GameStop is very concerned about those free games you’ve been getting

GameStop wants to make sure that you know what videogames are really worth. Citing recent hardware bundles from Sony and Microsoft, GameStop president Tony Bartel told investors that the videogame industry must work together to maintain profitability with its products. Bartel’s concern is that software giveaways devalue games across the industry by driving down price expectations in customers.

“We want to help ensure that our industry does not make the same mistake as other entertainment categories by driving the perceived value of digital goods significantly below that of a physical game.”

According to GameStop’s research, over $100 million in software has been given away for free to gamers in 2014 as part of hardware bundles, incentives, and membership programs such as Xbox Games for Gold and PlayStation Plus. In that same research, GameStop revealed that surveyed gamers now expect to pay no more than $35 for a newly released triple-A digital title.