Xbox 360 Fanboy

Why should the manner of distribution dictate the price of the game? If Gears of War or Fable were to be released on XBLA instead of through typical retail channels, would $15 still be too much? After all, it would just be an 'arcade game', wouldn't it?

Are you really comparing Braid to games like Gears of War?

Really?

No seriously?

Did you actually read my post? I wasn't comparing the games, I was questioning his close-minded notion that any title released on XBLA has to be cheap, seemingly regardless of quality.

The way its distributed does matter. If buy game through retail store it has resalle or trade value. I can't not resell or trade in an arcade game!

Ithilis

No, if gears of war hit the arcade say on the 720 or another future ms console it wouild easly be worth 30 or so. Gow had a 10 million dollar budget and is also credited with a few goty awards. Braid will win no awards is about 3 hours long has most likley less than a 2 thousand dollar budget and there are other platformers in the arcade that are way better than this game. Those games are also 5 dollars less so this is more of a matter of paying what it is worth to me anyways.

Really? $2000? I am not a programmer, but I would bet to say that it was quite a bit more than that. Even if there was one programmer and the game took 200 hours (which I am sure it took more than that)... does he only make $10 an hour? What about all the other costs associated (ie licensing fees)While I own quite a few 3rd and 1st person shooters, I think this is well worth the money. It took me about 10 hours to complete GoW (which I liked as well) and cost me $60. You are entitled to your opinion, but some people also wouldn't want to pay $30 for GoW because that is not their type of game.

@ Chester

Yes, XBLA games do not have any trade-in value. But neither does a trip to the movies. Are you going to tell me that the only entertainment worth paying for is on discs that you can sell back to shady game stores for a fraction of the buying price? Get real.

You can't take your movie ticket stub and "trade it in" for a discount on the next movie you see. Most movies only last for 2-3 hrs on average. Braid takes about 4-5 hrs. to complete. So actually the per hour price of entertainment is on par. And if you think people are not shelling out the money for a $15 dollar one-time experience that only last for 3 hrs. look at the box office take for The Dark Knight (assuming you buy food from the concession stand you're paying about $15-20)

@ Odog4ever

Again you can't compare a movie to a game, especially a game like Braid. Movies cost hundreds of millions of dollars to make and involves thousands of people working on it for 2 - 3 years. Braid does not.

Braid is NOT worth 1200 points. I played the demo and there is nothing special to it. It's like Mario Bros. with time travel. It's even got the "The princess is in the other castle" bit. COME ON!! What replay value does it have. You finish it in 3 hours and then what? Do you play it again? Do the same thing again and again? .. i think not. I bought Uno and Worms when they were first released and I'm STILL playing them. They didn't cost 1200 points.

@ Mark

I can totally compare a movie to a game. They are both entertain are they not. Just because it takes a lot of money to make something does not make it good. (Recent example is the Speed Racer movie which cost 100 mil to make but did terrible at the box office) Their are games with huge budgets that tank every year. Are you new to video games?

I played the Geo Wars 2 demo and was not impressed. It's not my type of game and I got bored quickly. But I don't go spouting off how it's not worth points just because I personally don't like it.

I rarely play games over and over again because I like variety. I played UNO a lot when I first got my Xbox. Guess when I played it last? About a year ago because I got sick of it and moved on. It was fun while it lasted but I'm not crying over the points I spent on that game because I'm not playing it anymore.

@Odog4ever

Your arguments are just all over the place! Lets try sticking to games here, nobody is comparing movies. My comment was comparing the value of a buying an arcade game to buying a used retail game! I was saying I would rather buy a used retail game then a $15 arcade game, because the used game will have more value and replay.

Your comparing movies to an arcade game? Its apples and oranges!

I'll say it again.

It's hilarious that the makers of one extremely overpriced game make a comic strip about people not wanting to pay for another overpriced game.

Would the sentiment be any less true if the comic were to be made by someone else?

Didn't think so.

It's like Larry Craig telling it's not a problem that John Edwards cheated on his wife.

So.. pricing an XBLA game at $15 is as morally corrupt as cheating? You make a strong argument, sir!

How about this one:

When Martin Luther King spoke out against racism, was his opinion any less valid because he was black?

I think you missed the point. Penny Arcade isn't saying it costs too much. They are saying people are complaining about the cost when they normally throw more away on nonsense while Braid is very worthwhile in their opinions.