There was a Yahoo Videogames article about how video game sales were suffering during the recession/depression. I simply said, well, if Microsoft and Sony would stop charging $60.00 for a new game printed on a piece of plastic, maybe sales would go up. I see computer games selling for much less than the same Xbox versions, what's up with that?
I asked this question a bunch of people started saying, Oh, there are developer costs, royalties, programmer costs, blah blah blah, all the same excuses I've heard for years. Fact is, that's probably a SMALL percentage of the fixed costs, and the royalties are probably legalized extortion anyways. These companies make an enormous profit, and the typical excuses follow the same ones the oil companies give. Yet, why do they make huge profits? That shouldn't be happening if what they say is true.
It's sad that people in America are being taught to be good consumers and not question unfair pricing practices. I see a lot of people my age and younger who have the attitude that business is about charging whatever you can get away with. WTF?
It is really true that greed is destroying America, and that people are too stupid to see how it's happening. I think a lot of the problem lies with easy credit, and it should be fun to see this recession get worse as more people default on their credit card loans.
We have to change, no joke!
Why do Americans brainwashed to believe the business world is perfect?
You asked and answered a wonderfully thought out question.
In short, Americans are brainwashed TO BECOME better consumers and not question unfair pricing.
I strongly recommend watching both Zeitgeist movies, but the second one, Zeitgeist: Addendum is better.
They will answer your question even better than you did.
To add, just notice all those answers above me that seem to value profits over people. They call it Conservatism, but really, it's just evil.
Why do Americans brainwashed to believe the business world is perfect?
Business is about charging what the market will pay. If Sony and M$ get tired of the losses, they will lower their prices. Until then, buck up if you want a game!
Last time I checked, America was still the land of the free.
You are proposing a communistic economy it seems. Would you be interested to know that ALL the world's Nobel Prize winning economists promote capitalism? The USSR failed and even China uses a form of totalitarian capitalism these days.
Government controlled economies don't seem to work very well.
If you think the price is too high then don't pay it.
I wish I had the same option with government spending.
Business world is not perfect, it is just much better than Government. If Sony is still selling any video games for $60 a pop then people are not as hungry as the talking heads on TV would have you believe. Think about it, some people can feed their family for two weeks on that and kids are spending it on %26quot;pieces of plastic%26quot;.
Dave
Why do people from other countries feel it necessary to criticize the most prosperous nation of earth, as if THEY have the answer. If all you foreigners know so much, how come your country isn't on par with the USA, economically??
As to your question, it's called supply and demand. Yes, a company will charge as much as they can 'get away with', or, in other words, as much as people are willing to pay. When the price becomes too high ans sales drop off, they will lower their prices to become more profitable. Before criticizing Americans, maybe you should take an economics class?
You are incorrect. We know that the 'business world' is not perfect. But it is our best bet.
Our capitalism has driven us to greatness. And it will continue to do so.
The profit motive is very powerful. The 'what's in it for me' attitude is what drives nearly everybody on this planet to do what ever it is they do.
If you had a job that you knew would only allow you to break even, you would look for a better job in a very short time. Breaking even will never allow you to rise above, or improve your situation.
you have just begun to open your eyes to visualize the truth. America is a country that was based upon freedom. Know its just a greedy, evil, Destructive country that looks to make trillions of dollars more that's right trillion either from: the war on %26quot;terror%26quot; which im sure you already know is just a bogus war to obtain the oil pipe lines in the middle east which is actually more then 60% of the worlds oil supply, to their dumb bankers who gave out millions of those loans to people who couldn't obviously pay it back, to even the use of credit cards are getting out of hand to a point that cash is no longer recognized as currency, credit is know the most popular way of paying or receiving your money, not to mention the fact that credit cards start off at a outrageous interest fee. And to even the stock market which by the way not sure if you know this but is control ed by high bankers who actually say when to make the banks do well and make everyone doing well, to actually making the market drop to the floor like whats happening know while their own money is safely secured away. in conclusion to answer your question america has always been ran by greed and evilness, and the citizens don't realize it either because of the mass entertainment that is being delivered every day to them, which is why they pay those outrageous price like electronics and so on without questioning the prices.
It is greed on the part of the seller preventing too many from buying a product, driving up its price. It is greed on the part of the buyer preventing them from buying overpriced games, forcing the prices down.
The truth is, people were willing to pay 60 for a game so there is no reason to reduce game prices. As soon as they stop buying games, the price will drop.
The best bet to find the balance is left to the seller and the buyer. %26quot;greed%26quot; really, is neutralized, everyone wants to keep more of their money and not over spend, everyone working to produce a good or service want to make as much as they can.
If you have a lemonade stand, who am I to try to calculate what selling cost would make you %26quot;greedy%26quot;, the buyer of your lemonade should determine that with their buying habits which are determined by their own greed.
Me forcing you to sell lemonade at a set price that you oppose, is like you forcing me to work for a set price that I oppose.
Competition can and will arise, so long as government regulation does not prevent it. If people were truly upset with game prices, and game research, development, advertising, production, and distribution had such a great profit margin, competition would arise due to 'greed' or the chance to make money and take sales away from nintendo, microsoft, and sony.
See, if our military could be 2x as good at half the cost, too bad, its government run. But if xbox games cost too much to the point of preventing sales, a company can arise in attempt to take part of that market.
Yes, people should question prices. They must also be willing to let their 'greed' prevent them from voluntary purchases they feel are overpriced.....Doing otherwise is self destructive.
Business is not perfect, but it is much more perfect than government, or involuntary institutions who rely on force and violence and theft (taxation), and ineffectiveness (to increase the next budget) to exist.
If you want a business not to make a profit, you do not buy their products and services.
DTG
