Michael Pachter believes sticker price for next-gen software to jump $10 over current generation, Wii U performance has been "underwhelming."
PlayStation 4 and Xbox 720 games will likely cost $70, according to a presentation at South by Southwest this weekend from Wedbush Securities analyst Michael Pachter (via the Twitter feed of Geoff Keighley).
This is a $10 increase over the current-generation sticker price of $60 and does not match up with past commentary.
Last month, SCEA CEO Jack Tretton in a TV interview said that PlayStation 4 titles will max out at $60, putting to rest any speculation that games for Sony's future platform may cost $10 more than PlayStation 3 titles.
Microsoft has yet to announce its rumored next-generation platform.
Separately, Electronic Arts chief financial officer Blake Jorgensen said last month that the FIFA and Battlefield publisher has not yet decided on pricing for its next-gen games.
Also during his talk, Pachter commented on the Wii U performance thus far and how he expects it to fare in the long run. He called performance thus far "underwhelming," noting the system is "essentially a DS split into two parts." Pachter said the Wii U is not innovative enough to drive wide interest, though new titles could reinvigorate growth in the platform.
Overall, Pachter said he believes the Wii U will sell 30-50 million units in its lifetime, with the PS4 and Xbox 720 going neck and neck, selling 85-95 million systems over their life spans. By comparison, the original Wii has sold 99 million units to date, while the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 have moved around 75 million units each.
Echoing comments from Twisted Metal and God of War designer David Jaffe, Pachter said he believes the next generation of consoles is "probably" the last.
Eddie Makuch (Mack-ooh) is a News Editor at GameSpot. He works out of the company's Boston office in Somerville, Mass., and loves extra chunky peanut butter.
it is 2013 there should be a online platform for all games that are released so all the games can be downloaded directly from your system that would cut down the cost and allow the games to be sold at a much cheaper rate while they still make a profit...similar to itunes with music and movies ...they could probably even have a few hardcopies for those that do not have internet access...this would surely cut down the cost of the games...although gamestop would probably go out of business
I guess this moron didn't get the memo that PS4 games have already been confirmed to be 60 dollars and that pretty much forces MS to follow suit.
I think Pachter has been drinking the bong water a little bit too much. I don't see a standard game with a small manual costing $70 especially Blu-Ray as that media is getting cheaper. I think Pachter is just jealous about the new consoles.
Damn them and their damn marketing strategies! To many good games coming out this year and oh wait, the PS4 is almost here as well.... -_-
I have never spent $59.99 on any ps3 game and I will definitely not spend $70 on any ps4 game. That is ridiculous as it is over $76 with tax. Really?! Imagine spending that much and the game turns out to be horrible. I would be so upset. I am for supporting developers with buying new games but they will be pushing away customers if its retail price is $70 game..... Even if I wait for a couple months for a deal, I am not gonna be happy about $50-60 new game. I will consider the ps3 to be my last videogame system.
$70 or £46.93 is pretty steep. Not surprising though either. It was always known that the game prices will always go up for every generation. What the industry needs to do is make the games affordable for the gamers and still make a profit on their games - find a fine balance if you will. The whole reason why some gamers go for used games, is because of the pricing of games that are out of their budget.
We need to kill these next generation consoles before they are released. They used the last console upgrade to raise the price of games by $10 forcing PC games to follow, now they are probably going to do it again.
We are looking at PC games costing $20 more a piece then they would have if consoles never existed, almost a 50% increase. For the sake of the PC gamers wallet, Consoles must go.
@cthulhuspawn82 i buy games on sale on steam so i dont worry about the full price games. I will buy a game at full price very rarely and it would only be to support the company that put out exquisite game that has not screwed the gaming community yet.
And the wheel comes full circle. Years ago we had other consoles that were supposed to be the future of gaming, PC killers if you will. They all died out and the PC marched on. The exact same thing will happen again as consoles and their games get more and more expensive the PC looks more and more attractive. Just put together my new rig and it is far and away better than anything the new consoles are capable of before they have even been released to the market.
1 Like @stuka1000 To be fair, the PC market is always changing. There is no fixed rig per say (unless you count PC makers like Dell etc and even then you can make some adjustments to it) - in comparison to consoles, which are. Whilst the console makes the games more convenient and does away with the headache of whether or not it will run on the PC.
1 Like Well that clinches it. With all the news I've heard about the new systems over the last year, it is looking like these companies are not only abusing gamers and consumers with their overly controlling attitudes, but also cranking up the greed dial on their games. I'll check in on console games again in another 4 or 5 years. These companies are not getting any of my money.
2 Like I felt like I should say exactly what brought me to this decision. First it had to do with the news that used games would not work on other systems. That each game will be tied to individual people and not be able to be resold or used without paying a fee if the title is used.
Second is the part about games not working unless you have an always online connection. This is another slap in the consumers face. Certainly it doesn't happen in every game, but it is becoming a much more common tactic companies are forcing on consumers.
