$15 is fast becoming the rule, not the exception.
We’re all for the digital download movement, and are intrigued by any development happening even at this very early stage. That’s why we love Kotaku’s analysis of the prices of Xbox Live Arcade games and its accompanying chart.
As Microsoft has expanded its Xbox 360 userbase and is throwing more weight behind digital distribution (two straight years of Summer of Arcade sales promotions help), prices have also increased.
The average price of Xbox Live Arcade games on the Xbox 360 has risen by a $1.74 since the Xbox 360 launched in November of 2005, according to Kotaku’s study of prices for more than 200 XBLA games.
One of the most interesting points found is that the $5 price point is no longer popular and may be phased out altogether, while the $15 price point is increasingly popular.
This is almost the reverse of Apple’s App Store, where applications quickly hit 99-cents due to a very open and streamlined approval process. Apple doesn’t have a huge problem to fix there (yet), but it may want to keep an eye on what its old nemesis is doing in the space and how they’ve been able to maintain this kind of price point strength.
[More analysis and chart at Kotaku]
