No, as Activision proved with CoD:MW2 the publisher controls the price of the game in most situations. They choose to sell it at the same price because everyone else is so people are more likely to buy it. But Activision with MW2 bumped the price up $10.00 USD when it released for the PC. Now some others like Ubisoft and EA might fallow suit and start charging $60 for PC games even though in the past they were $50 ($10 USD less than consoles).
Anyhow, on the issue of piracy of the Beta. If VALVe did not expressly give you permission to download the beta by their website then it constitutes theft. Which VALVe can prosecute you on and have you thrown in jail. Simply because you found a loop hole in their system that allows you to download the game does not give you the right to use it. Its like stealing a bike from the front of a bike shop and saying, "Well, they didn't have it locked down so its mine now." On Fri, May 14, 2010 at 2:28 PM, Alec Sanger <[email protected]> wrote: > > You know why it seems to be fixed? Because it's been determined that that is > the price which sees the most return. > > Or maybe you're right. Maybe someone just picked an arbitrary number and made > it the standard for all games. > > Thank you, > Alec Sanger > > > >> From: [email protected] >> To: [email protected] >> Date: Fri, 14 May 2010 13:22:08 -0600 >> Subject: Re: [hlds] COUNTER-STRIKE: SOURCE BETA >> >> Analysts? Really? You can' be serious. Retail prices for new games whether >> console or pc are the same no matter who the publisher/devloper is. You >> can almost go as far as saying it's price fixing at it's best. >> >> >> >> >> -----Original Message----- >> From: [email protected] >> [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Alec Sanger >> Sent: Friday, May 14, 2010 1:18 PM >> To: [email protected] >> Subject: Re: [hlds] COUNTER-STRIKE: SOURCE BETA >> >> >> Since you've put no lower bounds on your theory, are you asserting that >> valve would make more money by selling their games for $0.05 rather than >> $30? You have to realize that there are analysts hired to determine the most >> appropriate price point based on current and past trends. I would certainly >> trust their judgment over yours. While I would love valve games for as >> little money as possible, it's not always in their best interest to reduce >> the price. >> >> Why are we even talking about this on the HLDS mailing list? >> >> Thank you, >> Alec Sanger >> >> >> >> > Date: Fri, 14 May 2010 15:09:09 -0400 >> > From: [email protected] >> > To: [email protected] >> > Subject: Re: [hlds] COUNTER-STRIKE: SOURCE BETA >> > >> > Just to add my quick $0.02 since most people don't understand. >> > >> > "And if it does make a sale more likely, does giving the game out for >> > less money help Valve?" >> > >> > ABSOLUTELY! Thinking otherwise leads you to the way of Adobe with CS. >> > >> > You're going to get more people to buy the game at $35 than you are at >> > $50. You'll easily get enough extra sales to make more money selling >> > more copies than you would by selling it to less people at $50/ea. >> > >> > Simple economics, yet most people and business owners don't understand. >> > It's not like Valve has to spend extra money for each extra copy of the >> > game sold...they aren't selling physical copies, it's all digital, and >> > they already have the infrastructure in place to handle the downloads. >> > >> > -Michael >> > >> > ------ Original Message ------- >> > Subject: Re: [hlds] COUNTER-STRIKE: SOURCE BETA >> > From: Ed Kellett <[email protected]> >> > To: Half-Life dedicated Win32 server mailing list >> > <[email protected]> >> > Date: 5/14/2010 2:51 PM EST >> > > Piracy is not defined by your moral outlook on the situation, the CS:S >> beta >> > > is copyright Valve and to download it (from their servers or otherwise) >> > > without their permission is illegal. Whether or not illegal downloading >> > > "hardly hurts Valve" is for Valve to decide, as is who they want to have >> > > access to it. The Subscriber Agreement gives them the right to ban >> anyone >> > > they like from Steam in any case. >> > > >> > > How can an "increase in anticipation" arise from more people already >> having >> > > the game anyway? And if it does make a sale more likely, does giving the >> > > game out for less money help Valve? >> > > >> > > ----- Original Message ----- >> > > From: "Max S"<[email protected]> >> > > To: "Half-Life dedicated Win32 server mailing list" >> > > <[email protected]> >> > > Sent: Friday, May 14, 2010 7:11 PM >> > > Subject: Re: [hlds] COUNTER-STRIKE: SOURCE BETA >> > > >> > > >> > > >> > >> If it were a paid DLC and none of the public had access, then yes, it >> > >> would >> > >> be piracy. You can only play on Beta servers if you've purchased a >> license >> > >> of CS:S, thousands have already downloaded the client and posted videos >> > >> online, and legitimate copies of the game will be updated next week. No >> > >> core >> > >> gameplay elements have been changed/added, and an increase in >> anticipation >> > >> hardly hurts Valve (and increases the probability of a week(end) sale >> to >> > >> celebrate the update). >> > >> >> > >> On Fri, May 14, 2010 at 4:06 AM, ics<[email protected]> wrote: >> > >> >> > >> >> > >>> Well it's like a copy of a game you do not own. Technically piracy, >> > >>> since it's unreleased. >> > >>> >> > >>> -ics >> > >>> >> > > >> > > _______________________________________________ >> > > To unsubscribe, edit your list preferences, or view the list archives, >> please visit: >> > > http://list.valvesoftware.com/mailman/listinfo/hlds >> > > >> > > >> > >> > _______________________________________________ >> > To unsubscribe, edit your list preferences, or view the list archives, >> please visit: >> > http://list.valvesoftware.com/mailman/listinfo/hlds >> >> _________________________________________________________________ >> Hotmail has tools for the New Busy. Search, chat and e-mail from your inbox. >> http://www.windowslive.com/campaign/thenewbusy?ocid=PID28326::T:WLMTAGL:ON:W >> L:en-US:WM_HMP:042010_1 >> _______________________________________________ >> To unsubscribe, edit your list preferences, or view the list archives, >> please visit: >> http://list.valvesoftware.com/mailman/listinfo/hlds >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> To unsubscribe, edit your list preferences, or view the list archives, >> please visit: >> http://list.valvesoftware.com/mailman/listinfo/hlds > > _________________________________________________________________ > The New Busy think 9 to 5 is a cute idea. Combine multiple calendars with > Hotmail. > http://www.windowslive.com/campaign/thenewbusy?tile=multicalendar&ocid=PID28326::T:WLMTAGL:ON:WL:en-US:WM_HMP:042010_5 > _______________________________________________ > To unsubscribe, edit your list preferences, or view the list archives, please > visit: > http://list.valvesoftware.com/mailman/listinfo/hlds > _______________________________________________ To unsubscribe, edit your list preferences, or view the list archives, please visit: http://list.valvesoftware.com/mailman/listinfo/hlds