Third is DLC or Down Loadable Content. This as been combined with what companies call 'micro-transactions' to allow companies to keep their virtual fingers in our bank accounts every moment we play a game. The offerings given for games is almost always amazingly small and costs far too much for what it is.
Fourth is locking out almost all end user creativity in the form of mods, new maps, weapons, etc. that players create themselves and add to existing games. It would be incredibly easy to allow gamers to make and share their own multiplayer maps for games, instead this has been locked out so companies can sell you one new tiny multiplayer map for call of duty and charge you 4$ a pop. Outragous.
Fifth and final is this price hike. They have the gall to do this while the world is going through a recession, when people are poorer than ever - these companies raise their prices. I don't know about you, but at these rates I can easily find more productive and enjoyable things to spend my time on which cost far less or may actually Make me money.
So there it is. The five things that have convinced me it is time to stop playing console games entirely. I'm sure there are other things in there too. Those were just the most obvious ones that came to mind while I was typing this up.
These companies need to start treating their customers right. They need to treat us with respect and realize that we are what keeps them in business. Well these sorts of things over the last few years have pushed this gamer over the line. I'm done with consoles till they change their business practices.
@zenstrata This is one of the reasons I'm jumping the console ship, and going to return to PC gaming exclusively. One of the biggest reasons is that Steam has so many cheap games that are amazing to play, and they also have deals on other great games too! On top of that, a lot of the best games are free, with micro-transactions to offset costs (I'm talking about Planetside 2, Path of Exile, etc...)
@zenstrata This is why I'm sticking withi Nintendo...They might be use quote low tech endquote equipment but at least their games are fun and cheap. That how it's suppose to be.
@zenstrata These are dark days indeed. I may never make the jump to PC for finacial reasons but as for consoles I'm satisfied with what I have.
1 Like anyone who buys a console at launch is a sucker. You should just build a kick ass gaming rig, game on that for 2 years (With better graphics than console) and then wait till the consoles go cheaper. Then you can play all the exclusive games you missed out on and they will all be cheaper by then since they are older. And of course you get the best of both worlds that way also, you cannot lose :).
@readypembroke or you could just get a pc and not bother with ps4, and then you don't have to buy another pc if it breaks because you can just replace the faulty parts yourself without even needing to touch a soldering iron. pc's last longer, play more up to date graphics and are cheaper in the long run.
@readypembroke 600 dollars yes, I guarantee ps4 will be 500 dollars. So for 100 more dollars you are getting a gaming system that will be able to play the latest games on high graphics settings for the better part of a decade, with ps4 it will be low graphics settings by the year 2018 I guarantee it. Plus I also guarantee sony will put in a technical fault, consoles are built to break so people have to buy another one after 2 or so years. Therefore you will have spent about $800 overall on your console gaming, when you could have bought a $600 dollar high end gaming rig and then wait for the price drop of ps4 to go to $300 dollars then you have only spent again only $100 more overall and since you have the best of both worlds you have a larger variety of games and better gaming experience :)
the games better have more than 12 hours of content at that price, or I will be sticking to pc gaming.
3 Like This upcoming generation is the very first one, since NES revived the market, where I'm not excited about any of it. The corporate profiteering has run far out of hand, to the detriment of consumers and any sort of enjoyable experience. Every rumor is negative. Every announcement brings new worries and fears. There is no longer any trust between the gamers and the game makers. And the games, well, today's games are pretty lame. There's hardly anything to get excited about.
I'm planning on holding off on PS4 for at least a couple years, to see how things fly, because I'm nervous as anything about how things are headed in this industry. I'm fully predicting a second great gaming crash, because everything today is about nothing but greed, just like it was during the demise of Atari. At least I have my many past consoles to keep me busy.
2 Like @AlwaysRunning I partially agree.. though I think the return of PC gaming is happening now. Kickstarter is awesome in that we can support good developers directly and bypass the bad companies that think they are entitled to our money. There's alot of great original projects going on and being released soon. Steam and the sales are great too.
@BongMonkey Yes. The Kickstarter projects are pretty nifty--from the reputable developers, at least (*looks suspiciously at Civitas*). But even with Steam, I'm having to avoid products that insist upon services which I don't want. Such as, there was an Ubisoft sale today which I won't touch, because they're all infected with uPlay. I've even had trouble with less-than-finished updates on GoG games, usually related to some kind of outdated DRM code. This is all part of the big bundle of bad mojo which is depressing me. Today's gaming scene just kind of sucks.
But like I said, I'm in the process of transferring my attention away from current matters and into the fun games of yesteryear. Put game in; it works. Ah, the joy.
3 Like I actually enjoy games more when I wait a year or two after launch to play for half price. Then I can say....glad I didn't pay $60 - $70 for this and not feel cheated because I had to be the 1st to play it.
@HipHopBeats That's what I sort of do, I only buy games that are like $40 or less like AC 3 was on Black friday.
3 Like @HipHopBeats patient men get further in life than impatient ones, I like your style.
2 Like I'll continue getting my AAA titles for $30 three months after release through Steam and GMG, thanks.
I hated gears of war 3, buy the game and only get about half of it. Unless you shell out another 35 for a season pass. Then spend another 20 bucks or so for extra skins and crap from the Microsoft store. Holy cow it was crap.
