For years, video game publishers have tried to convince us that despite the abundance of readily available materials and widely available off-the-shelf engines, game production continues to become more expensive, a fact that must be reflected in the final cost of the product. On the one hand, we can agree with this statement because nothing around us gets cheaper over time, nor does value even stand still. On the other hand, video games are an intangible mass product, and how to fairly evaluate them is a very controversial issue.
However, more and more games are now priced at $70 or more. This will continue as long as people are still willing to pay such amounts. Once the user base “slips off”, it suddenly becomes apparent that no product price increase has actually been developed, and generally the game can continue to be sold at its previous price.
That’s exactly what’s happening with shooter DOOM The Dark Ages: Publisher Bethesda Softworks teams up with id Software report Regarding lowering the base price of the project from $70 to $50. The price of the expansion has also dropped, and the value has dropped significantly – from $100 to $70.
Please note that the average one-time “online” player count for DOOM The Dark Ages on Steam over the past year was approximately 1,000. For a project of this caliber, it’s almost insulting. Of course, it was this situation that prompted the publisher to make the only right decision. Yes, it’s too late and unlikely to rectify the situation, but it will do well as a precedent from which lessons must be learned.