On The Mysteries Of PC Computer Game Pricing

Thanks to The Adrenaline Vault for its editorial discussing the recent, seemingly strange retail pricing of PC videogames. The author explains that he has ...

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The problem with pc games dropping in price is directly related to pc hardware price.

First of all pc game makers are constantly scewing with pc gamers cause every new game requires some kind of new tech that requires an upgrade unlike console games that use the same tech over and over for a few years.

The fact is that you can't expect someone to drop $50 on a pc game and $300 on the card you need to run the damn game. But why do they continue to do so?

If pc game makers would stop requiring the latest and greatest hardware for gamers to run their games pc games would be selling just as well as console games.

Unfortunately being able to play a pc game today, does not ensure a gamer that he will be able to play its sequal a few months down the road without major hardware upgrades.

That is the major problem with pc games today! PC games don't need innovative design changes - they need to stop requiring major hardware changes!

I agree with you Scrubking, I was a computer gamer, but got tired of having to keep up. Now, I buy a console and put a game in, I never have to worry about my resolution, if my video card will be able to take it, none of that. Also, I get to sit in front of a big monitor (read: TV) on a LA-Z-BOY and just play, its so much easier, and cheaper. Thats why PC games are dying, especially now that consoles are online.

I also agree with scrubking, but they use the latest vid cards so their games look better and that seperates them from the rest. I just play console games. IMO the graphics aren't that much better on the pc anyway.

i actually had to buy an entire new pc to play HL2, and THEN THE DAMN GAME DOESNT COME OUT! being forced to upgrade sucks, but i should be good for another week or so.

I've just gotten into the PC gaming thing, and I can already tell I'm not gonna be able to keep up. I get a new console every year, and I'm not gonna upgrade my PC that often. I dont' know how I'm gonna keep up.

I got a new PC last Sept. and already put a new graphics card and bought a new hard drive for it that I have yet to install.

The only thing I really need is some more memory and I should be good for another year

You also have to remember that developers are fully capable of taking advantage of the latest hardware while at the same time making it possible for the game to run scaled back for the older hardware.

The problem is that developers and hardware manufacturers are in league with each other and promote the latest and greatest so they influence people to buy the latest.

If devs made games that could be played by old and new hardware the vid card manufacturers would go crazy cause they wouldn't be able to sell their new $500 cards and the cpu makers wouldn't be able to sell their new cpu's.

I think its great the PC games are a little bit less that console games. They dont have to play royalities to the console maker (Sony, Nintendo, or Microsoft) so they should offer the games for less.
And they should slow down on requiring the latest hardware. I plan on building my own computer this summer, but even then I know that Its going to be far behind what will be current at the time(as I dont plan on getting the new ATI card when it comes out, I just plan on getting a 9800 pro or XT).

[quote name='Scrubking']You also have to remember that developers are fully capable of taking advantage of the latest hardware while at the same time making it possible for the game to run scaled back for the older hardware.

The problem is that developers and hardware manufacturers are in league with each other and promote the latest and greatest so they influence people to buy the latest.

If devs made games that could be played by old and new hardware the vid card manufacturers would go crazy cause they wouldn't be able to sell their new $500 cards and the cpu makers wouldn't be able to sell their new cpu's.[/quote]

I think Half-Life 2 is going to be playable on a TNT-2 card and a 733 p3

[quote name='CaseyRyback'][quote name='Scrubking']You also have to remember that developers are fully capable of taking advantage of the latest hardware while at the same time making it possible for the game to run scaled back for the older hardware.

The problem is that developers and hardware manufacturers are in league with each other and promote the latest and greatest so they influence people to buy the latest.

If devs made games that could be played by old and new hardware the vid card manufacturers would go crazy cause they wouldn't be able to sell their new $500 cards and the cpu makers wouldn't be able to sell their new cpu's.[/quote]

I think Half-Life 2 is going to be playable on a TNT-2 card and a 733 p3[/quote]

80% of the time the minimum requirements are pure BS. It is a miracle if you can play a game WELL on minimum specs. Usually to play a game well you need higher than recommended settings. And by WELL I mean absolutely no lag or other probs.

I can't tell you how many games I bought cause I met or exceeded minimum specs only to find that the game played like crap.

actually valve said (key word there) that HL2 is playable on nearly any system. and actually playable. il believe it when it works fine on my 4 year old laptop.

It's a double edged sword; if a company puts out a PC game without the newest graphics enhancements, physics technology, etc., the game will get bad reviews and sell poorly. They have no choice but to push the hardware or risk losing ground in the highly competitive market.

They sell those $500 cards because there are early adopters who will pay that price. You can make due fine buying a mid-range next-gen card for about $150. It's really a false dichotomy, its not upgrade your whole PC to the top of the line hardware or be left out. With hardware prices dropping I think upgrading your computer every few years is becoming close to the price that some people would pay to get a new console.