quote:

---

> http://www.gamespot.com/news/2005/0...ws_6117086.html
> Probst: Next-gen games will cost more
>
> EA CEO says while strong demand supports current top-tier pricing, games for
> new handhelds and next-generation systems will be priced higher.
> If Electronic Arts CEO Larry Probst and CFO Warren Jenson have a crystal
> ball, they aren't telling analysts where they keep it. Ball or no ball, the
> pair freely prognosticated in today's earnings call, held shortly after the
> US markets closed.
>
>
>
> A couple of interesting comments flowed from the two gentlemen today on the
> longevity of top-tier titles' $50 price tags (they're not going away),
> premium pricing for PSP software (start rubbing those 20s together), and
> even higher prices for next-generation games.
>
> As is typical with earnings calls, the presenters started out with one
> theory, but when pressed, they ended with others. For instance, Probst
> prepped listeners for good news by saying prices are coming down. "Overall
> pricing will trend downward over time," he said. "It's just going to
> happen."
>
> But Probst's mantra of lower prices began to falter when pressed by
> additional analyst questions. "My comment would be that premium products
> will continue to command premium prices, so I would not expect a huge
> difference [in prices for calendar year '05]," said Probst, shifting
> slightly from his earlier comments. "If you take a look at the average
> selling price in the top 20 in calendar '05, compared to what it was in
> calendar '04.in fact, if you trend it over the last three or four
> years...that average selling price in the top 20 has been somewhere between
> $45 and $50. I would not expect a huge variance from that in '05."
>
> But when the subject turned to pricing for next-gen console games, Probst
> acknowledged price hikes are likely. "It would not surprise me to see
> selected titles carry a higher price point on new-generation consoles, at
> least initially." (Emphasis added.)
>
> On the topic of next-gen consoles, Probst was hopeful Microsoft would not
> cease production of the current Xbox console as it ramps up to manufacture
> Xbox 2 consoles, as some have speculated. He also made some modest
> predictions for who would be first to market with its new platform, Sony or
> Microsoft.
>
> "I would not expect Sony to have a head start on the next generation of
> hardware console systems," Probst said. In fact, Probst laid out a scenario
> whereby the PlayStation 3 might not make it stateside until late 2006. "[It]
> remains to be seen whether there will be new console launches from either
> Microsoft or Sony [in calendar year '05], and [it's] probably impossible to
> predict whether it's early or late '06 for [the] PlayStation 3. It might
> turn out that [the] PlayStation 3 is launched earlier in Japan than it is in
> North America and Europe."
>
> Overall, the execs were mum on specifics regarding the launches of Sony and
> Microsoft's new consoles. "With regard to when those systems are going to
> launch, you will have to speak with them," Probst said, but overall, Probst
> expects a much tighter race between the two leading console makers."With
> regard to market share, I would predict that the two companies are closer in
> market share than they were in this cycle." He did not make any mention of
> Nintendo's next-generation console, code-named "Revolution."
>
> By Curt Feldman -- GameSpot
> POSTED: 01/25/05 05:12 PM PST
>
>
>

quote:

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> How interesting that an EA exec is talking about game prices on the next
> generation of consoles. It's almost like they're planning to use their
> monopoly/power to gouge prices. Anti-trust time, methinks.

quote:

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> NEXT BOX wrote:
>
> How interesting that an EA exec is talking about game prices on the next
> generation of consoles. It's almost like they're planning to use their
> monopoly/power to gouge prices. Anti-trust time, methinks.

quote:

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> But the price goes up for just about everything we buy over time. We can't
> expect games to be priced at $49.99 forever.
>
> RnR Lesnar
>
>
> "Killah Gorillah" <th@t.XXXXX> wrote in message
> news:10veii0m0sqbmdd@corp.supernews.com...
>
>

quote:

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> That's right. Those darn calculators are still so expensive, aren't they?
>
> And $40 for a box of 1.44 inch floppies is still insane.
> But I guess, over time, we have to expect that.
>
>
> "RnR Lesnar" <rnrnospamcartman@hotmail.com> wrote in message
> news:ct8e37$gil$1@news.datasync.com...
>
>

quote:

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>Of 100
>List Price - $66.50
>Our Price - $29.99
>
>I just bought a spindle of 50 DVD-R's for $29.99... Hmmm... 144 MB at
>$0.208 per MB or 235 GB for $0.127 per GB? Decisions, decisions...
>
>Think about it... how many moving parts does a CD or DVD have?
>Mechanical media is just more expensive to make than non mechanical
>media. Ditto for video tapes.
>
>- Jordan