFL rights to keep charging $50 each year, just as an example. If people feel they're getting good value with the game, they'll keep it and not trade it in (like a lot of Atlus, Bethesda-developed [not just Bethesda published] and first party Nintendo titles for example). I'm sure I can't be the only person to notice that certain lengthy or high replay-value games never have many used copies available until years later after all. On the flipside, companies that treat their games as 'disposable' (stop caring about them once they make their profit from it, want to compel people to buy another installment with marginal improvements within a year that could/should have been an expansion pack or DLC, etc) almost always fill the used game sections with their titles.

If people feel they get a lot of value and hang onto their games, they won't trade them in, and anyone else who wants a copy will likely have to buy it new, giving the developers money. In the meantime, the developers could also work on quality DLC that encourages people to keep the games longer, helping them make even more money off the game way beyond it's release. This, IMO, is why you rarely see companies like Atlus, Bethesda or Nintendo in major financial trouble (not counting hardware sales related stuff), since they release quality products upfront and provide quality content for their games.

If developers (the companies themselves, not the individual employees who make the games) want to get upset about people buying their games used, then they need to take a good hard look at their business practices. They're generally giving consumers less and less value for their money, and these massive used game sales are simply the free market's response. Companies will then use these used game sales as an excuse for downsizing and whatnot. The exact same thing happens in every other industry (entertainment and non-entertainment alike) while companies look for reasons/excuses to to blame for letting employees go. Illegal downloads hurt the movie and music industries, environmentalists are hurting the forestry industry, safety regulations hurt the mining industry, and used games hurt the gaming industry. Nevermind how these industries still generally manage to turn higher profits each year.

Basically, this whole 'used game sales damage the industry' argument is an exaggeration, IMO, since I doubt I have ever seen a company shut down purely because people bought their games prowned so often. Either the company makes a string of bad games that sell poorly and can't financially recover (Midway), they get outmuscled by other companies (essentially happened to Working Designs), or have people running the place who make terrible decisions (Sega's hardware division, thanks to Bernie Stolar and his vendetta against RPG's, whoever decided the GD-Rom was enough to prevent piracy on the Dreamcast, etc). Blaming used game sales is just a case of game companies making the easy straw-man arguments IMO, since if anything major happens it's ALWAYS due to some combination of the 3 things I just pointed out. It's just easy to blame it on one or two things, since the general public would likely ignore more developed explanations (for the same general reasons that most people will skim and ignore most of this post). The only thing that used game sales hurt are the massive paycheques of the people who generally don't actually program a line of code for the games their companies release, who then look at letting employees go instead of considering pay cuts for themselves. It's basically a societal problem, and not just a used game sales problem. It's just easier to blame things on used game sales and piracy, since they're things that are easy to drum up support against.

Sorry to everyone for posting such a long rant, by the way. I'm pretty bored today, wanted to get this of my chest, and literally just finished a grad degree in sociology a couple of days ago (which I guess it probably shows). I just usually hate seeing just piracy or used game sales being used as blanket excuses for why a company didn't make more profit from something than they did, since it usually just glosses over a bunch of the other factors at play, and eliminates the role of the middlemen from the equation. Individual developers never see a direct cent of what I pay for a game they helped program, but the people who run the companies will. Wages are generally considered a 'cost' by these companies just like their raw materials are, and will usually be cut if the people in charge feel they need to increase their profit margins for investors. New versus Used sales are just the most direct way that consumers can express themselves in the whole equation. I'll buy Atlus and Bethesda games without hesitation because I always feel I get value for my dollar and I like the way those businesses are run and treat their employees, but will usually avoid Activision, EA or Ubisoft games for obvious reasons. I just really think that people should avoid oversimplifying things, and would love to encourage anyone who really wants to help individual developers to think things through beyond debating whether to just buy new or used.

