Xbox Originals amalgamated by GOD Comments by Robert Purchese

I think the high cost of games on services like steam is pretty much only because there isn't much retail knowledge in that area yet.

When you think about it usually the distributor/publishers like ea/atari etc would usually just say here have x thousand copies of our game for x amount get their money from amazon/argos adn forget about it. Any other the discounts etc will likely be handled by the retail outlet who know how to sell to consumers and what stock they need to turn over or can make a loss on.

Now you have the wholesaler selling to the consumer - and they just don't have the experience in that. So they post their game on Steam and forget about it.

As to 2nd hand games I don't really agree with it but you can't begrudge the retailers trying to make a profit - I believe they are only getting 10% of the sale on the game so who can blame them for trying to get a bit more margin on them?

The real problem isn't the download service providers or the boxed product retailers its the distributers. Distribution wholesalers kill small game shops on new product and drive up second hand sales in reputable shops. The distribution wholesalers are the same as the bannana companies in south america.

The cost of games isn't driven up simply by price gouging but by the number of players in the chain from studios, companies, distributers, shippers, retail.

When I worked for a publisher, the distributors and retailers threatened to refuse to stock titles if the prices for direct digital downloads through the company store were significantly lower than the high street price. When this vice like grip is released, then digital downloads will get sensible prices and become more viable option. Still, as expressed above, still plenty of other issues to sort out as well.

if you believe downloads will come down in price after getting rid of disc format then you are bit too trusting. It will be the publishers who will have vice like grip on prices eg Modern warfare 4 download = £49.99 They will just spout server maintenance costs or inflated production costs and gamers will BUY another modern warefare game (if its good as CoD4 and MW2)

What developers and publishers could do, make sure the game is good enough to worth keeping, I still have Fallout 3 from release day and also Mass effect. On the other hand I picked up bionic commando cheap and its getting traded or sold as the game design is crap, the developers seem clueless and no way deserve any more money from the game

Less and less choice in the world and the masses are too stupid to see it.