Controllers cost as much as games

Demon_Skeith

Demon_Skeith

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So as I've been looking through the ads, it's now a standard that 8th gen controllers cost as much as the video games do and I'm sure Nintendo's gamepad will cost far more.

But what I don't get is, how could the PS4 and Xbox one controllers cost the same? The PS4 DS4 has a screen in it while the Xbox one is just a simple controller. Out of the three the Xbox one should be the cheapest.


Despite all that, do you think it's right for controllers to cost as much as brand new games?
 
I think one of the reasons controllers costing as much as a game is because there isn't much good competition from cheaper 3rd-party controller makers like Nyko, and other companies who make non-official controllers which are not as good as the official controller in many cases.

Although, Logitech, Razer, and more expensive Madcatz controllers for the 360, PS3, and PC are pretty good. But, they sometimes cost as much or even more than the official controllers because they are adjustable, have programmable rapid fire buttons, or better made.

I also find controllers for consoles pretty expensive since for about the same price, someone can buy a  Gaming Keyboard with hundreds more buttons, backlit LED lighting, adjustable color lights, palm rest, and other features.
 
When companies choose prices they don't base the retail value to be a certain amount over the cost. The base it on market value. Since they knew PS3 would sell their higher end one for that price they chose to even it for some extra profit.
 
A lot of people still need more controllers to play with their brother, sister, parents, and close friends and family which live in the same house, or come over. More people are living in groups to save money, so most likely they also all use the same game console to save money by playing together.

I think not needing extra controllers should bring the price of controllers down because there is not a lot of demand for more controllers, so a lot of controllers may become unsold at stores since people are not buying as many  controllers like the HP Touchpad, and Blackberry Playbook tablets which a very small percentage of tablet buyers bought, so both HP and Blackberry had a huge pile of unsold tablets which force them both to sell their tablets for $99-199 in 2011 to try to get back some of their money before they are worth less when better and cheaper $99-199 tablets like the Kindle Fire, Nexus 7, and Nook Tablets gets released worldwide.

But, if more people buy controllers, there would be a shortage of controllers which will drive the price up for controllers because they are harder to find, and buy at store because of being sold out.
 
They're expensive yes, they could be a little cheaper sure, but they usually last quite a while.  I still have my original PS3 controllers I got with the console three or so years ago; they still work fine.

I don't think Wii Remotes should be that expensive, but NIntendo need to make money too.  
 
Sardonic Pickle said:
They're expensive yes, they could be a little cheaper sure, but they usually last quite a while.  I still have my original PS3 controllers I got with the console three or so years ago; they still work fine.

I don't think Wii Remotes should be that expensive, but NIntendo need to make money too.  
Click to expand...
how long they last depends how you treat them and how often a person rages.
 
I don't think controllers should cost as much as new games, however, there are two ways I look at it which are kind of opposite each other.

1) Controllers can last a long time and therefore worth the money, as long as you treat the controller right and you are not unfortunate enough to have one that becomes faulty and dies early on.

2) You are always going to use the controller a LOT more than the games you play because you will use it for every game. So while a £40 game may last you a few months of play time, the controller will be used a whole lot more and therefore worth the money.

Hopefully my logic makes some sort of sense.
 
Demon_Skeith said:
how long they last depends how you treat them and how often a person rages.
Click to expand...
It also depends on the batteries you put in it if they use AA batteries like the Wiimote, and Xbox 360 controllers since some AA batteries sometimes leak out battery acid/chemicals because the batteries are poorly made. Also, the charging port on the PS3 controller can also go bad since the USB connector can get damaged when you unplug and plug it in too much.

Static electricity, Moisture from the air, salty air if you live close to the ocean with salt water, and smoke from cigerettes can also make controllers break faster, and these things are usually out of your control.

Stuff lasting long may not be the best reason for pricing things higher than they are worth to make since a lot of cheaper and more advance things like Stereo PC Speakers, Universal remote controls, MP3 players, DVD players, keyboards, computer mouse, and calculators last a long time, and most of these things can be bought for $5-30, and they usually come with a 1 year warranty.

I bet, if controllers were cheaper, console makers will sell more multi-player games which support more than 1 controller in splitscreen like Halo, or full screen multiplayer like Bomberman since people in one household will have more reasons to buy many more multiplayer games to play with friends and family if they can more easily afford 4 controllers.
 
There are a unlimited of unknown causes that could affect the life span of a controller.  But making it cheaper to buy may make some people want to replace their controllers more often if they feel it's starting to wear out.
 
Demon_Skeith said:
how long they last depends how you treat them and how often a person rages.
Click to expand...
Haha I've been close to throwing my controllers down in a rage, I usually throw them on my bed (which is usually behind me) or a cushion... or I just do this weird tantrum thing where I just squeeze the controller as if I'm strangling it.
 
I don't mind that controllers cost that much because you're paying for the quality of the controller. I had a third-party Gamecube controller years ago and soon the wire started falling apart and it wasn't too long before it snapped off. 
 
The problem is, they could charge over $100 for a new controller if they wanted to. Why? Because us gamers need them to play and that is the sad truth. Without controllers we couldn't play the games we love. I've seen shops were I live still selling 360 controllers for £30+. It's ridiculous, but we have to buy them if our own break.
 
I wonder would controllers for the Steambox by Valve would be cheaper. I think Steambox users can use a Xbox 360 controller, and other third-party controllers on the Steambox which may lower the price of buying controllers from 3rd-party companies to play games on the Steambox.

The Steambox also supports keyboard and mouse to play games like a PC, so it is possible to play games with a Keyboard and mouse combo which can cost as little as $20 online.
 
This is really ridiculous. Either one or the other. One cheaper and the other more expensive.

now it's a choice of: buy a game or get a controller? they cost the same anyways! xD
 
Honestly I couldn't believe it when I was in WalMart the other day and saw controllers upwards of 60$ or whatever it was. That's pretty insane. Makes me just want to steer clear of any new game consoles to be honest.
 
It's strange that it is possible to buy a wireless game controller for PC for $20-40, but a similar Game console controller cost $60-70.

Maybe the government should force game console makers like Microsoft, and Sony to use a Open/non-copyrighted Controller designs like how all Keyboards, and mouse in North America have 104 keys, the same keyboard and mouse layout, and work with different brands and operating systems for PC. I think using a standard controller design will make controllers cheaper because more companies can make controllers for consoles like how I can buy a Wireless Keyboard and Mouse Combo for PC for $20-40 on eBay because there are many companies which make wireless keyboard and mouse, and many offline and online stores which sell them for low prices.
 
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