High used game sales numbers aren't a problem that's directly hurting the little guy. They're an example of people's actions telling the companies who make the games that contribute to the high used game sales (since some games are rarely traded in while others fill entire racks by themselves) that their prices are too high for what consumers are being offered. Actions speak louder than words after all. This is why Call of Duty comes out each year with few major changes each year despite the the growing dissatisfaction with things, since it makes lots of money, and Activision doesn't have a reason to make major changes. Sales slowed down with the Resident Evil series when people got fed up with the lack of innovation, and we got Resident Evil 4 in response. If we want more enjoyable games, companies need a good reason to give them to us. This is, IMO, one way to send that message.
 
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Bamm, that was perhaps the most intelligent post I've ever read on a message board forum. I agree on principle particularly about the being "burned" aspect, but I will also say less and less games are worth $60+ dollars day one or otherwise.
 
holy wall of text buddy
again, I will never buy a game at full price if I think it is not worth the price asked

retail prices in Canada is around $60 and $70... buying a game that only lasts for a couple of hours at that price is stealing the consumer... the right price would be more like $10-$20

as an example, Skyrim takes hundreds of hours to complete, and I think the game is really worth the price asked... and on top of that, Bethesda is not releasing DLC before launch instead of inluding it on the disc like EA does
on the other hand, Ubisoft is asking full price for Assassin's Creed Revelations, a game that lasts for max 9h.. I'll wait for the game to reach the $10-$20 price range before buying, just like I did with Brotherhood and AC2

if games were in the $20 range, I would buy more games... and I'm pretty sure many people would by more games too

devs are ripping people off now with their new business practices... GOD I HATE EA and UBISOFT
 
[quote name='Bamm']The rate that new games drop in price these days is also a huge factor IMO as well. I used to buy games at launch a fair bit when I first got my PS3, but kept feeling 'burned' when I'd see the same game a month or 2 later for half of the original price, or sometimes less. New games just don't hold their value anymore, and this trend of quick drops does nothing to motivate me to shell out my hard earned cash early, especially given the short length of most games these days. $60 for a game that people will finish in 10-12 hours and likely not play again (since replay value is nearly nonexistent in a lot of games these days as well) just isn't a worthwhile purchase for a lot of people.

The business practices of companies these days basically seem to be trying to mirror the quick profits of the movie industry, which IMO isn't a good thing. There just seems to be too much focus on making games turn a profit instantly, otherwise a game is generally considered a failure. Developers will quickly pump out the games that make a great first impression to earn the fast dollar, but provide no true replay value and nowadays have a lot of content either locked or held back for DLC later. People buy the games en masse when they come out, and then turn around to trade it in quickly before the value plummets so that they feel like they got their money's worth out of it before the value plummets when the next huge game is released a few short weeks later. It basically seems like a cycle where most big companies appear to take the consumer's cash for granted while considering their own product 'disposable' (I'll get back to this in the next paragraph), and then get upset when the consumer decides to buy pre-owned to get a little more value for their dollar. I usually find that these same companies damage the relationship with the consumer even more when DLC is factored in, which is typically content that was held back, 'unlock' codes for stuff already on the disc (don't get me started on that BS), or shallow and superficial stuff that feels tacked on and overpriced.

Personally, I plan my purchases around how much value or time with the game I expect to get, and figure that roughly $1 per expected hour is a fair ratio. If I know I'll get 50+ hours out of a game (through either multiple playthroughs or one run through, doesn't matter), then I have no problem paying full price on release. If I only expect to get 9-10 hours out of it, I'll wait until I can get it for $10-15 since I'd feel like I wasted money otherwise.

The simple (relatively speaking) solutions would be for companies to let their hard working employees spend the time they need on making a game worth either the high price tag they're slapping on it, or reduce the launch price accordingly (especially for yearly installments without many improvements). More money would likely be made in game sales that way. Look at 2k and EA football titles before EA bought exclusive NFL rights to keep charging $50 each year, just as an example. If people feel they're getting good value with the game, they'll keep it and not trade it in (like a lot of Atlus, Bethesda-developed [not just Bethesda published] and first party Nintendo titles for example). I'm sure I can't be the only person to notice that certain lengthy or high replay-value games never have many used copies available until years later after all. On the flipside, companies that treat their games as 'disposable' (stop caring about them once they make their profit from it, want to compel people to buy another installment with marginal improvements within a year that could/should have been an expansion pack or DLC, etc) almost always fill the used game sections with their titles.

