Earlier this week I picked up Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction for $29.99 from the local Best Buy. I had been waiting for this one to hit Greatest Hits status for a long time, and it is finally here. I actually scored the only copy in the store, sans the Greatest Hits label. Over the weekend I noticed that the local big box had several copies, also without the Greatest Hits label, but Toys R Us did not have any copies on the shelf. I guess that the Greatest Hits shipments have not started flowing in the Columbus market yet.
I had a blast with the R&C ToD demo; played it many times, but there is only so much you can do with a demo. I always knew that I would enjoy the game, but the discriminating gamer in me has turned into more or less a tight ass in my elder gaming years. These days I rarely throw down $60 on the table for a brand spanking new game. In the case of R&C ToD, I figured I could wait.
I looked at several stores for a discounted version of FIFA 2009 for the PS3, or maybe even the PSP, but the best I could find was $49.99 (PS3) and $29.99 (PSP). I want a soccer game, but unless I can find one discounted (maybe on eBay) I am just going to hold out for the October release of FIFA 10. I can see myself ending up with the PS3 version and maybe the digital version for the PSP Go (assuming I have a Go), but that brings me back to the “digital downloads will not allow me to sell on eBay” issue, so I need to consider this a littler further.
I found a surprise deal at Toys R Us – LEGO Batman (PS3) for $19.99, but I showed some restraint and did not pull the trigger on a purchase because I just picked up R&C ToD. Of course I keep thinking that I should get it for that price, and my wife agrees (have to love that lady!). I am going to spend some time checking out the reviews and then decide if I need to make a Sunday afternoon trip back to Toys R Us. The metacritic scores average 75%, which puts it squarely in that realm of “it is probably just Ok” so not really worth $20 unless I have nothing else to play, although it support PSP Remote Play, which may put it over the top. Toys R Us also had the PSP version for $19.99, but I will pass on that one for now.
I think last year, I got NHL and FIFA in the Toys R Us buy 2, get 1 free sale.
Or maybe not, maybe FIFA came out in October which was after the sale.
Yeah it’s surprising FIFA is still $50.
One thing I noticed though is that there are more online games to be found in FIFA than NHL.
I think most Americans get NHL for X360 while for FIFA, PS3 version sees relatively higher sales in Europe. Either higher proportion or maybe even outright higher sales because Sony sponsors the CL (and the Euros) and also Sony brand still has some draw in continental Europe.
I am sure the sales/marketing types must know what they are doing, but I think once you start showing media, interviews, etc, for the new release, you should start discounting the “current” year’s game. $10 is not that much of a discount.
When you are within 4 months of a release, I would expect to see the “current” version at retail for $29.99 or less. Seems like they would sale more copies; get them off the shelf. Then again, maybe the publishers have to “protect” the new version by not diluting the marketplace with cheap versions of last year’s game when the new one is on the way.
By now, those that were going to buy the title have already purchased it … except for me!