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Add to FavoritesAs much as I hate to admit it, yes, game consoles are too expensive. However, I am referring to when they are first released and not the price points that they become within a couple of years after that initial release.
Game consoles have always been expensive since the early 1990's with teh Super Nintendo System running $200 at launch. The original Sony Playstation was $299 in 1995. In 1999, I had put aside money to buy the Sega Dreamcast in September of that year for the price of $200 and that didn't even include a game or a memory card that was required to even play a game.
Sony then released the Playstation 2 in October of 2000 at $299. I recall friends and critics scoffing at the price because it was just outrageous at the time. What made the system more pricey was the built in DVD player and even at that time, DVD players were still pricey. I November 2001, Microsoft released the Xbox for $299 only to cut the price in May 2002 to $200. Normally a system gets a $50 price drop aftr six months of being released. I felt robbed since I had waited in line on launch at 1am.
It is well known that these companies like Sony and Microsoft are losing a chunk of money each time a system is sold (up to $200). These comapnies are hoping to make their money back in games that are published in house like Halo, God of War etc.
Imagine how much the public would be charged if the companies wanted to actually make a profit on the system sales. I know that I'm justifying these prices but I still say that these consoles are too expensive. There are other ways to make them affordable such as doing away withe the built in DVD player or take away the backwards compatibility (this allows you to play a Playstation One game on the Playstation 3).
When Sony launched the Playstation 3 (PS3) in November 17, 2006 the price was $599. A person would be paying nearly $1000 for the system, a couple of games and another controler. People jeered the price while fanboys lined up with credit cards in hand. I, for one, camped out for three days and nights at my local Best Buy to get my hands on one. At that point, the Blu Ray format was still new and fighting against the now defunct HD-DVD format. Regular Blu Ray players were costing more at that point and the PS3 was offering the top of the line Blu Ray and the next gen game system.
I still say that there should be two price sku's, one with the Blu Ray player and one without. Sony has already offered PS3 systems with or without backwards compatibility and usually makes a $100 price difference.
In my humble opinion, Nintendo has kept the price points on their systems, Gamecube at $200 and Wii at $249, at reasonable rates. I know that in this economy, they are still expensive but imagine if they were made with DVD or Blu Ray players.
The bottom line is that there are people willing to pay for these systems, either right away or down the road. It's the manufactures that are playing the consumer.
Learn more about this author, Timothy Abbott.
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No
Defining 'expensive', in any context, is an undoubtedly difficult task. However, I find it rather bizarre that people find the prices of modern consoles unreasonable, based on the vast range of services they provide.
The PS2 and Xbox were the first consoles that incorporated multimedia functionality. Whilst the Xbox featured a media player, capable of ripping and storing audio data, the PS2 boasted a full-featured DVD player. Whilst the consoles were still marketed primarily as gaming machines, their potential as entertainment centres was gradually being realised. It is interesting to note that the Nintendo Gamecube, devoid of such additional features, was the worst-selling console of that (6th) generation (However, this was largely due to a lack of 3rd party games).
With the current generation of consoles, game-playing uses a small subset of the machine's features. They are able to connect to vast on-line libraries to download films, music and games and will play DVDs. There are even projects, now nearing completion, which enable users of the console to watch TV. The Xbox360 and PS3 are doing what the much maligned 'Media PC' never could - creating a media hub with a vast array of functionality for individuals and families.
Even from a purely technical viewpoint, consoles are still a 'good buy'. For example, the PS3 is one of the best ways to view Blu-Ray discs, the only High Definition disk format. It also contains the Cell processor, an entirely new processing architecture which debuted on the PS3. It is uniquely qualified to perform certain operations at unprecedented speeds. As well as potentially allowing for exceptionally advanced games, it has also found a use in healthcare - a PS3 user can obtain a free application which lets their PS3 search for cures for various ailments, by studying the human genome when the console is idle!
To provide similar functionality in these areas, I would have to pay 4/5 times the price for a comparable computer, which, whilst more versatile, is prone to errors and viral infections. Assuming I want a device for purely enjoyment purposes, even the PS3, recently re-priced at 250, represents tremendous value for money.
In fact, in order to price their consoles so competitively, Sony and Microsoft lose money every time they sell a console, but recoup the costs by selling games and films to the user. Nintendo is reportedly the only company who actually makes money when they sell a console, as their best-selling Wii needs only cheap hardware to satisfy its casual gamer market.
It is my honest opinion that demanded consoles at even cheaper prices is ridiculous. They already present excellent value for money and are often able to fill the roles of multiple pieces of equipment. If they were any cheaper, they would drive the gaming divisions of their respective parent companies out of business!
Learn more about this author, Benedict Wigmore.
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