Playstaion store - a rip off!!!

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I know this won't be a surprise to some of you but lately I have found the playstation store to be one mega rip off.

I hadn't been on the store for a while, but heard that it had a revamp so I had a look around.

I downloaded the need for speed - most wanted demo. After playing it for a bit I thought I'd go ahead and buy it. The on line store price is €69.99.

So before spending my hard earned cash I had a look around other places, and what do you know I found exactly the same game for sale on amazon for £25.

Why the discrepancy?

Surely it would be far more profitable for Sony to cut out the middleman.

Obviously not.

Rant over......

johnny_ultimate

Retail is still far too valuable a revenue stream for Sony or any publisher to ignore. Therefore they keep the prices at the RRP - and yes, 59.99 - 69.99 is the RRP for games these days, even if nowhere except Gamestop is mad enough to charge it - to placate retailers (who then go on to price competitively). Luckily, PSN has the benefit of great sales that reduce the price of digital titles significantly, a luxury Microsoft and Sony don't offer as willingly. But yeah, don't buy new games digitally, it's a rip-off. That goes for PSN, XBL and even beloved Steam. The only way its going to get better is when retail stores lose their clout.

Klair88

As johnny said dont buy NEW games off the store. But they do fantastic deals on other games that are much better than retail. Example being Ratchet and clank Q-force. €14.99 on PSN store, €19.99 retail. Lego harry potter €15 PSN, 30 euro retail! I also got the Dead island GOTY for €13!!! Thats at least 30 in any gamestop.

ads20101

Klair88 wrote: »

As johnny said dont buy NEW games off the store. But they do fantastic deals on other games that are much better than retail. Example being Ratchet and clank Q-force. €14.99 on PSN store, €19.99 retail. Lego harry potter €15 PSN, 30 euro retail! I also got the Dead island GOTY for €13!!! Thats at least 30 in any gamestop.

I agree, but this only makes things worse.

Not everyone are purchase savvy. They may see some good value offers for older games and automatically presume that the newer games are also priced competitively.

eddhorse

And the Playstation Plus is doing an "Instant Game Collection" thing which is brilliant, cheap considering what you get !!

Varik

There's more to it than simple pressure from retailers and competition among those same retailers, a boxed game is bought and paid for by the retailer and then sits there till sold costing them storage, shelf space, and being a potential loss of opportunity for something else to take it's place.

Caveat emptor

ads20101

Varik wrote: »

There's more to it than simple pressure from retailers and competition among those same retailers, a boxed game is bought and paid for by the retailer and then sits there till sold costing them storage, self space, and being a potential loss of opportunity for something else to take it's place.

Caveat emptor

Hence my point. Sony have no where near the same overheads by dealing in digital downloads.

Varik

ads20101 wrote: »

Hence my point. Sony have no where near the same overheads by dealing in digital downloads.

Dammit, shelf not self.

Not my point, retailers are already at a loss when that game is sitting there not sold but it gets worse as it's not just a fixed purchase cost. After while when a game is not selling and they have a back room or warehouse full of stock they need to minimize the loss by selling off the games at the best price they can to shift them.

The price has less to do with costs and more to do with what consumers are willing to pay, digital games are a luxury(more so than normally) and can get a better price

Cienciano

eddhorse wrote: »

And the Playstation Plus is doing an "Instant Game Collection" thing which is brilliant, cheap considering what you get !!

At this stage you'd want to be crazy to not have playstation plus.

Beefy78

This is the point a lot of us made when people were celebrating the demise of GAME earlier in the year. Online prices aren't going to be cheaper prices. Once the high street has been eliminated prices are only going to go one way.

Barcelonafan

Abit off topic..anybody know if you buy a ps2 game from the store can you save the data as you progress through the game so I don't have to start again each time I play it?

F1ngers

Barcelonafan wrote: »

Abit off topic..anybody know if you buy a ps2 game from the store can you save the data as you progress through the game so I don't have to start again each time I play it?

