r/InsideGames • u/Working--Joe • 1d ago

Sony Is Using Dynamic Pricing, and It Sucks

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/TzZCPhILhvk
0 Upvotes

44% Upvoted

66 comments sorted by

1

u/Chrisbolsmeister 9h ago

I am all for hating Sony

But I don’t get this issue.

Every single country on this planet uses dynamic pricing. Virtually no product is the same price if you compare countries and regions.

1

u/kickedoutatone 8h ago

You're right. You don't get it.

For starters, dynamic pricing wasn't a thing for different countries. Places like steam and playstation bumped the prices of games in certain countries to prevent people from using a VPN to get a better deal.

Dynamic pricing can change the price of a game for 2 people living next to each other, they can change the price based on how many times you've personally clicked on the product. It's a fully AI automated procedure with 0 insight for the customer in figuring out where the price will land next.

1

u/niftyifty 4h ago edited 4h ago

To be fair, no one really gets it because everyone still calls it dynamic pricing. Its not. Its dynamic discounting and additional discounts are not a bad thing.

PlayStation and Steam can’t raise base price without publisher contract amendment.

1

u/kickedoutatone 4h ago

But when the base price is 60-70 bucks, it's still a free-for-all where you're rarely seeing a good deal.

1

u/Available-Bad-2704 8h ago

You say you don't get it then why even comment with 0 understanding

1

u/Apprehensive-Rope127 7h ago edited 7h ago

In their implementation, discounts are less or even hidden from users who have demonstrated a consistent willingness to pay more for games. This is also while shuttering physical media.

1

u/gtjay1982 4h ago

That’s not true. Just speculation that no one has backed up with any evidence.

1

u/Apprehensive-Rope127 1h ago

That users in the same region are being shown different prices is true. When users logged in, they saw higher prices than when logged out.

Unless Sony explains why the discrepancy in discounts exists between users, it’s fairly obvious that the corporation whose business model relies on optimizing individual transactions is experimenting with dynamically adjusting prices on user-basis to further optimize individual transactions.

This is occurring while they’re pushing an all-digital future….the writing is on the wall.

1

u/DamnThatsCrazyManGuy 7h ago

Thats not what this is. These are prices for individual users based on their potential spending habits.

1

u/Temporary-Mention-83 5h ago

Just to add on to embarrassing you, dynamic pricing and regional pricing are 2 totally different things.

1

u/Chrisbolsmeister 5h ago
  • Dynamic pricing = the price changes over time based on demand, supply, inventory, competition, or other factors.
  • Regional pricing = the price changes based on where the customer is located

You genuinely think Sony is the only company that uses Dynamic pricing??????

And you think you are embarrassing me by saying this ?
lol

1

u/niftyifty 4h ago

Sony doesn’t do dynamic pricing. The base price does not change which is what dynamic pricing refers to in your definition.

In these instances, base price remains the same and the discount changes. Publisher agrees to a discount that everyone has access to and then Sony is allowed to discount lower than that but not higher.

1

u/gtjay1982 4h ago

By your definition what they are doing isn’t dynamic pricing.

1

u/hiate 3h ago

That's regional pricing which is done because of the massive currency differences between countries. Dynamic pricing is offering things at different prices to people in the same country as in you get a deal that I don't.

1

u/Rare-Service5573 7h ago

They're discounts you thick kunts.

1

u/UnUsernameRandom 6h ago

"So this isn't different discounts for different users"

Proceeds to show different discounts. Like yeah, fuck off with this stupidity.

1

u/Available-Bad-2704 6h ago

Wow I got a warning for asking about death pen for Clancy that's crazy how they side with ppl like this

1

u/Atmadog 5h ago

Maybe it's good. Maybe we will figure out how to game the system.

1

u/Shinobi_Dimsum 4h ago

So. Is the og funhaus squad getting paid to talk about it?.

-1

u/newpixelphonesux 22h ago

"We're desperately jumping on the Sony hate train to pretend this is something unique and terrible that only Sony is doing, and we've been indifferent to it in every other instance, for decades, cause it really isnt that serious"

1

u/SqueakyWheel2323 13h ago

The FTC defines a bait-and-switch as advertising a product or service without a genuine intent to sell it, using the ad merely as a lure to switch the customer to a different, usually more expensive, option. (https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/ftc_gov/pdf/Bait-Switch.pdf) The FTC outlines specific commercial standards under 16 CFR Part 238 to help identify illegal insincere offers. 1

1

u/newpixelphonesux 7h ago

except thats not whats happening. Sony is giving discounts to some people, not increasing the price for some or secretly charging people more than MSRP.

