No quips about 'Virgin on the ridiculous' to be found here... bugger

Fancy picking up the latest PlayStation releases for less than 30 sovs? Virgin Megastores have just cut their PlayStation prices to £29.99. Loose cannons, eh? You can pick up Driver et al for £15 less than their recommended retail price.

"There is pressure on full-price releases from all areas - from rental, from the second-hand market and from piracy," Virgin's games product manager, Bart Saunt, told trade paper MCV. "Consumers have got to be given a very good reason to buy a full-price game. And they are not being encouraged to do so at current pricing levels".

It's become apparent of late that many gamers are waiting for titles to hit the Platinum range before taking the plunge. Not many folk want to pay £45 for a game. However, Virgin's move is more than likely to open a can of worms, particularly with the software publishers. But it seems that Virgin are setting their own agenda - expect lower prices across the board for some time to come.

It's important that the industry should not forget what a fantastic user base the PlayStation has - but moreover, that many who've bought into PlayStation are 'casual' gamers. These are people who are used to paying £15 for a music CD or a new book. And they're (we're!) not willing to fork out the best part of £50 for a videogame. Good on Virgin, say we.