Released at varying prices - in general, the more highly anticipated the game, the higher the price.
Over time, the price drops.
Very very very good games stay in print, basically forever. Released and re-released in newer collections, under budget labels etc. The price drops more slowly - but you'll be able to get it cheaply forever. Quake?, HalfLife are good examples of this.
Truly truly bad games stay on the shelves. The retailers (rather than the publishers) lower the price, in an attempt to get rid of them. Eventually, priced at under a fiver, they languish at the bottom of a bargain bin - because even at that price no-one wants them. But if you did, then you could get them cheap.
But intermediate games are a problem. They start out moderately priced, and when the price drops - they fly off the shelves. They aren't re-released, you only get one shot at them.
Conclusion? Moderately priced 'average' games that no-one is truly salivating for but which aren't unaldulterated dreck are actually more expensive than either great or awful games.
So it's in a publishers best interest to release them?
Rant induced by my failure to pick up a game on Saturday - everything was eithe over-priced or blatant junk. Could I find freedom force? Could I bobbins.
May not be of use to you, but I think I saw that one in an Electronic Boutique in Southampton. I don't think it was a particularly good price though. I can't remember - Kazuhiko
I saw one last week. Went in to buy it this week. No trace. Asked sales assistants. Tried other stores. Hence the rant :) --Vitenka
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