Consumers are being conned, says The Fair Play Group, and consumers should make a stand by boycotting retail stores.

The controversial campaign was launched earlier this week, with the team behind Fair Play comprising developers and journalists as well as the general public - the biggest names being freelance writer Stuart Campbell and John Pickford of Zed Two.

Fair Play claims to boast other members from within the market, although they are currently remaining anonymous.

The sentiment behind the movement is simple; that games are too expensive, and a series of activities are being planned to "force" the industry to lower prices.

Spearheading the campaign is what has been dubbed 'Don't Buy A Video Game Week' - with consumers being urged not to buy games in the week from December 1st to 8th. In addition, gamers are being invited to sign an online petition and to take part in media stunts to increase publicity.

What has stunned the market this week is the aggressive tone of the campaign 'manifesto' and the fact that the body behind it failed to discuss its views
with the industry before any action was taken.

Fair Play spokesman John Abbott told MCV this week that the group didn't see any reason for discussion: "We didn't speak to any representative bodies; we didn't really see the point. They've been resisting all overtures to reduce prices by sheer reason and persuasion for many years now.

"It seemed time to get a bit more serious about it and simply bypass them in favour of the people who could make a difference - the games-buying public.

Gentle logical persuasion has fallen on deaf ears for many years. We decided something a little more drastic was required to get the industry's attention. If we mobilise public support sufficiently, the industry will
have to comply - whether it agrees with the arguments or not - out of financial necessity."

The campaign has secured coverage with BBC Online and The Sun, with more national press and possibly TV interest expected.

"If 'Don't Buy A Videogame Week' doesn't result in lower prices, further boycotts will happen. We're in this to achieve something. After all, the industry has more to lose than the consumer does."

Meanwhile, the industry has reacted in horror at what could be a PR nightmare for the UK games business in the run-up to the crucial Christmas season.

It follows a number of retail complaints about the price of new releases on certain formats, particularly Xbox and Game Boy Advance, and worries about the speed at which full price titles on all formats are currently being reduced in price.

"What has been obvious to many of us for very many years now is the fact that drastically reducing the price of a title so soon after its release sends two messages to the end user," offered Clive Bishop, head of indie retail body NASCR.

"Firstly, it means wait a while and get it for a quarter of the price and secondly that it can't really be worth the original release price if it can be sold for a quarter of that so soon after its release. In simple terms it completely devalues the product in the eyes of the consumer, which makes the original SRP nonsensical."

But while some within the trade would welcome reduced prices, inaccuracies in Fair Play's campaign statements and its destructive tone have caused anger.

"I was fairly vocal in getting Xbox games down to £40 and GBA games down to £30," said Chris Ratcliff of indie retail bible The Game Guide. "But a public campaign is very damaging. If all games were £10 the indie retail sector would go out of business."

Sony and Microsoft preferred not to comment, but Nintendo was quick to blast a response to the Fair Play group.

"A great game provides hours of excellent, interactive entertainment and can be played over and over again, providing unique experiences every time," said communications director Shelly Friend.

"You can't judge the value of a game by price alone - the quality of the game is key."

Former Nintendo and Sony analyst Nick Parker, who worked with the MMC when it investigated the industry, was outraged.

"The Fair Play campaign is making spurious comparisons with movies and music. It claims the Christmas period is 80 per cent of the annual market
but December accounted for 25 per cent of last year.

"Although there should be an argument for cheaper software, this campaign is ill-informed and should be rejected for lacking sufficient cogent reasoning."