July 8, 1999 - Issue 35

£29.99 Across the Board

Full-price PlayStation games discounted everywhere

Virgin Megastores' decision to discount full-price PlayStation games at £29.99 has had a knock-on effect across the retail market. Electronics Boutique, HMV, MVC and Dixons cut their prices accordingly within 24 hours (MVC card holders can pick up Driver for as little as £27.99).

Such has been the reaction to the price cuts, trade paper MCV has devoted a raft of column inches to the subject. Games publishers are said to be angry, independent retailers (the small shops who've been shafted by the cuts) are annoyed and Virgin's competitors have condemned them, despite following suit.

How long can we expect these rather timely price cuts to last, though? MCV reckons that Dixons have advertised July 15 as the cut off point before they revert back to the £35-40 mark, but you can be sure that they'll forget this if everyone else stays at £29.99. The Man on the Clapham Omnibus, it seems, has grown tired of forking out £40 for a videogame, but the increasingly popularity of Sony's £20 Platinum range is testament to the fact that if the price is right, people will buy videogames.

Keep the prices down, say we...

July saw a brief PlayStation price war which we heartily supported. Around this time, Future Gamer was being delivered with a front 'splash' page advertising an online games store. Their creative ad for this issue was a pair of pants - it was nothing to do with us!