I was really excited to buy a PS4 last November. But one of the things putting me off was the price increase of console games in the UK. Games suddenly went from being £39.99, to £54.99, and while some people claimed that it was only a temporary increase, to get more money out of wealthier launch buyers, here we are 3 months later with games still costing £15 extra. This move has made me and my gaming friends become way more picky about the games we buy. Games like Knack and Ryse look interesting, but not for £15 more than a copy of Grand Theft Auto 5. With Microsoft announcing a price-cut on the Xbox One in the UK, you have to wonder if companies can get away with selling these games at the new price.
Digital games are being increased in price to. With the removal of Microsoft points, downloadable games cost nearly as much in pounds as they do in dollars. It is not uncommon to see a $10 game sell for £8, which is not consistent with the exchange rate. I am aware of how inflation works, as well as the minimum wage in the UK being a lot higher than America, but I still think game publishers are trying to get away with charging more. Europe has been paying a premium on its games for a while, yet it is only recently we have seen companies try to raise the average UK game price. What do other people in the UK think ? Are you happy paying £54.99 for new console games or do you think publishers will eventually have to bring the price down ? For myself personally, I’m going to be a lot more selective of the games I buy from now on.