You’ve heard about how some of the Xbox 360 Games On Demand launch titles seemed a little overpriced in the recent Xbox Live preview. Now that everyone’s dashboard has been updated, let’s find out the truth.
Below I’ve listed all 11 games available day one for download via Games On Demand. Under each I’ve listed the Games On Demand price in Aussie dollars, plus the currently listed prices one the websites of the three major specialist games retailers (EB, GAME and JB) plus one online retailer plucked at random (Games Warehouse).
Where a full price version was available, I have listed its price. If only a preowned version was available, I have listed that price (and noted its preowned status). I’ve also noted where a price was currently marked as discounted or where the game is part of a bundle or limited edition. Other costs such as postage for online orders, bandwidth for the Live downloads, petrol for your car to get to the store and that cappuccino your girlfriend bought while she waited for you… haven’t been factored in.
OK, let’s take a look.
What’s interesting is that only EB says it carries all 11 titles. JB has eight, Games Warehouse seven and GAME has a mere six listed in their systems, and even some of them are marked “not in stock”. Sure, many of the older games are only available as preowned copies at EB. But outside of the Xbox Live service, EB is the only place you could actually still buy all these games. That’s one of the benefits of a digital distribution channel: it’s no hassle to maintain stock. As Microsoft told us yesterday, it’s about “24×7 convenience.” And, hey, it’s true.
Moving on to price comparisons now. Microsoft also told us yesterday that “no one retailer has the lowest pricing for every product.” And, hey, that’s true too!
In not one instance is the Games On Demand price the cheapest, yet in six cases it was clearly the most expensive. Although, in most of those cases it’s by virtue of being one of just two or three outlets actually selling the game.
Finally, let’s look at the two outlets where all 11 games are on sale: Games On Demand and EB Games. If you bought all 11 over Xbox Live you’d pay $559.45. If you bought them all at EB you’d pay $332.50. Admittedly you’d have a few preowned discs there, but on the flipside you could trade in all 11 once you’re done and get maybe half your cash back.
BioShock
Games On Demand: $49.95
EB Games: $79.95 or $59.95 w/ Oblivion
GAME: $59.95 w/ Oblivion
Games Warehouse: $54.95 w/ Oblivion
JB Hi-Fi: $38.98
Call of Duty 2
Games On Demand: $49.95
EB Games: $22.95 preowned only
GAME: n/a
Games Warehouse: n/a
JB Hi-Fi: n/a
Kameo
Games On Demand: $29.95
EB Games: $14.95 preowned only
GAME: n/a
Games Warehouse: n/a
JB Hi-Fi: n/a
Mass Effect
Games On Demand: $99.95
EB Games: $79.95
GAME: $69.95 or $29.00 online only
Games Warehouse: $44.95
JB Hi-Fi: $89.98
Oblivion
Games On Demand: $49.95
EB Games: $59.95 w/ BioShock or $69.95 GOTY Edition
GAME: $59.95 w/ BioShock
Games Warehouse: $54.95 w/ BioShock or $63.95 GOTY Edition
JB Hi-Fi: $45.98
Perfect Dark Zero
Games On Demand: $29.95
EB Games: $14.95 preowned only
GAME: n/a
Games Warehouse: $29.95
JB Hi-Fi: $44.98
Prey
Games On Demand: $29.95
EB Games: $14.95 preowned only
GAME: $39.95 or $34.00 online only
Games Warehouse: $59.95 Limited Edition only
JB Hi-Fi: n/a
Rockstar Table Tennis
Games On Demand: $69.95
EB Games: $19.95 preowned only
GAME: n/a
Games Warehouse: n/a
JB Hi-Fi: $45.98
SEGA Rally
Games On Demand: $49.95
EB Games: $39.95
GAME: n/a
Games Warehouse: n/a
JB Hi-Fi: $38.98
Viva Pinata
Games On Demand: $29.95
EB Games: $9.95 preowned only
GAME: $39.95 or $19.00 online only
Games Warehouse: $29.95
JB Hi-Fi: $26.98
Viva Pinata: Trouble In Paradise
Games On Demand: $69.95
EB Games: $54.95
GAME: $59.95 or $29.00 online only
Games Warehouse: $34.95
JB Hi-Fi: $62.98
So there you have it. Who’s up for some Games On Demand?
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Awesome Wells
Wednesday, August 12, 2009 at 11:51 AMDisclaimer: I don’t work for GAME.
Bizarre pricing. Really bizarre pricing. I paid less than $99 for Mass Effect on launch day. I’d happily pay full whack for a game in the launch window, but not for one from the console’s launch window.
In other news, does anyone know if MS Points from the UK can be used in Australia. As the pound has gone down the toilet, getting points from Blighty is quite attractive at the mo.
Cat Tactics
Wednesday, August 12, 2009 at 11:59 AMthe two JB HI FI’s nearest me sell all those old games brand new.
mind you they are in those hideous platinum boxes.
Phend
Wednesday, August 12, 2009 at 12:01 PMThe comparison with the Games on Demand price in the US is even worse. As reported by Screen Play today:
http://blogs.watoday.com.au/digital-life/screenplay/2009/08/12/itsuckstobe.html
They’re both digital products. There is no excuse for this.
DavidR
Wednesday, August 12, 2009 at 12:05 PMI just updated and Mass Effect for $100 is ridiculous.