Yes.

Retr0gamer

I;m finding the PSN store a hell of a lot better than XBLA. On XBLA games sometimes go on sale for a week and then never again whereas on PSN the sales are regular and far better. PSP game prices are extremely reasonable for the most part. Also I like that there is an attempt to adjust game prices to currency unlike XBLA were you are paying significantly more than the US.

Varik

Retr0gamer wrote: »

I;m finding the PSN store a hell of a lot better than XBLA. On XBLA games sometimes go on sale for a week and then never again whereas on PSN the sales are regular and far better. PSP game prices are extremely reasonable for the most part. Also I like that there is an attempt to adjust game prices to currency unlike XBLA were you are paying significantly more than the US.

There is a a lot of price disparity in the EU store, they tend to try to hit certain price points which tend to work out worse for the euro price.

Best aspect that PSN has over other consoles is the pre-loading and day one downloadable retail games for the majority of games.

Beefy78

Varik wrote: »

Best aspect that PSN has over other consoles is the pre-loading and day one downloadable retail games for the majority of games.

But with the prices that most of these retail games are on the PSN store is that really an advantage? I can't ever imagine buying a new release on the store when I can get it for €15 cheaper on the High Street or €20 cheaper online.

jaxdasher

EA games has to be one of the worst in psn pricing. Recent "sales" that doesn't even qualify as a sale, and the ridiculous price
for old game dlc like Dragons Age Origins that cost more than the game itself.

As an overall store. The obvious fact is that Sony has the monopoly on PS digital download. There is no competition, hence we are at their mercy. Doesn't mean we should stop demanding fairer price. I think the only way to get more competitive prices is if other retailers (online or otherwise) start selling codes for full games or dlc, which they can price themselves and create a healthy market. I'm not sure why they don't yet, most likely because Sony wont let them.

Varik

Beefy78 wrote: »

But with the prices that most of these retail games are on the PSN store is that really an advantage? I can't ever imagine buying a new release on the store when I can get it for €15 cheaper on the High Street or €20 cheaper online.

Did it for Borderlands 2 but in that case I was getting 2 copies of the game in any case so the PSN store was cheapest option.

jaxdasher wrote: »

As an overall store. The obvious fact is that Sony has the monopoly on PS digital download. There is no competition, hence we are at their mercy. Doesn't mean we should stop demanding fairer price.

Unless there are very stick pricing rules that developers ( Sony does not require a publisher like MS) there is still competition but it's between games rather than stores, it's no where near as competitive but you do see a large difference in new games on PSN; Sony games are usually €10-20 cheaper than the norm.

jaxdasher wrote: »

I think the only way to get more competitive prices is if other retailers (online or otherwise) start selling codes for full games or dlc, which they can price themselves and create a healthy market. I'm not sure why they don't yet, most likely because Sony wont let them.

This is done already but not in all shops or regions, you can buy code for map packs for the large shooters but the price is usually the same as the store.

Would like consoles to go in a PC direction a la steam/origin or similar to your idea, the retail games come with a serial key which is a one use code that activates the game on you account to use from the disc or download to the HDD.

ads20101

ads20101 wrote: »

I know this won't be a surprise to some of you but lately I have found the playstation store to be one mega rip off.

I hadn't been on the store for a while, but heard that it had a revamp so I had a look around.

I downloaded the need for speed - most wanted demo. After playing it for a bit I thought I'd go ahead and buy it. The on line store price is €69.99.

So before spending my hard earned cash I had a look around other places, and what do you know I found exactly the same game for sale on amazon for £25.

Why the discrepancy?

Surely it would be far more profitable for Sony to cut out the middleman.

Obviously not.

Rant over......

Arrrrrggggg!!!!

I thought I was being really fecking clever buying this from amazon for £25 (€32 inc del) and what did I see yesterday on the ps store - it has been reduced to €29 as part of a Christmas offer.