10 Most Insulting Video Game Industry Habits (That Have To End)

10. Overpriced Digital Versions

In theory, digital copies of games should be much cheaper than their physical equivalents, as the production and distribution of discs and packaging, a sizable proportion of a publisher’s costs, is eliminated. Somehow, they are almost always priced more expensively, however, with no cost savings passed onto customers.

For what seemed like forever, the retail price of a new game was seemingly fixed at £39.99, gradually increasing to £49.99 during the last few years and jumping considerably to £69.99 for the latest console generation. Given that games cost tens or hundreds of millions to make, this is at least somewhat justifiable given inflation over time, but it represents a sizable financial outlay to customers, particularly in an era where rentals are non-existent and demos are rare, limiting the ability to ‘try before you buy’.

Savings can be made on physical copies by shopping around given that retailers seek to undercut one another, whilst some of the expense incurred through a purchase can eventually be recouped through the trade-in market. Digital-only distribution by comparison offers only one 'take it or leave it' price with no residual value. It is clearly the industry’s plan for the future, but one that its dominant players really need to reassess their approach to.