Average XBLA Title Now 100% More Expensive
Prices ‘slowly rising’, says Microsoft. The reality: a great deal more shocking…
Live Arcade portfolio head Chris Charla has reportedly admitted the cost of titles within the Live Arcade bracket is rising steadily, noting his pleasure at the fact a digital market can sustain prices that don’t end in .69 or .99. Looking through the figures today though, we’ve discovered a roughly 100 per cent price rise of the average XBLA title, since the 360′s launch in 2005. Take a look at the below chart for instance, which shows the average price of each year’s releases (in Microsoft Points).
The obvious trend is upwards, from the 488 MS points an XBLA title would have set you back on average in 2006, to the 960 Points it does now. What’s more, taking the price point of every title released for the service into account, we find the average price hike, year-on-year, has remained above any measure of inflation on record. Illustrated, handily, by this second chart, plotting the price increase (by percentage) between each individual year.
We’re not sure what that proves, by the way – it just looked interesting to us. And, of course, the quality of available releases has jumped almost beyond all recognition, from ancient arcade ROMs thrown out with a HD border to epic adventures on the scale of Limbo or Ms ‘Splosion Man. Still, the overall point, though, remains clear: Live Arcade prices are rising, and by a hugely significant figure, rather than by a trickle. Stay tuned to 360 Magazine for further truth.
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Somebody needs to learn how percentages work. You say a 50% average increase since 2005 when the average was 488 to now when the average is 960. A 50% increase over 488 would be 732, not 960. 960 is much closer to a 100% increase (which would be 976).
You did your math backwards.
You’re quite correct, thank you. Fixed, and even more interesting…
HAHA so what. Have you noticed the games are far better then they used to be. They are now allowed to be bigger(more MB), there are more devs making games worth 10 or 15. Games used to be garbage nes ports for 5$. Even now theres just more 10$ ports of DC/ps1/n64 games vs 5$ nes like ports, and more original games that are worth 10/15$.
The best, and of most value, games Ive bought online this gen have been $10-15 and not crappy ports. Such as Dead nation, Bastion, limbo, torchlight(on steam) and my favorite DL game Shadow Complex. The worst game I bought for DL was in the early days, it was the crappy port of the arcade version(I think) of double dragon on the arcade for GUESS WHAT, $5. Funny thing is that even at $5 it is still, BY FAR, the worst value Ive gotten from a DL title.
Also these games now drop in price and have different sales every week. They were selling limbo, castle crashers, shadow complex and trials HD and others for half off not long ago, and steam has deals all the time. Not all the 10-15 games are great, but there are ones that give more value than 15$ games need to.
If your too cheap to support small devs making amazing 10-$15 GAMES then shut up and pay 5 for crappy NES ports and $60 for the next modern war FPS.
I’m with SoliDuS here (though not quite as angry as him); the rising quality of the games definitely speak for themselves. Simple.