The next-generation of video games would cost $70. Well, not every game, but a major chunk of them. This is an industry-wide decision and many publishers are planning on releasing their newer games for $70. Recent reports revealed, however, Sony had discussions to go for even higher pricing before settling at $70.
Bloomberg’s Olga Kharif and Takashi Mochizuki report that executives have been planning the price-hike for years. Sony, at one point, had discussions to go even higher. The reason being inflation and the increasing cost of development for big Triple-A titles.
Discussions among Sony executives regarding the price hike were going on for quite some time. A representative mentioned that Sony is selling titles at launch for as little as $50. While the biggest games selling for $70. It is “reflective of the growing development resources needed for these ambitious games,” she said.
David Cole, an analyst at the US-based market research and consulting firm DFC Intelligence shared his views regarding the situation. He believes Microsoft and Sony are focusing on undercutting the competition with lower-priced games in order to drive hardware sales. A prime example of that is Spider-Man: Miles Morales for Sony and Halo Infinite for Microsoft. Both games priced at $60. The former, however, is a short standalone title of its predecessor Marvel’s Spider-Man, a comparatively bigger game.
Cole said, “In time, when more titles are competing for gamers’ wallets, prices could inch back down but the $70 game is here to stay: Consumers will definitely pay in the short term.”
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