they no longer have to worry about printing games (so that cost is gone)
While digital distribution is definitely cheaper, it isn’t free. The cost of printing games got replaced with the storefront’s cut. Steam takes 30%, for example.
I’m not defending the $80 price tag, but the storefront cut is a personal concern for me as an aspiring indie dev. Sadly, the 30% cut is also being pushed as an “industry standard”.
While digital distribution is definitely cheaper, it isn’t free. The cost of printing games got replaced with the storefront’s cut. Steam takes 30%, for example.
I’m not defending the $80 price tag, but the storefront cut is a personal concern for me as an aspiring indie dev. Sadly, the 30% cut is also being pushed as an “industry standard”.