 The Price of Casual Games Plummets
One of the world's leading distributors of casual games on the internet has been forced to slash their prices to remain competitive. In a move which could anger some game developers, RealNetworks has reduced the average cost of their casual games (puzzles, hidden object, time management, etc) from US$19.95 to just US$6.99.
Here in the Asia Pacific Region the price break for consumers is even more dramatic, with the average cost of a full version game plummeting from AU$26.95 (NZ$28.95) to just AU$6.99 (NZ$6.99).
As the major supplier of casual games to thousands of websites, RealNetworks are hoping to reclaim the market share lost to competitors such as Big Fish Games and Shockwave, when they reduced the price of their casual games to US$6.99 in 2009. The industry has also been under threat from mobile phones, social networks and that old foe, piracy.
Whilst such a significant price reduction is sure to be a big hit with consumers, it remains to be seen what impact this will have on the future of the casual games industry. I can imagine many game developers are unhappy with the price cutting measures distributors have had to adopt to remain competitive and if it continues, they may just decide it isn't worth it anymore and abandon casual games altogether. However, on a positive note, such a dramatic reduction in the price of casual games, will undoubtedly result in a significant increase in the volume of sales, particularly to first timers who were previously put off by the cost of these games.
|
