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Video game prices have always been and always will be a hot topic among the massive spectrum- the hobbyist, casual, hardcore, to downright obsessive- of gamers. The basis of video game prices is determined by a couple of factors.

One hard-to-miss factor of video game prices is cost. Obviously, any company is going to do whatever possible to insure that their newest title will bring plenty of cash and keep them out of the red line. This requires hiring the best staff possible, which then equals to high pay for the geniuses (i.e. the programmers, artists, designers, testers, writers). Also, the title must be manufactured and distributed quickly. Lest not forget that the proud people who create these games are artists; they're CREATIVE! And they want to be compensated well for their creations just like musicians, painters, sculptors, actors, writers.

Another factor is supply and demand. Consumers want the hottest title, and they want it now! Gears of War, the GTA series, the MGS series, the Guitar Hero series, people sweat, cry, yearn for months and months to hold anticipated games in their hands. And if you've saved for those months and months, then the game's price is going to be the least of your concerns. This consumer craving plays brilliantly in the publisher's hands. Think of it as a value bet in a game of poker: you know you have the best hand, but you know your opponent is willing to pay a price to see if he is beat. You don't want to bet too much and scare off your opponent, but you don't want to lessen the value of your hand either, so you bet the right amount to entice your opponent into calling. For video game publishers, that amount is 50-80 bucks a game.

Publishers know who their demographics are and are not going to make a huge mistake such as overpricing their products. Leave the overpricing to the actual consoles.

Learn more about this author, Josh Hammonds.
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