What if? 1990, Amiga games selling for $5.99. Piracy?

[stefcep2]

Without knowing the costs of actually getting  a boxed game made, and put on a stores shelf, its not possible to say if the price was or was not too high.

The more hands that touch the product the more expensive it ends up.

And you had demo's of games on magazines to try before you buy.

At the end of the day nothing is cheaper than free.

I was never into Amiga games that much anyway, most of my software was applications, most of which I got on cover disc, some of which I upgraded: eg Wordworth Office, Cinema 4D, Art Effect, Photogenics, ImageFX.  Brilliance 2.0 I payed full retail for.

[stefcep2]

A game needs to make enough to pay for more than just the physical media and box.  Graphicians, programmers, producers and musicians need to be paid, then there's box art, rent, taxes, duplication, distribution, advertising, electricity, insurance, the retailer's costs.

The app store pricing model has really distorted people's views of what games should cost.

I'd extend that and say the internet has really distorted people's views of what anything should cost.

In Australia, not a week goes by when the daily papers tell us how we get ripped off.  Most don't understand the economies of scale that are possible in larger markets, the higher transport costs in distributing to people scattered over a nation the size of Europe but with only 24 million, nor the generous wages, paid holidays, sick leave, free health care, super-all of that gets paid from a retail sale.