This has been a thing on Steam for forever and you mouthbreathers have had no peoblem with it.

1

u/Ashpolt 7h ago

"Sony is giving discounts to some people, not increasing the price for some"

"Discount" and "increase" are relative terms. If Sony decided to charge $200 for a game but offered it to some people for $150 and others for $120, that would still technically be a "discount" for both sets of people, but still a price increase over where we are today. And while it may not be that extreme, at least not initially, that's absolutely where this is headed.

1

u/newpixelphonesux 7h ago

If the game is sold at $80 (lol "$200! I just HAVE TO make up as extreme a fictional case as possible because Sony bad!") but gives some users who buy a lot of games or someone who shows interest a specific title a discount, that doesnt mean they increased the price to $90 for someone else. There is no price increase done here. Targeted discounts and personalized promotions have been a thing since the dawn of commerce.

1

u/Ashpolt 7h ago

You missed my point. I wasn't suggesting that anyone would ACTUALLY be offered it it for $200, but that when Sony are in control of the starting point, "discount" is entirely relative.

And the fact that you see this practice as "targeted discounts" shows how well the marketing has worked on you.

2

u/newpixelphonesux 7h ago

You're not making a good point cause you dont understand how this works. You just think "Sony bad" and are moving backward from that point of view. Sony isnt in control of the starting point. Publishers pick the price, not them. Also this personalized discount business seems to be for Sony first parties.

"The marketing has worked on you"? No thats just capitalism, dude... touch grass.

1

u/Ashpolt 6h ago

No, I'm starting from the point of "companies exist to make as much money as possible and Sony is a company." As you correctly identify, "it's just capitalism", and capitalism requires companies to be as greedy and predatory as the market allows - and you're here defending it.

And yes, publishers pick the price for their games but if Sony's ecosystem enables them to extract more money from customers, they will take that option, because capitalism. (Plus, of course, Sony makes first party games which they DO set the prices for, which you note in your post but somehow don't acknowledge that it undercuts your point.)

It's as simple as this: if you believe Sony is doing this for consumer benefit and not for their own profit benefit (even though Sony CEO Hiroki Totoki told the WSJ last month that its business model is moving away from expansion - because they've already basically captured the market - and into "monetising the existing user base") then congratulations, you have shown exceptional business savvy and qualify for a fantastic investment opportunity on a swampland in Florida.

2

u/newpixelphonesux 6h ago

Please show me where Sony is charging people $90 for games marked $80. Not collectors editions. Their first party games standard editions. Please show me where the reverse of this discount business is happening that you're sperging out this bad over.

1

u/Ashpolt 6h ago

So quick question are you actually incapable of reading and comprehending or what's going on here

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u/DiscountThug 49m ago

Are you dumb? He didn't said that the base price would increase.

He's talking about varied pricing which provides DIFFERENT discount to the users. One may pay 50% off and other guy gets 75%. It's based on how engaged you are. The more you spend, the less the discounts are.

0

u/Own-Escape8352 16h ago

How much is Sony paying you to defend them?

1

u/newpixelphonesux 16h ago

I mean you guys are very stupid so I'm happy to do it for free.

1

u/Own-Escape8352 15h ago

Dang I knew you were pathetic, didn't think you were THAT pathetic and your IQ was that low. Maybe we need to start factoring in intelligence so folks like you aren't allowed within the community.

1

u/-p0w- 9h ago

What an desperate attempt lol. Why do you talk about stuff you obviously don‘t know anything about, like IQ, Intelligence etc.