If people feel they get a lot of value and hang onto their games, they won't trade them in, and anyone else who wants a copy will likely have to buy it new, giving the developers money. In the meantime, the developers could also work on quality DLC that encourages people to keep the games longer, helping them make even more money off the game way beyond it's release. This, IMO, is why you rarely see companies like Atlus, Bethesda or Nintendo in major financial trouble (not counting hardware sales related stuff), since they release quality products upfront and provide quality content for their games.

If developers (the companies themselves, not the individual employees who make the games) want to get upset about people buying their games used, then they need to take a good hard look at their business practices. They're generally giving consumers less and less value for their money, and these massive used game sales are simply the free market's response. Companies will then use these used game sales as an excuse for downsizing and whatnot. The exact same thing happens in every other industry (entertainment and non-entertainment alike) while companies look for reasons/excuses to to blame for letting employees go. Illegal downloads hurt the movie and music industries, environmentalists are hurting the forestry industry, safety regulations hurt the mining industry, and used games hurt the gaming industry. Nevermind how these industries still generally manage to turn higher profits each year.

Basically, this whole 'used game sales damage the industry' argument is an exaggeration, IMO, since I doubt I have ever seen a company shut down purely because people bought their games prowned so often. Either the company makes a string of bad games that sell poorly and can't financially recover (Midway), they get outmuscled by other companies (essentially happened to Working Designs), or have people running the place who make terrible decisions (Sega's hardware division, thanks to Bernie Stolar and his vendetta against RPG's, whoever decided the GD-Rom was enough to prevent piracy on the Dreamcast, etc). Blaming used game sales is just a case of game companies making the easy straw-man arguments IMO, since if anything major happens it's ALWAYS due to some combination of the 3 things I just pointed out. It's just easy to blame it on one or two things, since the general public would likely ignore more developed explanations (for the same general reasons that most people will skim and ignore most of this post). The only thing that used game sales hurt are the massive paycheques of the people who generally don't actually program a line of code for the games their companies release, who then look at letting employees go instead of considering pay cuts for themselves. It's basically a societal problem, and not just a used game sales problem. It's just easier to blame things on used game sales and piracy, since they're things that are easy to drum up support against.

Sorry to everyone for posting such a long rant, by the way. I'm pretty bored today, wanted to get this of my chest, and literally just finished a grad degree in sociology a couple of days ago (which I guess it probably shows). I just usually hate seeing just piracy or used game sales being used as blanket excuses for why a company didn't make more profit from something than they did, since it usually just glosses over a bunch of the other factors at play, and eliminates the role of the middlemen from the equation. Individual developers never see a direct cent of what I pay for a game they helped program, but the people who run the companies will. Wages are generally considered a 'cost' by these companies just like their raw materials are, and will usually be cut if the people in charge feel they need to increase their profit margins for investors. New versus Used sales are just the most direct way that consumers can express themselves in the whole equation. I'll buy Atlus and Bethesda games without hesitation because I always feel I get value for my dollar and I like the way those businesses are run and treat their employees, but will usually avoid Activision, EA or Ubisoft games for obvious reasons. I just really think that people should avoid oversimplifying things, and would love to encourage anyone who really wants to help individual developers to think things through beyond debating whether to just buy new or used.

High used game sales numbers aren't a problem that's directly hurting the little guy. They're an example of people's actions telling the companies who make the games that contribute to the high used game sales (since some games are rarely traded in while others fill entire racks by themselves) that their prices are too high for what consumers are being offered. Actions speak louder than words after all. This is why Call of Duty comes out each year with few major changes each year despite the the growing dissatisfaction with things, since it makes lots of money, and Activision doesn't have a reason to make major changes. Sales slowed down with the Resident Evil series when people got fed up with the lack of innovation, and we got Resident Evil 4 in response. If we want more enjoyable games, companies need a good reason to give them to us. This is, IMO, one way to send that message.[/QUOTE]

I agree with nearly everything in your wall of text. ;) It's true that the used games sales is an exaggerated issue, but an issue none-the-less. We as consumers can never truly know the extent of the issue due to other factors (such as the ones you mentioned, with ""suits" making a massive sum of cash, while developers lose their jobs when their games don't sell well).

