Civ Rev, BioShock join Xbox Games on Demand (check your region)

by Alexander Sliwinski { Sep 8th 2009 at 11:15AM }

Xbox 360's Games on Demand offering has been updated with the addictive Civilization Revolution and the sublime BioShock for the European regions.

Civilization Revolution -- Available in Canada, Germany and the US for $30.
BioShock -- Europe (already available in the US) for £19.99, which seems a bit high.

There is also an update for the Japanese region, which adds Earth Defense Force 3, Armored Core 4 and Wartech: Senko no Ronde for 2000

. We feel obligated to mention that these prices seem to miss the point of digital distribution from the consumer perspective.

Tags: armored-core-4, bioshock, civilization-revolution, earth-defense-force-3, games-on-demand, wartech-senko-no-ronde

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

torontodirk @ Sep 8th 2009 11:29AM

At these prices I'll continue buying my games on disc. Not to mention helping out my local games retailer. :-)

tmacairjordan87 @ Sep 8th 2009 11:29AM

Wish Civ Rev would have appeared during the games on demand launch, when I had roughly 12000 points. Unfortunately, all my extra spending money's going to borderlands now :\

Tom Moitie @ Sep 8th 2009 11:59AM

All games on Games on Demand are £19.99 in the UK

http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&q=19.99%20GBP%20IN%20USD

Not that much difference though, the extra £1.89 we pay probably covers some of the VAT (15%).

martin_alvis @ Sep 8th 2009 12:10PM

I'm disappointed with GoD prices in UK. Mass Effect, for example, cost same from high street as it does to download - and you save the 6Gb+ Hdd space.

.....or buy it second hand for around a tenner

bozman @ Sep 9th 2009 7:19PM

got it in blockbuster for £5

FlamingEffigy @ Sep 8th 2009 12:10PM

£19.99 may seem high, but that's the lowest price they offer for games on the service. That's what VAT does to pricing.

Brian @ Sep 8th 2009 12:11PM

Wow. What gives? Digital downloads are always cheaper with any other retail software/books. Why is Games on Demand as high, or higher, than retail boxed versions? Buying retail not only comes with a box AND a book, but also has the added benefit of being a trade-in later. If GoD wants to compete, they need to drop that price and make it worthwhile. It seems that they would stand to make more money by having a price lower than GameStop because it would begin to dry up GameStop's used inventory thus making more sales in the long run for the developers. As it stands now, person "A" buys a game at retail. After a month or so, takes it back to Gamestop as a trade. Then person "B" comes along and picks up the used copy. The game developer only made a profit on it once, but now two people have had the game. If GoD were competitive in price and were able to get new releases into the GoD rotation, developers would get a larger piece of the pie. Right now, they are just losers with a losing GoD offering. In this instance, GameStop rules.

Bioshock
29.99 - Xbox Games on Demand
19.99 - NEW - Gamestop
17.99 - USED - Gamestop

Civ Rev
29.99 - Xbox Games on Demand
29.99 - NEW - Gamestop
26.99 - USED - Gamestop

NOOK @ Sep 8th 2009 3:05PM

I paid 8,99 £ for CivRev half a year ago, the Bioshock Tin Box is available for 13,99 £ at the moment.

Oneiroi @ Sep 8th 2009 4:35PM

They would sell more if they were cheaper.

But right now, they're hoping you shell out extra dollars on an impulse buy, just so you don't get up and walk to the video store to buy it.

So, hopefully people refuse to buy it and lower the prices.

Gamer4Life @ Sep 8th 2009 12:13PM

Too bad for MS I already have Civ Rev and hated Bioshock (so I traded it in at EB Games).
On a side note I think games on demand is a bad idea and discourage it to everyone who loves gaming.

torontodirk @ Sep 8th 2009 12:48PM

Wow..Unfortunate you hated BioShock. I consider it to be on of my favourites of all time.

Nonetheless, BioShock on Games On Demand here in Canada is $39.99 (CDN, roughly $38 U.S.) That's expensive considering you can buy it Brand New for $19.99 CDN at retail.

Deezul @ Sep 8th 2009 4:32PM

I keep trying to play it, but passing by the first BIg Daddy and Little Sister, I reach a good save point, and switch games. Been doing that for a year now. Maybe I should trade it in as well.

Gamer4Life @ Sep 8th 2009 4:53PM

@torontodirk I hated bioshock cause the story was blah and the gameplay was alright but nothing special, I was really disappointed by the story actually. I kept hearing how great bioshock's plot was but when I played it I found the characters flat and cliche, the mood and setting meh, the whole story was a let down (I enjoyed Brute Force's plot more and that wasn't impressive).

Sean @ Sep 8th 2009 12:48PM

I can only hope their little experiment on pricing will fail and that the prices will come down to be a least competitive with retail pricing.

Farseye21 @ Sep 8th 2009 1:17PM

If I ever see EDF 2017 on games on demand for the US I will buy :)

Dakar @ Sep 8th 2009 1:18PM

Reading the inevitable 40+ comments on Major's blog dissing Games on Demand's awful pricing always makes my day.

Chris @ Sep 8th 2009 1:20PM

guys you have to remember, they have higher pricing because in reality MS doesnt want to piss of its retail partners, for about a billion reasons, and if they undercut them on pricing well ya i cud see EB, gamestop and about every other retailer bitching a fit, so i doubt we'll see GoD beating retail/used pricing.

Chris @ Sep 8th 2009 1:21PM

And price wise it still isnt bad considering your locale, i'm in the caribbean and use the NA marketplace, but prices for games down here are easily 70-80$... hell bioshock down here still sells for 69.99 believe it or not... so ya DD does have its uses to some of us.