With FIFA games selling for less at launch than six months later is the £25 video game a step to far.In this report on MCVUK they ask the question...
FIFA is probably the only game that’s cheaper at launch than it is six months after release. The price cutting on the title is an annual ritual. But £25 is a terrifying new low. How long will it be before the title is given away free with a pack of loo roll? It makes you wonder how the likes of HMV and GAME can hope to compete.
Of course I bought my copy from Tesco. I’d have been a fool not too. Don’t shoot the messenger – loads of the getting-on-for-a-million other purchasers of the game will surely have done the same.
(It's worth pointing out here that I’d have paid another tenner – and I bet so would the vast majority of the new game’s record-breaking audience. I’m certain EA’s incredible development, sales and PR achievement would have existed regardless of supermarket naughtiness).
But the legacy of FIFA 10’s release isn’t all bad for the specialists. Loss-leading activities may boost market share, but it’s hardly an ideal way to build a successful video games business.
Also, the difference in cost between supermarkets and specialists is often minimal. This was an unsustainable one-off. For example, at launch Halo 3: ODST was cheaper at GAME than it was at Tesco.