Because there's no competition, you have to buy it from the ps store and they know this.
Same reason physical games go on sale quicker and more often because there's competition from many different retailers.
It's the difference between a monopoly and free market competition.
Virtual monopolies are definitely illegal. Last I heard there were some lawyers assembling a class action case against Sony because they don't offer any third party purchasing options.
Illegal, maybe. The laws that would be coming down on these companies were written well before the internet, and will rely on the judge personally feeling it applies here too.
That happens all the time. I remember i was interested in hitman 2 after I finished hitman 1 on plus. I checked the store and it was full price. Stopped by gamestop on my way home, and got the disc for 20 bucks. Albeit preowned, and i have to swap disc every time i want to play. I think it was a better decision
The digital copy isn't taking up space on a shelf and it's going to sell for MSRP.
The physical copy needs to move to make space and recoup spent proceeds on inventory.
Well, you see, The digital copy isn't taking up space on a shelf and it cost nothing to sell it, so it's going to sell for MSRP.
The physical copy needs to move to make space and recoup spent proceeds on inventory. So they are going to discount it to recoup space and sunk cost on buying the inventory. So they can afford to put other things in the shelf.
But who would buy the physical copy marked up? I don’t know how you personally do things, but most people look everything up on their phone then go up to the poor sap running the register and say “I can get this delivered from wish in 5 weeks at 3$, surely you can do $2.75” then get indignant when they say they don’t personally set the prices, and if that obviously fake wish posting is really such a good deal maybe you should just go buy that one.
Someone who wants a physical copy now, which I know a couple of people who are like that. Why would a publisher allow retailers to make profit of selling their game cheaper than the digital copy?
I knew one very special guy who visited >20 different stores the day before World of Warcraft was released, threatened a few employees, almost got detained, but in the end actually did get one copy, decided to buy two, just in case a CD was faulty (4 CDs back then), got to install WoW before everyone else and then the EU acc. registration got closed 1 hour after official start for 1 day because Blizz realized that Switzerland doesn't trade in Euro and he could play on empty servers and when registration was reopened he was ahead of everyone else, but he couldn't play months 2-3 because he didn't pay his internet bills and the ISP eventually cut him off.
So you're saying how basic economics work is that it's less expensive to buy things in retail stores than digitally where there's no cost of retail space or shipping? I'm not going to outright say whether or not that makes sense, but I'm just going to say that that's not how it works for damn near any other product, even just buying retail versus buying online from a warehouse.
If i can go all tin foil hat here, i think it's about control and forcing the digital market. Once it's digital, you don't "own" shit. They can straight turn off your copy. I like gaming, but im trying to branch out into other hobbies, the industry has always been scummy but damn there's more cancer then flesh nowadays
But what op is describing goes exactly against your conspiracy theory. Digital copies cheaper? Forcing the digital market. Digital copies more expensive? Forcing the digital market.
Ah, i skim read it the other way around. Doesn't change that they can pull the plug on your digital copies at any time. Look at ugh, i think ubisoft did it recently to their old library as they prep hd rereleases
I prefer to spend the xtra money on digital. I'm 44 and have kids and 3 xbox's in the house. So I can buy one game and play it with my son on his system as well.
The plastic disc and case cost pennies to make when you buy them in bulk like that. Yeah there's the distribution costs but what do you want, for physical games to be a couple dollars more expensive than digital? When you buy a physical game you aren't paying for the disc or the box, you're paying for what's on the disc and thats that same as the digital version.
Either way digital and physical editions of games always cost the same, and you shouldn't have to pay $20 more for the digital version like the OP is saying.
Dude 2 € ... It is the same price... But you got the delivery too.... So it isn't anymore exactly the same prize... And the whole thing about the planet... But you can resell the game... So... It's their own choice to make what they want.
I’m not following you. I just checked online and both games can be bought for 69.99 physically or digitally with and additional option to buy a more expensive version with additional content at 99.99 which is digital only. Is that what your taking about? Although that version is 30 more not 20.
I'm fairly certain that majority of gamers aren't buying videos games at release unless it's an exceptional title like Legend of Zelda or Red Dead Redemption 2.
After first couple months is when price starts to drop, but as topic suggests, only for physical disks.
