After the reveal that NBA 2K21 will be $69.99, gamers have begun to feel unsure about the future cost of games, which will set them up at a starting price point of $69.99 instead of $59.99, which has been commonplace for two console generations.
In recent days, it seems that quite a few publishers are preparing to increase the cost of next-gen games, making it so that the games will go up globally on an average of $10 USD or more. Games, in some countries, could very well exceed $90-$100 USD on average for a Triple-A title, making games almost completely unaffordable to those on a budget.
In an interview with IDG Consulting CEO Yoshio Osaki, GamesIndustry.biz discovered that it has been confirmed that other publishers might be following 2K’s push, possibly aiming at an overall price hike in order to keep developing games at the standards that they do.
games need to go up in price. I prefer an initial increase in price to the always on cash grab microtransaction filled hellscape that some games have become.
— Cory Balrog 🖖 (@corybarlog) July 8, 2020
It has even been stated that by God of War director, Cory Barlog, that he’s in favor of the price hike, stating that cash-grab microtransactions would have to go in order for this jump to work. That’s where things get a bit more interesting when Microsoft’s Head of Gaming, Phil Spencer, opened up about his thoughts on the delicate topic in the cost of games.
“As an industry, we can price things whatever we want to price them, and the customer will decide what the right price is for them. I’m not negative on people setting a new price point for games because I know everybody’s going to drive their own decisions based on their own business needs. But gamers have more choice today than they ever have. In the end, I know the customer is in control of the price that they pay, and I trust that system,” Spencer told the Washington Post.
With the success of Xbox Game Pass, Phil Spencer did continue on, stating the importance of such a service and his stance that gamers will take the chance to speak with the power of their wallet.
“because there’s such an initial friction for a new customer to get into a game, which includes the retail price point, games have to do things and work really hard to overcome that friction. Game Pass games are games that test the traditional tropes of games, and allows creators to get adventurous,” Spencer explained.
There’s already rising curiosity about when or how players will get their hands on games, especially with the rumor that Microsoft could be cutting the cost of online gaming to free, which would open up the doors to an entirely new market with free online gaming and premium services such as Xbox Game Pass for Xbox One, PC and Xbox Series X moving forward as the 12-month subscription plan for Gold has all but disappeared.
About the Writer(s):
Dustin is our native video game reviewer who has an appetite for anything that crosses the borders from across the big pond. His interest in JRPG’s, Anime, Handheld Gaming, and Pizza is insatiable. You can find him over on Twitter or Facebook where he interacts with his followers quite a bit!