Same name. Same game. There is almost no difference to the games despite being on different platforms (you can even use an Xbox 360 controller on the PC). Why is it then that the 360 version is an extra $10? Shane Kim sat down with Newsweek to answer this (and many other questions), although the answer wasn’t exactly clear:
Q. Since Microsoft is the first-party publisher of Shadowrun, the company doesn’t have to pay itself the customary console royalty on the 360 version of the game. Why, then, do Xbox 360 gamers have to pay $60 for the same game that PC gamers only have to pay $50? Is this the pricing strategy that consumers should expect for future 360/PC cross-platform titles from Microsoft?
A. "The $59.99 for Xbox 360 and $49.99 for Windows Vista price points are our standard pricing for each platform. This pricing structure is not uncommon in the multiplayer-only first-person shooter genre, as numerous titles have seen success at this price point and gaming model.
I think it’s premature to speak to pricing for all future projects, but as of now this is our pricing structure for our marquee titles like Shadowrun. Additionally, MGS has the same development costs as other developers and publishers out there. One advantage other publishers have that we do not is that they can leverage their marketing and development costs over all platforms, while we are focused on Windows and Xbox 360 as a first party publisher."
At this point I highly doubt that the extra $10 will scare away any gamers on the 360 considering most of them have sampled, and thoroughly enjoyed, the Beta that was released a few months prior. Will the extra charge keep you from purchasing the 360 version?
