Online Supermarket Price Wars

Seems like supermarkets are finally getting in on this video gaming thing in a big way. GamesIndustry.biz has profiled Sainsbury’s Online’s DVD rental division who are offering a fourteen or thirty-day free trial (depending on the package you choose) for their DVD and game monthly subscription service, which includes PS2 and PSP UMD games.

Earlier this week MCV announced the beginnings of online market price wars, with Tesco offering Shadow the Hedghog for £25.97 (£27.61 inc. P&P) today compared to £29.99 from Play.com (who seem to be following Amazon.com’s lead and listing inflated RRPs… naughty).

I’m all for it – anything to bring down the price of games. I still find it shocking that developers expect you to pay £30-£40 for a game that could be fantastic or could be the most incompatible bug-ridden bag of crap on your machine but fine on the reviewer’s and you have no way of knowing until you buy it. Bring on free trials! Or episodic gaming – every game is split into levels anyway. How about full price for the whole thing up front as happens now, or £5 per downloadable chapter maybe? If it’s lame, I just don’t buy the next one. Perfect.