Playstation "Orbis" announcement.

[BTGBullseye]

Middlemen make deals when the games aren't selling. They pay a certain amount, and by contract (usually) they have to sell the games for a certain price for a certain amount of time. At the end of that time, if they didn't sell well, they drop the price just to get rid of the game. (this info comes directly from a Gamestop store owner/manager)

[Alyxx Thorne]

That does make sense, otherwise the sales wouldn't be profitable.

[Bjossi]

Well that's how it is on Steam at least, not sure what filter Sony's gonna put on pricing if they go full digital with retail on the side with the Orbis. Sure Steam has/had "$60 on Day One" exceptions like Skyrim and every Call of Duty game, but there's always outliers. Activision are greedy bastards and Bethesda is kind of an oddball.

 

Besides the Steam sales I have very rarely seen Steam offering cheaper prices than the online retailers and I am actually in the US dollar region (for some odd reason). Publishing companies do not see with the consumer's eyes. When we see an opportunity to reduce prices thanks to no manufacturing costs, infinite data reproduction and the lack of a middle step, they see an opportunity to jack up the prices any way Because They Can. They know gamers in general would buy a game even if it was on fire, resting in the hands of Satan and his sinister grin. "Screw my consumer rights, here's money, now give me my .".

 

Many, if not most publishers normalize the euro so that their game costs the same number in both US dollars and euros, Square Enix actually tried to region limit DX: HR within the European Union but quickly backed out of that one since they knew they would get raped in court... These things are all made possible by digital distribution and the content providers are not afraid to test the waters for extra profits.

[Alyxx Thorne]

Of course, profit is everything.

[Axeldeath]

They should lose profits by pulling this crap. Capatilism works by consumers being smart, but I doubt even half of you have read your countries code of consumer rights.