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Why are expansion packs so expensive?
TheDarkRose
Posts: 230 Member
Right, here's something that may cause some screaming. I'm just wondering why the hell the expansions cost so much. £35 for one expansion on top of the base game and whatever ones you already have. It just seems way too much for an expansion, especially when I look at other games that I've played. One has a free base game and expansions are £25. Another is £50 for the whole game and it updates weekly. I'm a hairdresser and I spend around £30 on hair products for the salon every week. With this in mind, £35 for one expansion just seems unreasonable. Is it just me?
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Yes it is you. Every business sets prices for services or products. Either you pay it or do with out. I'm sure if you asked, there would be more than one customer who thinks your prices for dressing hair is too much, but they either like you, like the job you do or are too lazy to go anywhere else and pay your price for your service.
I think the reason why the price is so high is to play with the attraction of sales. The packs' price is twice what they are worth, but since there is an Origin sale every two weeks, it boosts sales by making customers think it is a good deal, when actually they pay the price the game actually is worth.
Cost of Living? Employees demanding bigger salaries than ten years ago? CEOs or Managers and producers demanding wage increases in the last ten years? Payroll more expensive than it used to be? You know normal stuff like having to pay out more for workers, their perks and benefits and the cost of living to meet those everyday necessities more than they can with ten year old salary caps. Talent cost money.
Whether it's worth it is up to you. They started selling this base game at $60 so yes, since they set the base game to a lower price of $40 they must have forgotten they should lower the EP price to $30 since it shouldn't cost as much as the base. But go figure, they didn't.
A sims 2 EP was cheaper than a sims 4 EP. At least in my country. I never paid close to £30 for a sims 2 EP. But if I want a sims 4 expansion it’s 34.99
It's the US pricing that's been constant. Changing currency valuations will have meant that some other places will have seen changes as a result to compensate. (One of these days, I'm sure, we'll see one in Canada - I was surprised we didn't this time around.)
> I usually do find them overpriced, but at the end of the day it's a price they will sell for and as long as that's the case, it won't change. I'm not all too bothered by it. If I think the EP is worth it, I will pay it, if I don't, I will wait until it's on sale (since if I don't think it's worth the price, I doubt I would really miss the content for another few months). So far I've only bought one EP for the actual price and that was C&D. I got all the others for half the price during sales.
When do they have sales for the expansion, game or stuff packs?
Contrary to popular opinion, EA doesn't have control of other countries' exchange rates or taxation practices. Even though it's digitally delivered, some countries charge import fees for imported products, and that includes video games. If you're upset, contact your government's legislature or taxation bureau to complain.
Fun must be always -- Tomas Hertl (San Jose Sharks hockey player)
Exactly. EA gets the same price they always did for Sims 4, but players countries and stores get everything over that. I cannot understand how anyone can buy anything and not know this. Even when a store has a sale - EA does not get more or less money- they get so much per game - equal for everyone in US dollars - charges over EA's fee for everyone goes to the store and country in which each of us lives. (The store gets the money - they send EA their cost, they send their countries their cost and export fees, and then the store gets the rest.)
"Games Are Not The Place To Tell Stories, Games Are Meant To Let People Tell Their Own Stories"...Will Wright.
In dreams - I LIVE!
In REALITY, I simply exist.....
Sims 3 Pets had horses and unicorns that you could ride around the open world, and take to riding school to compete in competitions, as well as small pets and wild animals.
Sims 4 seems to think that they can charge the same price just because they've added a vet clinic, when all we get are cats and dogs that Sims don't even interact with autonomously...
Something doesn't seem right here.
the witcher 3 is a friggin work of ART!!!4
just wanted to say that.
-Yarden.
So, the world decided to increase the price for The Sims 4 exclusively?
I mean yes every business has products or services for prices, that is the basic idea of commerce. But just because something is priced at a certain metric doesn't mean it should be. I can get a piece of tile from my floor and put it at 1000$, but because I can doesn't mean I should. At a certain point you are paying 40$ (or your equivalent) for expansion because its deemed the normal price for expansions. But content and quality wise we are still paying high prices for sometimes less quality and/or less content than had been previously been offered in earlier iterations. The argument "because that's how it is deal with it or don't" isn't the only solution, in fact it isn't a solution at all.
But again the question is, are expansions worth 40$ to the consumers that buy them. Obviously they are worth it for EA, I mean they would put them at 100, 200, 300 dollars if they could get away with it. Its not just the business job to the set the bar for pricing, the consumer also has a lot of power when it comes dictating market prices. Problem is consumers are rarely organized enough to make a demand.
Apparently your country did if your price went up. Mine is still the same it has been. Some countries like to go up on American goods and tariffs. Nothing we can do about it when they do. You realize none of that extra money leaves your country - right? Your stores send EA what part they always got - as EA's price has not changed - the store keeps their cut, and then the rest goes right to your tax and tariffs office. Guess they want their citizens to buy goods from your own countries.
"Games Are Not The Place To Tell Stories, Games Are Meant To Let People Tell Their Own Stories"...Will Wright.
In dreams - I LIVE!
In REALITY, I simply exist.....
Sims 3 eps were the same price. Sims 3 sps were twice the price - only had 40-60 items and they were just stuff no premium items. On top of it we now have indepth Game Packs for the price of Sims 3 stuff packs. I sort of think Sims 4 is a better deal when it comes to prices.
Sorry your prices went up in your countries though.
"Games Are Not The Place To Tell Stories, Games Are Meant To Let People Tell Their Own Stories"...Will Wright.
In dreams - I LIVE!
In REALITY, I simply exist.....
Blaming it on the international currency balance is bu11sh*t, The current prices here for thesims4 EPs on Origin is the same as just-released AAA open world basegames on Steam, its not worthy at all unless they up their products quality by 100% and trow a 50% sale on top of that.
Not in America, of course, which is where the majority of their players live. But since Americans didn't speak out because it wasn't happening to them, and just said things like "It's a perfectly reasonable price" you can bet that give it six months tops and it'll rise for them too, and then they'll notice and then it will be too late. I repeat, it WILL rise for you Americans, if you don't stand up and actually CARE that it's happening to others. Trust me on this, do you think EA will turn down that kind of opportunity?
Why did the price rise? Is EA in financial trouble? Do those old packs suddenly have more items? Did we get a ginourmous patch adding a little something to every pack? Are we getting more free stuff?
IT'S BECAUSE EA IS GREEDY.
Make the most of this thread. EA will shut it down with the claim that the subject's all talked out, or it's a double of something else.