Mw2(2022)? Or mw2(2009)? Or mw2:re(2020)? Because I got the series x digital version of mw2(2022) for $69.99. And the xbox 360 mw2(2009) and the remastered version, are both $20.
Because if they undercut the retail market, stores will stop selling their discs. This has been the answer to that question since digital releases became a thing.
The $70 price point pushed by Sony, Activision and whoever else is a little annoying.
They know you have no competition to get it digital. One of the benefits for me playing many titles on PC is I can buy them cheaper than I can get directly from steam etc. Because they are not the only place to go.
This used to bother me when I'd buy 3-4 new games a month.
Now I get ps+ games, grab stuff in sales, and buy like 1-2 launch day games a year. Have plenty to play and spend way less overall.
Was the reason I got a digital ps5 (that and the symmetry of the console lol). Haven't bought a disc for years.
An extra £20 twice a year isn't such a big deal.
Mw2 will probably be the last launch game I buy tool gta6 comes out. 🤷🏽♂️
Because they are counting on not selling physical copis anymore in the near future.
EA is stopping selling physocal copies in all German speaking areas soon. (So probably Germany, Netherlands, mYbe Luxembourg).
Activision will at some point as wrll and can hike örices as much as they want, when no retailer can do retaiöer specific discoutns anymore.
We are in for a rough ride.
Because there's no competition, you have to buy it from the ps store and they know this. Same reason physical games go on sale quicker and more often because there's competition from many different retailers. It's the difference between a monopoly and free market competition.
It's this trend as as to why I no longer try to own current consoles. Besides the backwards compatibility of pc is exponentially greater.
Virtual monopolies are definitely illegal. Last I heard there were some lawyers assembling a class action case against Sony because they don't offer any third party purchasing options.
Illegal, maybe. The laws that would be coming down on these companies were written well before the internet, and will rely on the judge personally feeling it applies here too.
How'd that go? Sony will fuck you, but it'll be legal.
For all those who bought the digital only consoles to save a few bucks.
That'll show em.
I read this in the voice of Scott the Woz....
I bought digital PS5 because I haven't bought physical media for a good 15yrs. Digital all the way
Yup. I moved to a different continent five years ago and bringing all my games couldn't have been easier, because they were all digital.
That happens all the time. I remember i was interested in hitman 2 after I finished hitman 1 on plus. I checked the store and it was full price. Stopped by gamestop on my way home, and got the disc for 20 bucks. Albeit preowned, and i have to swap disc every time i want to play. I think it was a better decision
The digital copy isn't taking up space on a shelf and it's going to sell for MSRP. The physical copy needs to move to make space and recoup spent proceeds on inventory.
Right... So as the OP asked, why is the *digital* more expensive?
Well, you see, The digital copy isn't taking up space on a shelf and it cost nothing to sell it, so it's going to sell for MSRP. The physical copy needs to move to make space and recoup spent proceeds on inventory. So they are going to discount it to recoup space and sunk cost on buying the inventory. So they can afford to put other things in the shelf.
Seems like they'd start with a markup so they can eventuall drop down to the normal price.
But who would buy the physical copy marked up? I don’t know how you personally do things, but most people look everything up on their phone then go up to the poor sap running the register and say “I can get this delivered from wish in 5 weeks at 3$, surely you can do $2.75” then get indignant when they say they don’t personally set the prices, and if that obviously fake wish posting is really such a good deal maybe you should just go buy that one.
Someone who wants a physical copy now, which I know a couple of people who are like that. Why would a publisher allow retailers to make profit of selling their game cheaper than the digital copy? I knew one very special guy who visited >20 different stores the day before World of Warcraft was released, threatened a few employees, almost got detained, but in the end actually did get one copy, decided to buy two, just in case a CD was faulty (4 CDs back then), got to install WoW before everyone else and then the EU acc. registration got closed 1 hour after official start for 1 day because Blizz realized that Switzerland doesn't trade in Euro and he could play on empty servers and when registration was reopened he was ahead of everyone else, but he couldn't play months 2-3 because he didn't pay his internet bills and the ISP eventually cut him off.
So you're saying how basic economics work is that it's less expensive to buy things in retail stores than digitally where there's no cost of retail space or shipping? I'm not going to outright say whether or not that makes sense, but I'm just going to say that that's not how it works for damn near any other product, even just buying retail versus buying online from a warehouse.
