Depends on a few things for me. How much spending cash do I have for the month, and what game is it?

I think the most I ever payed for a game here was $45 for The Witcher 2 pre-order. The only game I have ever pre-ordered in my life. I trusted CDPR to deliver though, and they gave me a free game with the pre-order ;)

On Steam I payed a decent amount for some games, like Company of Heroes 2. I've dropped $20 on AAA games in the past, if I felt they'd be worth it. I have a hard time justifying most older games being over $10-$15, and REALLY old games (DOS era) I can't usually go over $5. At most, I don't go over $20, but I don't pay that much very often either.

I think PC game prices are mostly justified, because it's always a crapshoot how well the game will run on your specific system, or if the thing is even in a finished state to begin with.

Also, slightly off topic, but thinking back to that TW2 pre-order, anybody remember when GOG gave away a sword and shield?

For sure, but in here.. oh boy, what a scam. Next year: BAM. Same thing.
Following year? There you go, champ ;(
In fact, two easters ago I saw a dude buying the exact (exact... the E-X-A-C-T: package, made in HUEzil) same easter chocolate egg in friggin' NAGOYA,Japan and paying something like 70% less than us. Tough one to beat, huh?

To be honest, I think like you.
It's not about cheapness, but is about how the gaming market has evolved.

I was spending much more money in the old days, when I was a kid for games like Tornado, X-Wng, ecc., then today, where I earn way much more money.

Why?

The game value.

What is the real value of a game?
No one knows.
In UK is worth 200%, in Italy 150%, in US 90%, in Russia 30%, ecc.

After 1 month the game from 40£ is price 30£.
After 2 months it s priced 25 and start get discounted by 30%....

New games are loaded with bugs or are often in a beta state.

The you got DLC, "expansions" and loads of add-on that could be part of the original first release.
If not enough Enhanced edition, director's cut, Sasha grey starring editions....

Personally, I feel ripped offf.

End result: I buy much more games, that I could end up not playing (for various reasons), but I don't accept to shell more that 2£ or 3£.

I'm cheap?
Yes. The gaming market, from my personal point of view, is not worth my money full priced.

You heard right. These taxes are something out of this world that no one understands. For me, it's a killer (in the most baddest of bad ways) since I began to play on both pc and consoles. Yup, nothing in sight to at least ease this pain ;(

I sense customer womanization.

The game's real value? Well, how much would you be prepared to pay for that game? What do you think is fair for that game?

Original Infinity Engine games? GOG says 10$ each, but I would pay 40$ each if I could, because that's about what they're worth to me. I'm not saying everyone should pay that price, but if GOG had a system where you could set any price you want (with a reasonable minimum, say 10$, for the cheapskates), I would pay 40$.

Why don't you ask to pay more for games of merit? GOG will be happy.
Or why the price is not customer chosen?

The story of "how much I'm prepared to pay" is a fable.

Used to be this way, for sure... until our currency (which we fought for and went thru heaven and hell for it) got destroyed by some dudes I 'care' and, uh, 'love' about. Won't get political in here, I'm tired as heck ;P
Now it's pratically the same deal. Huezillians "pay" sometimes 5, 6, 7 times for the same product. Cars, daily goods, consoles and so on, it really doesn't matter. Check the egg: 40 bucks in here, 4 bucks out there. Makes no sense,

TL;DR Brazill is DOOMED. Experts say it'll take 20yrs or more to "recover" from the most corrupt deal - billions and billions down the drain, political-social-economic crisis hitting hard as hell, google it- of the history of mankind.
I mean, really, since the beginning of the world as we know it, since the dawn of man, since Nebuchadnezzar, since the creation of UR, Jericho and so on. Wish I was joking. I'll be a 50+ year man and we'll still be pretty beat up.
Hopes and dreams? Not for the next two decades, sonny boy.

;(

If you wanted to know, Port Talbot, Wales.

Yes.

Wait, let me read the OP...

Yes.

Yes, you're cheap, but it's normal. The market is flooded, and people certainly don't lack for choice, regardless of how little they're willing to pay. When that happens the perceived value of games becomes very low.

Me, I hesitate paying anything over $1 for a game.

It's an impossible thing to expect from the industry, but I'd definitely pay a lot more for video games if the major stores implemented choose-your-own-price systems. Simply because I'd feel free to buy games at the time that they interest me, instead of feeling obligated to wait for a sale discount, which encourages that opportunistic game-hoarding mentality that accompanies video game sales and sucks money away from the games I genuinely want to support.

It's a flaw of human nature perhaps, but given how easy it is to pirate most of our games, you'd think we deserve to get thrown a bone for trying to do the positive thing.