With a batch of screenshots and a gameplay demo, Call of Duty: Black Ops III's deluxe edition is listed on the UK store as £79.99 (about $125), which I don't know about you, just makes me disheartened and ultimately disenfranchised with where there industry is at. Let's be clear, Call of Duty is an incredibly well-made game. Its shooting is proficient and tight, last year's instalment is probably the finest since Modern Warfare, and in terms of the general feel of gameplay, it comes across as very polished - especially by comparison to many other yearly franchises. However, should a COD fan who wants to experience the full version of their favourite series have to put down an entire week's wage to do so? You could rationalise by saying game production budgets are sky-high right now, and creators 'need' such prices to recoup the funds that go into your favourite products. But where does it stop? Where's the respect for the consumer, and the fact that at the end of the day, there's only so much money we can put aside to support a hobby, pastime or whatever label you want to give it? It reeks of when Sony's Ken Kutaragi mentioned, in response to the PS3's astronomical launch price, " consumers to think to themselves 'I will work more hours to buy one'", which is quite possibly the worst way to treat your consumers. In experimenting with just how much love gamers have for their medium (something that's fairly endless), the industry has realised they can charge almost anything and we'll justify it with the need to own whatever's on offer. Honestly though, what does that say about the relationship we have between consumer and producer?