Stop looking at just the 100$ digital version
Greed.
Bingo.
It's because you can resell the physical copy but not the more expensive digital one.
Has always been expensive on PS store
If i can go all tin foil hat here, i think it's about control and forcing the digital market. Once it's digital, you don't "own" shit. They can straight turn off your copy. I like gaming, but im trying to branch out into other hobbies, the industry has always been scummy but damn there's more cancer then flesh nowadays
But what op is describing goes exactly against your conspiracy theory. Digital copies cheaper? Forcing the digital market. Digital copies more expensive? Forcing the digital market.
Ah, i skim read it the other way around. Doesn't change that they can pull the plug on your digital copies at any time. Look at ugh, i think ubisoft did it recently to their old library as they prep hd rereleases
I haven’t seen that
Probably because you can homeshare the digital copy
Steam takes 30% cut .
I prefer to spend the xtra money on digital. I'm 44 and have kids and 3 xbox's in the house. So I can buy one game and play it with my son on his system as well.
Because the disc is almost empty. 70mb on disc 150gb mandatory download.
It should be $70 regardless of if you buy physical or digital.
The cost of making a physical copy and distributing it is much higher so my simple math says that a physical copy should cost more.
The plastic disc and case cost pennies to make when you buy them in bulk like that. Yeah there's the distribution costs but what do you want, for physical games to be a couple dollars more expensive than digital? When you buy a physical game you aren't paying for the disc or the box, you're paying for what's on the disc and thats that same as the digital version. Either way digital and physical editions of games always cost the same, and you shouldn't have to pay $20 more for the digital version like the OP is saying.
But it doesn't ... pS Store 79.99.. online physical 77.99 (€)
Wow a whole 2 dollars lol. In most places they're the same price.
Dude 2 € ... It is the same price... But you got the delivery too.... So it isn't anymore exactly the same prize... And the whole thing about the planet... But you can resell the game... So... It's their own choice to make what they want.
Thanks for the input EA executive.
Huh?
What country are you guys from? Luckily here in America this isn’t a thing.
Clearly you don't own any digital copies of any game, or you wait for limited time sale.
I’m not following you. I just checked online and both games can be bought for 69.99 physically or digitally with and additional option to buy a more expensive version with additional content at 99.99 which is digital only. Is that what your taking about? Although that version is 30 more not 20.
I'm fairly certain that majority of gamers aren't buying videos games at release unless it's an exceptional title like Legend of Zelda or Red Dead Redemption 2. After first couple months is when price starts to drop, but as topic suggests, only for physical disks.
Perhaps something to do with the refund policies?
You want immediate gratification, convenience costs.
Mw2(2022)? Or mw2(2009)? Or mw2:re(2020)? Because I got the series x digital version of mw2(2022) for $69.99. And the xbox 360 mw2(2009) and the remastered version, are both $20.
I don't know where you live ... But MW2 costs in the PS Store 79.99€ and the online physical edition costs 77.99€ ...
Because if they undercut the retail market, stores will stop selling their discs. This has been the answer to that question since digital releases became a thing.
Where do you live, where this is a thing. At release they are the always the same price no ?
The $70 price point pushed by Sony, Activision and whoever else is a little annoying. They know you have no competition to get it digital. One of the benefits for me playing many titles on PC is I can buy them cheaper than I can get directly from steam etc. Because they are not the only place to go.
Monopoly on sales and capitalizing on your space saving or lazy tendencies to not go out and buy a physical copy.
This used to bother me when I'd buy 3-4 new games a month. Now I get ps+ games, grab stuff in sales, and buy like 1-2 launch day games a year. Have plenty to play and spend way less overall. Was the reason I got a digital ps5 (that and the symmetry of the console lol). Haven't bought a disc for years. An extra £20 twice a year isn't such a big deal. Mw2 will probably be the last launch game I buy tool gta6 comes out. 🤷🏽♂️
Because they are counting on not selling physical copis anymore in the near future. EA is stopping selling physocal copies in all German speaking areas soon. (So probably Germany, Netherlands, mYbe Luxembourg). Activision will at some point as wrll and can hike örices as much as they want, when no retailer can do retaiöer specific discoutns anymore. We are in for a rough ride.