Additionally, I prefer not to support GameStop, whom (other than the consumer that traded the game in), are the only ones to profit from the purchase. It seems like they make the worst decisions (of all retailers) in relation to consumers. Alternately, none of the retailers are helping the situation with each having a different pre-order bonuses.

Sadly GameStop is the only nearby establishment which does pre-orders and their Deal of the Days are pretty fantastic, especially considering most of the games are not worth MSRP (Duke Nukem?).

[quote name='foxmcloud']holy wall of text buddy
again, I will never buy a game at full price if I think it is not worth the price asked

retail prices in Canada is around $60 and $70... buying a game that only lasts for a couple of hours at that price is stealing the consumer... the right price would be more like $10-$20

as an example, Skyrim takes hundreds of hours to complete, and I think the game is really worth the price asked... and on top of that, Bethesda is not releasing DLC before launch instead of inluding it on the disc like EA does
on the other hand, Ubisoft is asking full price for Assassin's Creed Revelations, a game that lasts for max 9h.. I'll wait for the game to reach the $10-$20 price range before buying, just like I did with Brotherhood and AC2

if games were in the $20 range, I would buy more games... and I'm pretty sure many people would by more games too

devs are ripping people off now with their new business practices... GOD I HATE EA and UBISOFT[/QUOTE]

You really shouldn't hate EA and Ubisoft for trying to be stay profitable, blame it on the society we live in. Every company is trying to make a profit, it's the sole reason they exist. Developers aren't ripping anyone off, it's the publishers.

Speak with your dollar, if you really disagree with a companies practices and don't buy their games.

I'm lucky enough to be "rich" (in that the income from my part-time job is solely for buying games, toys, books, movies, etc.) so when I'm interested in a game, I pre-order. I understand that some people aren't in such a position, and frankly that sucks, I wish everyone could buy their games Day One. What sickens me is people whom buy games that came out a couple days ago, used at $55. Clearly if you're buying a game at that price, you can afford to pay $5 more and support the industry.
 
[quote name='foxmcloud']Ubisoft is asking full price for Assassin's Creed Revelations, a game that lasts for max 9h.[/QUOTE] That's not fair, ACR does have a pretty good multiplayer aspect.

Personally, I don't judge the value of a game based on the length of one playthrough. Most of those old classics that people played to death don't last a day, yet I (or mostly my parents) paid like $80 for a cart. Now that I have less time on my hands, I tend to favor games that are short and sweet instead of titles where the devs pad the game with filler. If the game is good enough, I'll replay it. Designing and building those beautiful worlds and characters takes time and money so I think devs deserves our money... as long as Future Shop does more of those $20 off pre-orders.
 
[quote name='OmegaChaos']Is it fun for you to find these random imagines to try to show how clever you are? Because, it isn't working.[/QUOTE]

Atleast I wasn't born and started gaming yesterday
smilie_crazyeyes.gif


Random image? I made that one over a year ago :lol:
 
The value of games is subjective. Many CAGs seem to believe that the new games don't pack in enough content? What games have you all been playing? Every AAA game I bought this year had countless hours of content, developers are putting more into games so that they won't get traded in. >.<

I mean look at the number of games that had a single-player campaign, co-op and competitive multiplayer. Of the top of my head: Gears of War 3, Uncharted 3, COD:MW3, Halo: CEA (if the Reach maps count).

Saints Row The Third is a strange case, with single-player and co-op.

Games like TLoZ: Skyward Sword and Batman: Arkham City (and adding one I didn't play, TES: Skyrim) which have only single player campaigns are very long/include lots of side quests and collectibles.

Today games pack more content than ever before...
 
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