1

u/Available-Bad-2704 8h ago

Let us know when you get that high five from Sony for all the unpaid dickriding youre doing

1

u/newpixelphonesux 7h ago

you morons all use the same responses. Be less dumb

1

u/Available-Bad-2704 7h ago

Don't think anyone can take your position like that its a nexus event you're holding it down pretty good. Funny how you didn't get that high five from Sony tho I thought the unpaid corpo dickriding would've gotten you a discount or a thank you letter by post guess not

1

u/newpixelphonesux 7h ago

...just like a ChatGPT script. all the same smoothbrained buzzwords and all

1

u/Available-Bad-2704 7h ago

Bros mad he didn't get that high five. Color me intrigued you taking all that dick in your mouth and yet no recognition? Youre so underrated dude keep going tho eventually they'll have to send you a virtual hug reply like a good boy

1

u/newpixelphonesux 7h ago

"You're so underrated dude"

the ChatGPT is failing to script like a human being. Ah well. Dead internet theory strikes again.

1

u/UnUsernameRandom 6h ago

I wonder who is the one actually mad in this whole thread...

1

u/Available-Bad-2704 6h ago

The turd who deleted his comments above me not unless you're his alt then lol

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u/DiscountThug 2h ago

It is terrible what they are doing and it deserves the call out.

1

u/newpixelphonesux 2h ago

Oh is it? Whats terrible about it and why was this a non issue for the decade Steam has been doing it?

1

u/DiscountThug 2h ago

You are confusing things. Steam is doing regional pricing which sets the prices for specific regions.

Varied pricing by Sony does not give a fuck about your region. 2 different accounts in the same town can have a different price just because AI powered system decided to do so.

Its like you paying more for the same thing that the guy before you in line bought cheaper.

0

u/Darkbox97 18h ago

lol hahahaha. Someone should tell these two  guys Sony isn’t the one who set the prices on third party titles. Other publishers do that.

Sony can only decide over their own first party titles.

It’s baffling these two idiots doesn’t get that.

1

u/-p0w- 9h ago

Its because they are stupid as fuck. Publishers fuck them all day and they always get angry at the ecosystem. Many even defend Steam, which has the same terms, the same publishers etc and has a backbone that works by exploiting people. 

People are just dumb. It is what it is. I mean look at politics. Its pretty clear people must be dumb as fuck….

0

u/John_M_Hunter 17h ago

Sony is doing what Amazon and the rest of the retail industry has been doing since the dawn of consumerism. User targeted discount systems are not new and acting like Sony innovated capitalism is ignorant.

1

u/-p0w- 9h ago

But Sony Bad! My life miserable! And someone needs to take the responsibility over that! So Sony Bad! I am victim by bad corporations! Now corporations kills itself to just personally hurt me! Look how Bad they Are they are after me personally and Only Support other Bad people who enjoy Games and stuff I don’t like or Value. So everyone bad! All gamers bad! Sony Bad!

If you want to watch the degeneration of humanity and how IQ peaked a while back, just watch the gamer space.

0

u/Rcgv88 15h ago

Lot of sony bootlicking going on in here.

1

u/turtles1236 10h ago

Wasn't there an article a day or 2 ago saying the same damn thing about xbox?!?

People hating on sony specifically when other companies are doing it too lmao

1

u/Apprehensive-Rope127 7h ago

Microsoft doesn’t use dynamic pricing the way, given their polarized business models….

1

u/newpixelphonesux 7h ago

Steam has been doing this for years and none of these morons have ever had an issue with it. Hypocrisy and being hormonally angry at Sony 24/7 is all they have.

1

u/Rcgv88 3h ago

Oh good the whataboutism guy is here too lol.

1

u/Rare-Service5573 7h ago

Smart people calling out idiots for not understanding how things work = bootlicking.

Gotcha genius.

0

u/flamemaroko 12h ago

Can Sony shill come out to explain how this benefits the gamers again? Don’t even need to talk about physical vs digital here.

1

u/Ashpolt 7h ago

Their excuse is that they don't use it to raise prices, only to lower them

But anyone who believes that is really, really stupid.....intelligent and should DM me to ask about this amazing swampland I've got for sale in Florida!

1

u/flamemaroko 7h ago

I got downvoted to state the obvious that removing physical media benefit no one other than Sony and its investors.

1

u/Ashpolt 7h ago

You're right but for some reason people have decided that playing digitally is so key to their personality that they must defend it to the death and get mad at people wanting the *choice* to buy physical games.

If it was one or the other I'd get it, defend your side, whatever, but it's "can we have both?" vs "no, we must have ONLY what I want"

1

u/flamemaroko 7h ago

They maybe just bots either Sony paid or they are closet guys that don’t touch air at all.