What comes first? Piracy or games prices?

[Quall999]

I usually don't even bother playing a game unless it is good enouph to buy. Meaning most of the time it has to have good reviews.

I think piracy raises game prices. Although unlike others, I don't think it is because companies lose maney from it, more or so they are just using piracy as an excuse to raise prices. They believe their games are worth more than they sell...um..Skip the next paragraph to get the main point of the post, i am really tired so what I wrote below may not be the easiest to keep up with.

There are far more game devs now than there were before. And not just retail, I mean, more and more people are making free games to play, that don't completely suck. Technology has grown alot over the years and programmers aren't so uncommon these days. Our standards have also grown, since variety of gameplay and style isn't so common anymore. The only games that I see a difference in gameplay now, are strategy games and rpg's, since new gameplay techniques can always be added and changed. FPS's have alot in common, since there aren't too much things you can change other than environmental atmosphere and weapons.

My point is, I think companies are raising prices because consumers are getting everyone elses product. There are almost no unique games anymore that will give a "deciding" factor on which to buy. SO, the companies that usually make all the money, aren't making all the money anymore, thus they raise game prices....then blame piracy for their losses.

I'm really tired so im not sure what I posted above is easily understood, or if it is just me having trouble keeping up with what I wrote because of it.