Microsoft is raising prices on Xbox consoles, controllers, headsets, and some games. The price hike for consoles and accessories kicks in today, May 1, and while game prices will stay the same for now, we should expect to see Xbox charging $79.99 for new, first-party games around the holiday season.
Yup. As expected the industry is following Nintendo lead thanks to gamers.
I don’t really agree that gamers should be blamed for this. Especially when it comes to lootboxes, battlepasses, gatcha etc. Those mechanics are tailor-made to exploit common psychological weaknesses in humans. The companies using these tactics and the lawmakers not stopping them should be blamed, not the people being exploited.
Going back to simple price increases, it’s not true that these always work out well for the companies or result in record sales. Remember the 3DS Ambassador program? Nintendo has already faceplanted pretty hard with their pricing strategy before. Since the Switch 2 isn’t even released, we have no idea how well the more expensive games will sell.
By your logic nobody is to blame for anything ever (which is an arguable point but not useful). Oh no capitalism preys on my human psychological need to acquire resources and accrue wealth, I’m not the bad guy I’m a viiicctimmm of my subconscious wanting all your money to be mine.
Which…explains the pricing in a nutshell. It’s not based on need, it’s based on disposable income. Games are more like diamonds than they are like bread. And yes, diamond customers are absolutely to blame for diamond prices.
I don’t really agree that gamers should be blamed for this. Especially when it comes to lootboxes, battlepasses, gatcha etc. Those mechanics are tailor-made to exploit common psychological weaknesses in humans. The companies using these tactics and the lawmakers not stopping them should be blamed, not the people being exploited.
Going back to simple price increases, it’s not true that these always work out well for the companies or result in record sales. Remember the 3DS Ambassador program? Nintendo has already faceplanted pretty hard with their pricing strategy before. Since the Switch 2 isn’t even released, we have no idea how well the more expensive games will sell.
By your logic nobody is to blame for anything ever (which is an arguable point but not useful). Oh no capitalism preys on my human psychological need to acquire resources and accrue wealth, I’m not the bad guy I’m a viiicctimmm of my subconscious wanting all your money to be mine.
Stupid. Why the fuck do you think a world in which buying something is blameless exists?
More accurate: Buying a luxury good.
Which…explains the pricing in a nutshell. It’s not based on need, it’s based on disposable income. Games are more like diamonds than they are like bread. And yes, diamond customers are absolutely to blame for diamond prices.