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Call of Duty 4 hits Mac App Store at overpriced $50, a sign of things to come?
And so the Apple-related price gouging hilarity begins: Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, originally released in 2008, and available for $32 on Amazon, is now available from the Mac App Store for $50.CoD4 is perhaps the first example of a 'killer app' for the Mac App Store, and exactly the injection of big-name awesomeness that it will need to attract other games publishers, and software giants like Adobe and Microsoft. CoD4 might be a little old, but given the awful Cold War-era graphics cards available in most Macs, it's probably a good idea that Modern Warfare 2 wasn't released first.
It should also be noted that this isn't the first time that a digitally-distributed game is more expensive than a boxed version from Amazon. Steam is regularly more expensive than Amazon (though not usually by such a margin), and World of Warcraft bought directly from Blizzard as a digital download is more expensive than buying a box from Amazon, or your local games shop.
What remains to be seen, though, is whether software on the Mac App Store will be aggressively discounted like on Steam. The whole point of digital distribution is that you can sell something for almost-free, and still turn a profit. Let's just hope that the Mac App Store doesn't become another place for Apple to gouge its users for more money -- digital downloads are convenient, but they really should be cheaper than their real world counterparts.
Comments
19
Subscribe to commentsDavidJan 14th 2011 7:48AM
What's the cost of purchasing a game physically off the shelf, compared to the commission on selling on Steam? We already know that out of the $50 asking price, Apple will profit a tidy $15 from every sale with its 30% flat commission, irrespective of whether you're selling a .99c app or a $999 app (like those legal education apps).
asdasdasdJan 14th 2011 4:56PM
Macs suck for gaming. Get a PC!
This is DownloadSquad not Tuaw for obsessed Mac fanboys.
Michael QuinnJan 14th 2011 7:50AM
What's it got to do with Apple? Publishers set the price - blame Activision.
Boggles the mind you get paid to write this rubbish. And some editor published it.
Sebastian AnthonyJan 14th 2011 8:03AM
@Michael Quinn Usually, with early titles like this, the platform (Apple) will have held the developer's hands, to get their apps into the App Store -- just to ensure there are exciting titles ready for launch!
alahmnatJan 14th 2011 2:37PM
@Michael Quinn Agreed, this is nonsense. Yes, it's also nonsense that CoD4 is $50 on the Mac App Store, but the blame for that lies SQUARELY on Activision's shoulders. Apple has nothing to do with pricing of apps in either this or the iOS App Store, and never has. This is 100% about Activision gouging customers.
BoxOfSnooJan 14th 2011 7:57AM
Remember this is in essence a multipack, so if you have multiple Macs you can load it on all of them. As for Steam, well, you usually just wait for one of their humongous sales, the regular prices are to make up a few bucks that they may have lost on a sale.
Sebastian AnthonyJan 14th 2011 8:03AM
@BoxOfSnoo Are you sure you can install Mac App Store items on multiple computers at the same time...?
DuckJan 14th 2011 8:50AM
@Sebastian Anthony I'd be a little curious about this one too... Since CoD usually gives you only one multiplayer key.
The policy for the iOS App Store however is unlimited devices, only 5 activated computers.
AemonyJan 14th 2011 8:19AM
I see Bobby Koticks and Activision aim high on the Mac platform. Never be surprised if you let those decide the price, because they would charge you $100 if they thought they could get away with it. Digital or physical, it doesn't matter to them. Or wait, it does, in that they can get a lot more percentage gain from the same price on the digital market.
Sebastian AnthonyJan 14th 2011 8:54AM
@Aemony Ah, I see you're up to speed on all the Activision FUD :) I didn't want to wade in too deeply here -- but yeah, they could certainly be behind it.
Sebastian AnthonyJan 14th 2011 8:51AM
@Duck Yeah -- apparently you CAN install Mac App Store apps in multiple locations! Just share your name and password around a few computers.
I have no idea how this works with things like multiplayer keys -- very good question.
Danny BoyJan 14th 2011 8:54AM
If Mac fans can afford overpriced hardware, they can surely afford overpriced games. :p
NyaRJan 14th 2011 2:41PM
It will be hilarious if the game is riddled with bugs...
Sebastian AnthonyJan 14th 2011 4:56PM
@asdasdasd aaaayMEN sister!
hazardJan 15th 2011 5:43AM
You think that's bad .. well App Store accessed from Australia is charging $60 which is a rip as $50(US) is approx $50.60 (AUS). Regional distribution and pricing for digital products is a bad joke and Apple is the worst offender for this crap.
Another side of this story is why isn't the Mac version available on Steam!
Sebastian AnthonyJan 15th 2011 5:48AM
@hazard Yeah, I actually went to check Steam, to see if the Mac version was available there -- odd that it isn't. (But notice that the Mac version seems to be developed by 'Aspyr', rather than Infinity Ward -- so that could be related.)
Lee had a rant about Canadian Dollar prices recently -- once upon a time, CAD and AUD used to be worth a lot less than USD, but now they're almost equivalent. The world needs to catch up!
hazardJan 15th 2011 7:00AM
Different developer ~should~ be irrelevant. I see this as very bad news for Mac support on Steam. How many devs/publishers are going to bother putting their product on Steam when App Store is now built into OSX.
As for pricing, digital products should be listed in a single currency and let the banks work it out. It's interesting that in the digital domain, antitrust/competition laws are taken seriously but price gouging is not.
On the flip-side, maybe this regional pricing crap might provide an opportunity for some startup to create a competitive alternative to Apple, Valve et al .. here's hoping ..
hazardJan 15th 2011 7:07AM
btw .. Valve wants $89.99 USD for CoD4 through my [Australian] Steam Client .. what a fracking joke
Rediyz RadioMay 29th 2011 2:11PM
What a rip. Trying to charge $50 for a 4 yr old game. Shame on everybody. I had high hopes for Mac gaming when I heard about the Mac app store but a fifty bucks a pop I won't be buying any. The app store has been very popular with games that look great on my 42" LCD for $5. But 50 kiss this!