AAA Game pricing and the last time you purchased a AAA game at launch?

First off, sure, I am not entitled to anything so they can price stuff as they please.

All I know is that I cannot remember the last time I purchased a AAA title at launch, mainly owing to pricing and the fact I do not think their games are worth what they are asking for. Nothing is "groundbreaking" nowadays.

Even grey market/stolen keys are around £35 give or take at times.

I realise in this day and age, for every person like me, there are 50 kids all aboard the hype train throwing money out of the windows and fair play to them.

Sure, I will be buying Insurgency Sandstorm ready for launch and purchased Mothergunship but neither are AAA.

Also, what is with multiple SKU's at launch...

Super Game - Standard
Super Game - Super Standard
Super Game - Super Standard Deluxe
Super Game - Super Standard Deluxe Putin Edition

I get that it is business but how did these scumbags worm their way into the industry.

The bit that annoys me is that we've reached pricing parity with the consoles, but publishers don't have to pay the licencing fee to Sony/MS/Nintendo for PC games so they make more profit from us.

I don't buy them at launch. Simples.

Vote with your wallet.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by spacein_vader

The bit that annoys me is that we've reached pricing parity with the consoles, but publishers don't have to pay the licencing fee to Sony/MS/Nintendo for PC games so they make more profit from us.

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The added kicker for PC gamers is that you can't sell old PC games on in order to help fund new purchases, like console users can.

Like the OP, for the most part I just wait until prices come down for the title I'm interested in, and generally only buy games during Steam sales. The only AAA titles I buy from launch are ones I can be pretty sure I'll be sinking hundreds of hours of game-play into, like Battlefield etc.

I tend to rarely buy games at launch as I tend to wait for reviews and for the price to drop. The only exceptions tend to be games which you can get cheap before release since people sell the bundled code with their graphics card or the rare situation where I really want to play a game at release. The last time I bought a game in the latter scenario was Fallout 4,and I have a 1000+ hours in it.

Only ones I'd buy at launch tend to be the console exclusives that I have a real interest in.

So I got GT Sport, Wipeout Omega (probably not AAA), and the last 2 Uncharted's for the Mrs on release.

Anything else I'll wait for the price to drop massively or pick up 2nd hand. If it's good (and single player) it'll be just as good in a year or 2 as it is today.

I couldn't even tell you which of mine are AAA nowadays. Elite, maybe?
I'm getting Post Scriptum, but I don't think that's Triple-A given the price - It's not even £25!!

If I really want it and I can get it for ~20 quid, then I will buy on release, I think the last time I did it was the previous tomb raider though.

Although my gaming has been curtailed for a while, mainly concentrate on driving games when I do game, massively reducing the amount of titles I want to buy....although did pick up AC:O last week in a key store sale.....

I have been burnt a few times on launch games to find they are broken or just bad. So will tend to wait until a game has been out for a bit before buying. Last game I bought at launch was Company of Heroes 2

Elite: Dangerous was the last game that I bought early/full price. I was a beta-backer (so not KickStarter, but pre-release). Not sure whether it was worth it, the extras were essentially time limited. But I got so many hours out of that game I don't feel bad about it. Not sure if it classes as a AAA game though.

Before that, I suspect it was Battlefield 3, or BC2.

I'm so behind on my games, I rarely pay full price. I usually pick them up a year or two old in a Steam sale. I'm currently chipping through FarCry 3.

Multiplayer games I play with a few other people who are all tight too. So we only play games that we pick up cheap. The most expensive game we've picked up was GTA5 and Rainbow Six Siege. Both costing us £20 in various deals.

Not sure if it counts as an AAA game but mine was CS:GO. I also got Street Fighter V on release day but that was at almost half price.

I don't these days, ever since physical media basically disappeared for pc.
closest was fallout 4 which I got in the first month but not launch day or week.
cyberpunk is one I'm looking at getting on release but that's more to my long history with it, I used to be big into the rpg and CD Projekt has gained my trust not to balls it up.

Last one I bought was God of War for PS4 and that was about 2 weeks after launch prior to that I think it was Yakuza 0 also on PS4. Itend to hold off now and get stuff a few month later in sales.

I'm still catching up on my PS3 games, the last game I bought on launch was GT6, I think.

So to me, games cost £10-£20...

Bought Destiny 2 at launch, actually enjoyed it but then was asked to spend another £30 on the expansions shortly after, like an idiot I did and now being asked to buy another £35 expansion along with an annual pass also being available for a further £30! £40+£30+£35+£30 = £135 and its not even a year old. Safe to say I'll be waiting for a reduced complete edition for new AAA games going forward!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by spacein_vader

The bit that annoys me is that we've reached pricing parity with the consoles, but publishers don't have to pay the licencing fee to Sony/MS/Nintendo for PC games so they make more profit from us.

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On the other hand, PC games cost more to make.