[jr2]

linky

No kidding.  D'uh.   

[Commander Zane]

Epic lulz.

[Rick James]

Most game developers, I have noticed, are willing to if nothing else stay about fifty paces behind stuff regular gamers realized eons ago.

[Mongoose]

The retail prices of current games aren't really the source of the problem so much as a symptom of it.  Quite frankly, modern-day blockbuster titles have ridiculously high budgets nowadays, often completely disproportionate to the amount of enjoyment that one can potentially glean from them.  When you start talking about tens of millions of dollars to make an A-level title, something's gone rather wrong with the entire industry.

[blackhole]

DUH

[Woolie Wool]

I think the talents of individual performers and producers are greatly overvalued (in monetary terms) in the current entertainment industry. Case in point: the Ion Storm debacle, and the insane salaries given to A- and B-list actors.

[MP-Ryan]

Say Duh all you want, but Valve is the first to empirically show it to be true.  That's a big deal.

[Nuke]

they dont realize how many times i bought a game when i normally wouldnt have because it was on sale or marked really low. fact of the mater is there are a lot more gamers nowadays than when i was a kid. back then hardly any girls played games at all, and most my friends only had a small number of games. nowadays you see people with racks of games and multiple consoles. not to mention pc gamers. more computers these days come with hardware acceleration as standard equipment. back then, you had to go out of your way to get a 3d accelerator, then struggle to find games that it would accelerate. moar customers + lower prices = moar money.

[Commander Zane]

nowadays you see people with racks of games and multiple consoles.

Maybe not the multiple consoles but I had about a hundred games even ten years back.

[Galemp]

Well why do you think there's such a killing to be made on secondhand games? It's because they're usually under $20 and just as much fun as they were on launch day.

[Dark Hunter]

I can personally attest to the "multiple consoles, racks of games". Easily around a hundred games, six consoles (seven if you include my PC), as well as two handhelds.

I don't buy as many games as I used to. More diverse interests, more limited budget. Still, I collect any I find are good: especially old gems I missed when I was growing up (contributing to the killing on secondhand games).

I like that Valve's admitting this. $50 for a brand-new game I always felt was too much. Generally, I buy for $30 or less if I can (there are exceptions... good 'ol FS2 I got for around $80 on eBay, and it's one of the few that I'd say it was worth every cent).

This could be the first step in the right direction, though I'm rather doubtful anything will come of it.

[Darius]

Spare a thought for poor Australians, who have to shell out $100 for a brand new game.

[Commander Zane]

I know, I feel bad for them.