Almost as insane as $70 for f**king Rockstar Table Tennis.
WHAT A GODDAMN JOKE THIS SERVICE IS.
Aaron
Wednesday, August 12, 2009 at 12:33 PMNot to mention the fact that you have to pay for the cost of a download as well, probably buy a new hard drive for $150 (my 60GB hard drive doesn’t have much on it and its full).
Plus the INconveniance of a lengthy multi gig download using Australias crappy services which is time you can’t play games over Live.
Not to mention the fact you can’t trade games with your mates anymore, which is a practise MS are probably trying to curb. What they don’t seem to realise though is that people trade games with each other because they can’t afford to buy them all. Preventing them from doing so isn’t going to magically increase game sales.
Even before they announced these shamelessly gouging prices I thought MS must have been smoking buckets of crack to have thought this service was a good idea.
Womble
Wednesday, August 12, 2009 at 12:35 PM“Just had a quick look at the US marketplace and Rockstar Table Tennis is US$29.99 which works out to be $36.12 of our Australian dollars. It’s the Steam geographic price differences all over again.”
Well, there is the GST you need to add, which brings the AUD price up to $40. But yeah, this is just bullcrap from Microsoft.
Still, it’s not like any of us can be surprised. And a BIG THANKYOU to all the people out there who ever BOUGHT THEMES from XBL Marketplace. Thank you very much for telling Microsoft that you were willing to pay for worthless digital items with your hard earned money, on TOP of the Gold subscription.
David Fowles
Wednesday, August 12, 2009 at 12:37 PMThe only outrageous price I see there is for Mass Effect, which has been on sale for $50 so consistently that the market regards that as the correct price for it now.
That said, all the other games are ones I could pick up at local department stores for AU$20 or thereabouts, and that’s new. Believe it or not, you can still buy Kameo new. It’s helpful to me that I’m on the Sunshine Coast where retail is impossibly sluggish, but that has to be taken in comparison with the whole of the country, which I’d rate in degrees of slugs anyway.
Comparing the prices to those at actual specialist gaming retailers is going to be the most favourable to Games On Demand, because specialist games retailers charge stupidly high prices as it is. If that list comprised Target, Kmart, Big W et al it might be a different story.
DeeDub
Wednesday, August 12, 2009 at 12:55 PM$69.95 for Rockstar bloody Table Tennis?!! Wasn’t the physical copy of that cheaper when it first came out?
morgion
Wednesday, August 12, 2009 at 3:25 PMWho’s up for Games On Demand… newbie suckers with no clue, and no respect for value or their own hard-earned?
This is typical of M$’s contempt towards Aussie gamers. Until they get the numbers of active Live gamers their dreaming of down under, they don’t give a flying f**k about improving the experience for those that currently pay…
Clearly if you purchase GoD games, you have no clue whatsoever.. and you deserve the exorbitant price dent i your wallet.
Love to see the stats on Games on Demand shoud M$ choose to disclose.. how many suckers they duped.
Brett C
Wednesday, August 12, 2009 at 3:59 PMI’m betting this’ll get phased out quite quickly because “users just aren’t taking up the service” ala Xbox Originals.
Every single thing on that list is a rip-off, some more than others. Absolutely ridiculous.
Mario maniac
Wednesday, August 12, 2009 at 4:18 PMWell, actually, I’ve seen plenty of brand new copies of Kameo in stock at the JB I work at (both in the green case and the Classic case). Can’t think of the price on the top of my head, though.
We also stock pre-owned copies of Kameo, and I reckon I’ve also seen copies of Prey, both new and used.
H2oGatesy
Wednesday, August 12, 2009 at 5:57 PMI really think they are going to screw the pooch on this one. It would be much better if they actually priced these games competitively to go with the 24/7 easy access that they provid. Better to sell more (ANY AT ALL) games cheaper then a few (NONE) at inflated prices.
As it stands I will not be touching any of these games and I usually go for digital distribution as Im busy, lazy and have pleanty of income, but this goes to far.
oh well, their loss.
Max
Wednesday, August 12, 2009 at 7:41 PMI’m already sick of Australian game prices already and now this!!!!
ill stick to Play Asia
Syphon
Wednesday, August 12, 2009 at 10:30 PMwhen i turned on my xbox today i was also astounded at the prices of the on-demand games. i work at video ezy and we definitely have at least 3/4 of those games in stock for cheaper than they are availiable ‘on demand’. and we arent even a specialist game store! microsoft you are ridiculous!
David Smith
Thursday, August 13, 2009 at 2:14 AMKameo? I saw it new today at Harvey Norman – $18.
If you want to sell something, you have to price it at a competitive rate.
tidus
Thursday, August 13, 2009 at 5:09 AMThis is an interesting move. Could this mark the beginning of the end of physical media? First there was cassette tapes, then cartridges, then cds, then dvds. Will the next generation of consoles include drive-less machines? It would potentially bring down manufacturing costs and machine size and make it harder to damage.
Is this a move to counter the trading of secondhand games. A practice that is unlikely to dissapear anytime soon unless pawn shops are prevented from selling games.
Benefits of no scratched discs, no lost discs or discs eaten by the dog. And perhaps a nice solid proof of purchase 20 years from now when your 10 core quantum computer is running a retro xbox360 emulator.
And presumably microsoft won’t reach into your hard disk and delete a game.