1 Like People, PC + (Steam + Promotion Sales) = Better, rich and cheaper gaming experience in a long run.
So...
Why BOTHER?
Good thing I'm not a die hard console gamer like I once was. Where I had to get the new consoles as soon as they came out. IMO the 360 and Ps4 is still sufficient. This upgrade is just a money grab. The upgrade is not bringing as much as in the past. This move is more of "it's about about time", than it's needed. Now the games are rumored to be 70 bucks. I'm no analyst, but I don't think the response is going to be as frenzied as in the past. The late 70s and early 80 babies are older. And now with the move to mobile gaming, its going to be a tough sale.
3 Like I hate to sound like a radical, but I feel like I just have to say something. This guy's statement could be true, or it could be absolute nonsense perpetuated with little to no evidence, but remember - you are all in control of this market. Sony and Microsoft quickly forget that, and after observing and analyzing the modern mindset and behavior regarding technology, they have little reason from a business perspective to respect or concern themselves with the satisfaction of the consumer - us. We complain about their business models and ethics, we fall victim to their crappy half assed marketing campaigns and hollow promises, and we are continually left wanting more with zero satisfaction from the previous experience they provided. I'm talking about baiting and switching. Perverse ass grabs at total industry control. Shallow and unfulfilling games with multimillion dollar advertising campaigns. Ladies and gentlemen - this absolutely needs to stop. The sooner, the better. See, it's like this: these companies need to be held accountable.
They keep pushing down our throats the idea that "video games have matured" and "we want to focus on emotional and heart wrenching stories and experiences". It still hasn't happened, or at least not because of this newly embraced push of the industry, which translates (surprise) into "with an industry that is growing at such an explosive rate, we need to secure the finances of mature adult consumers." I know this sounds obvious, but people miss the marketing standpoint on this move by developers. The industry icons keep saying that "video games have matured", but they haven't. It is the consumers that have matured, or more so the consumer base has become saturated with more discerning buyers as it has inevitably grown, and with that comes new struggles for the industry to maintain its numbers. This means, in short, that the video game industry is not changing, but the people pumping money into it sure are - and that makes the industry wholly dependent on it's consumers, as it's always been, and whats scary to developers is that it's becoming increasingly difficult to tell us what the "now thing" is. They can't. The people with the money can only tell you where it's going. After all, it's their (your) money!
The sad thing is that people have largely lost touch with this power. We have the power to shape gaming into whatever we want it to be, because it's ALL FOR US. All we need to do is draw a line in the sand. We are watching the evolution of the industry, and right now, it's not being directed by us. The game developers are simply telling us what they think we want to hear based off some half baked theory by marketing analysts. We can explicitly tell them what we as consumers want, but the guys upstairs have been long spoiled by lack of boycotting or backlash from their precious consumers. As consumers, we get a bad rap for buying things (i.e. consumerism). But don't forget, in making these purchases we shape the culture and economy we live with. So in actuality, as consumers we're kind of like knights that have the heavy burden and obligation of buying or not buying in the face of adversity. Should you boycott a company (I know, when was the last time you heard someone mention boycotting? No wonder this business is way too comfortable taking our money) you are neglecting to purchase goods and services that further the influence of some corrupt or otherwise questionable producer. This is a responsibility that falls on adults in a world run by commercials. The best part is, this practice is easy as can be. You don't even have to leave your home to do this. No occupy BS, no life changing alterations, just a little restraint shown for the greater good: regaining our voice as consumers.
Again, hold these companies accountable. Praise them for the good, and give them your business. When they do wrong, take notice and make it known to them how we feel. If they listen, forgive them. If not, don't buy their product, and note the impact, good or bad, it has made. If we exercise common sense and come to expect decency from an industry that runs solely on our money, we will surely reap the rewards, as will companies who listen to their consumers to satisfy them. Regain control of your money and control of an industry you love. Quickly companies and developers will see what succeeds and what doesn't, and you better believe they'll want your business. Alternatively, we can become jaded and frustrated and watch the industry crash, which I believe it will. It wouldn't be the first time - that's right guys, it's happened before. Ever hear of the video game crash of 1983? Google it. We've fought this fight before and won, but with devastating consequences.
Bottom line, you can either be in control, or be in pushed around. Like all things, videogames is a business - but in no way does that have to be a bad thing. I simply wish that the consumers and the producers would take hold of this before the industry runs into irreparable damage and once again must resort to slash and burn tactics to rebuild itself. Put the heat on the developers. Either we get what we want, or they don't get our money. I'm not looking for a handout, just a fair trade run by it's lifeblood.
@SpacePirate6 TLDR version - if the greedy tactics of the gaming industry pisses you off, shut up and speak your wallet.
lol i read the first paragraph then scrolled and was like oh no i dont care to know what else he said..
David Jaffe believes next Xbox, PS4, and Wii U will be final wave of new consoles, predicts streaming options bundled with TV sets as future.
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