Shane Kim on 360 Shadowrun vs. PC Shadowrun price: That's the way it is

Posted May 14, 2007 at 10:28PM by QJ Staff Listed in: Xbox 360, PC Gaming Tags: FASA Corporation, Microsoft, Microsoft Game Studios, Shane Kim, Windows Vista
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Do the math. - Image 1 


Shadowrun (Xbox 360), FASA/Microsoft Game Studios: US$ 60.00
Shadowrun (PC), FASA/Microsoft Game Studios: US$ 50.00
Shadowrun (Xbox 360 - PC) Difference: US$ 10.00

Okay, what explains the ten dollar difference between the Xbox 360 and PC versions of the same multiplayer-only game? Newsweek's N'Gai Croal asks the same questions in an email to Shane Kim, Microsoft Game Studios VP, and Shane Kim emailed back the response:

The $59.99 for Xbox 360 and $49.99 for Windows Vista price points are our standard pricing for each platform.


Should people be worked up over this? Maybe, maybe not - but the price difference, even at ten dollars, will still raise some eyebrows when one considers that FASA and MGS is trying to deliver essentially the same game (okay, to be fair, a similar gaming experience) on the Xbox 360 and PC. And it has to, because it's a cross-platformer, and if there were any significant differences between the gameplay or offerings of the two versions, players on one platform or the other might feel short-changed.

Kim's answer also indicates that Microsoft will be following this pricing schematic for their first-party titles "like Shadowrun" - which means that the only difference between future 360/PC cross-platformers won't be the controller-vs.-mouse/keyboard (not if a controller could also be used on the PC and MS adds keyboard and mouse support to the console), or the PC's open architecture, but...

Ten dollars.

 
 
 

Comments [refresh]

by Don Quixote - 2007-05-14 17:35
» I wouldn't bother with the PC version even if they gave it to me

It is seriously gimped compared to the 360 version

by mick - 2007-05-14 17:37
» yeh

your 10 years late qj, pc has always been cheaper than consoles.

by zecky - 2007-05-14 19:01
» simple reason

More costs involved for console games over pc ones. More people need to get paid.

by AsciiSmoke - 2007-05-14 20:07
» Why should Shadowrun be any different

Why should Shadowrun be any different, this is the way it is for all cross platform games, Shadowrun just happens to have some cross platform connectivity. Doesn't mean it should cost the same.

by this computer sux at sims 2, too LAGGY - 2007-05-14 20:29
» dammit its only fair

its cause people have to spend $5000 to buy the dell xps and another $1000 to get it as powerful as the ps3



so computer geeks have a break in game prices

by Flashlegz - 2007-05-14 20:47
» Doesn't matter

For all of the above reasons.



A gaming PC costs more than a console.



Development costs.



I definitely wouldn't buy a PC game if it was the same price as a console title, on the plus side PC games come down in price rather quickly since the the technology constantly develops.

by Neuromancer - 2007-05-14 22:40
» Whoring for dollars

The game industy already admitted that they started pricing next-gen console games at $60 not because of extra costs but simply to "see what the market would bear". Now that it's obvious people are willing to pay $60 for a game, that is the way it will stay.

by . - 2007-05-15 00:48
» .

You are retarded. Any computer with a dual-core processor, 2 GB of RAM and a 7900+ GeForce card can out preform the PS3.

by ... - 2007-05-15 02:55
» ...

If his is retarded then you are the king of retards! I dare you to provide evidence of such a pc with the same specs you describe being able to outperform a ps3!!

by skidz - 2007-05-15 03:44
» yea

Well this is common stuff, PC games are usually cheaper to develop and it costs more to publish console titles thanks to a number of different interferences. As for the PC version of this game, I heard they added a bunch of handicaps to hinder the PC players performance. Not worth my time or anyone else's.

by skidz - 2007-05-15 03:48
» hey

Looser, its great to be stupid isn't it? Thanks Mr Tech for enlightening us. And btw, only *****s own Dells. I can build a machine far under 1k and get better performance than a *****ty console. Go get hit by a car, we need less scum like you.

by J - 2007-05-15 05:28
» This is news?

i dont think I have ever seen a PC game cost the same as its console counterpart, why the fuss this time?

by get fly - 2007-05-15 07:17
» dummy

oblivian on the ps3 runs hella faster'........i duplicated an object 8000 times and it stgill didnt freeze; i dought the 360 can do that



cause of the retard bill gates money hungry



the 360 only takes $300 to build the $400 one



while the ps3 uses $800 to build a $600....better value?



the ps3 has more than twice the power of 360, and bill screwed himself by not putting a hard drive on all versions

by neok182 - 2007-05-15 08:11
» .

you dumb mother *****ers. a high end PC can easily out perform the 360 and PS3. ESPECIALLY the PS3.



but aside from that point.



This price difference dosn't make much sence. yes it is true that consoles are ALWAYS more expensive than PCs if the game is released on both but since this game is exactly the same on both the PC and 360 and was made for the sole purpose of cross-platform play theres not really any reason to have a price difference.



dosn't bother me that much though cause i'll be getting it for PC.

by rolly poly - 2007-05-15 11:21
» it has nothing to do with the cost to you...

it's having to subsidize the sale of the console...



microsoft actually profits on sales of it's OS, not it's console... last i read they were close to breaking even on production costs. so they might only lose $50 on a console, multiply that by 10+ million.



it has to make it's money back on games, simple as that...



i prefer PC games anyway, it's easier to cheat. i'm the kinda guy that games for fun, not a challenge... so a multiplayer only game doesn't appeal to me in the slightest.

by rolly poly - 2007-05-15 11:28
» omg

it's amazing how crap like this gets 5 stars...



you sir are a retard:



it's doubt.



money hungry ppl don't start charities.



you don't even know how to spell doubt, anyone who believes you know what you are talking about is a fool

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