They're $60 because people will buy them for that much. The same reason that the direct downloads are also not (usually) discounted, even though they have no packaging, CD's, manuals, shelf space, etc. And there's no way the digital version's facsimiles come close to matching those costs. Even Impulse charges $10+S&H for a $.50 padded envelope and a CD for their "boxed" versions (at least, each one I've bought has arrived that way.)

 If they don't sell well at $60, they won't cost $60. The trick is to convince everyone not to buy it, and please call me when you figure that one out.

It's a simple supply and demand curve (Economics 101). The people willing to buy the game at $60 dollars are hit first until demand runs out. Then the price is lowered to hit the next level of targetted demand which wouldn't spend $60 but are willing to spend $30 or $40 dollars. Then eventually the game goes on final sales to tap out the rest of the curve.

If they just set the price at $30 dollars they are quite frankly missing an opportunity to maximize profits as anyone willing to buy at $60 would most assuredly buy at $30. Given prices of games tend to always drop I don't think anyone is missing out in the equation.

That's why lying in wait two years and then looking on Amazon works so well

Blizzard has always priced their games highly. Starcraft wasn't that much cheaper than Starcraft 2.

Inflation can also play a factor.

Agreed. Some games people just gotta have it at release. Some people just set their budget to no more than $30-$40 for a game.

With DD you lose nothing by having a sale. You have the files and the server, why not have a 50 to 75 percent sale and pull in some cash to keep things running.

Stop buying games and the price will go down.