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[GametimeUK]

I'm not really against a price increase to assist in the cost of developing a quality single player title that has huge production value.

The problem then becomes lesser games will see games selling at a higher price so they will decide to charge more too.

We will then be stuck with publishers wanting to create games with low production cost and trying to sell them at a higher price to maximise profit.

 

[lughnasadh123]

Everyone is considering it, most are just smart enough not to say so.

 

[lh032]

The Jim Ryan idealogy lives on.

 

[DaGwaphics]

The price of games then was exactly why the rental market was so prevalent at the time. I know if I was lucky I'd get maybe 2 or 3 games a year at most. But I could rent a game pretty much every week. And that was common amongst everyone I knew.

I'd wager that if game prices rose any more than they have now, it'll be even less purchases from the general public and the prevalent equivalent of rental or piracy as the general solution for the majority of gamers.

This, they'd probably do a good job of pushing people further towards F2P or subscriptions/rentals and away from traditional purchases. Gaming is already a luxury expense in a world where the cost of living is stressing a lot of folks.

It's all about the numbers for them though. If they figure they can raise the price by X and only lose Y percentage of sales, maybe they figure they can generate more revenue like that.

 

[ultrazilla]

Before the outrage mob starts:

I fully expect Grand Theft Auto 6 to be "the game" that breaks away from "normal" pricing and goes into premium pricing.

I expect nothing short of $100 for the cheapest "entry" version of the game all the way up to and between the $200 and $400 price points. Collector's Editions, etc.

Don't be surprised to see Grand Theft Auto 6 Online be treated as a separate game which will demand premium pricing as well. They'll probably force paid subscriptions if you want to play
that mode. This will basically be a "GAAS" nightmare but they know little Johnny is gonna want to have the coolest cars and best apartments so his allowance will be Shark Cards and GTA "Passes"(think battle passes)

You really should start preparing yourselves for it. There's no freaking way Rockstar will release this game for *only* $69. LMAO

Bookmark this post for posterity.

 

[TerribleAtThisGame]

I'm fucking rich, I don't care.

 

[Saber]

He said he just wants to follow the market, meaning that once a clown follow the idea he just gonna follow as well.

DEI is probably one of reasons(not the main though) for why the costs are high, as they have get constant consults during the entire development of the project to be certain that it fits their criteria.
AAA games are also expansive because they want to expend way too amounts of money with things like motion/face capture(I dunno whats called) for characters unnecessarally and also end up waste way too much time developing a game, probably to avoid crunch times.

 

[LordCBH]

People already don’t buy Embracer’s shovelware shit.

 

[Lunarorbit]

Embracer is full of tools. Biggest money laundering scheme or one of the worst managed companies the last century.

These shit brains have no idea how to put games out and I'm supposed to pay them more? The price has already increased so I have no idea why they speak like this.

No one is spending $80+ on an embracer game. You know why some games have long sales tails? It's cause shit goes on sale in a month.

 

[ShadyAcshuns]

We're going to start seeing more and more of these kinds of articles, and devs who post here making articles about "games are too cheap!". So get ready.

 

[El Muerto]

Their games are barely worth $60 to begin with.

 

[Fake]

I wish you good luck.

 

[ShadyAcshuns]

Tinfoil hat Posts like this are even worse that the ‘woke’ stuff you folks complain about. Nobody’s inflating budgets by millions to implement DEI shit.

AAA Games are getting increasingly more expensive to make for very well documented reasons.

Are you a dev? If so, stop making them if they are too costly. Make AA games instead because most gamers don't want "more expensive" games.

 

[Ozriel]

Are you a dev? If so, stop making them if they are too costly. Make AA games instead because most gamers don't want "more expensive" games.

Lol no, I’m not a dev. And many studios just can’t pivot to AA without massive job cuts. It’s also what the market demands.

 

[ShadyAcshuns]

Lol no, I’m not a dev. And many studios just can’t pivot to AA without massive job cuts. It’s also what the market demands.

Bullshit. All those devs could be working on quality AA titles, and no, the market doesn't demand expensive AAA games from every developer out there.

 

[Bonfires Down]

It certainly doesn’t seem unfair to charge $80 for the likes of GTA6, Witcher 4 or Elder Scrolls 6. But personally I would wait for price drops like I already do.

 

[Jaybe]

Embracer needs to cut their wasteful ESG / DEI spending first and foremost before considering raising game prices. From a Volition Community Manager’s LinkedIn:

 

[ArtHands]

Frankly speaking I don't mind paying $100 for a standard copy of their games on PS5 (and only PS5)

 

[Gamer79]

Vidéogame crash incoming

 

[Juza]

 

[Kenpachii]

Aint paying 70 bucks for games or 80 euro's whatever bullshit numbers they come up with.

40 is limit and will stay so.

 

[StereoVsn]

Does that mean europeans will pay more than 80 euros or are we going to be equal for once ?

You are not paying extra for the most part as it’s the 20%+ VAT that gets prices that high. US prices don’t include taxes.

So yeah, expect prices ti go up, so €90 or even €100.

 

[StereoVsn]

In the meantime Sony and Nintendo are making crazy cash. But sure, we absolutely have to raise prices.

 

[RavageX]

Toys R Us flyer from 1996. Factor in inflation by doubling the prices you see here.

These games were also complete and didn't nickle and dime you after purchase. Unlockables and cheats were already in the game.

Like another person said as well, renting was the main way my family went about media then. Every week I could rent a game, I bought from a pawn shop when I was older or waited for birthdays/Christmas.

These days there are maybe one or two games I'd even consider paying $70 for...maybe. But I personally wait for a sale.

 

[Majukun]

tell him that they already cost more than that

They already have using subscriptions services which devalue games already. Look how people cry foul when a brand new game isn't hitting gamepass day one. These companies had dug their own graves years ago.

never seen a single person "cry foul" when a game is not on gamepass at day one.

 

[Guerilla Munch]

lmao the only publishers that could get away with going above $70 for a base game are Nintendo and Rock Star, and Tecmo if they make DOAX4 with ray traced butts and bobs

 

[ReBurn]

I fully expect Grand Theft Auto 6 to be "the game" that breaks away from "normal" pricing and goes into premium pricing.

I expect nothing short of $100 for the cheapest "entry" version of the game all the way up to and between the $200 and $400 price points. Collector's Editions, etc.

Don't be surprised to see Grand Theft Auto 6 Online be treated as a separate game which will demand premium pricing as well. They'll probably force paid subscriptions if you want to play
that mode. This will basically be a "GAAS" nightmare but they know little Johnny is gonna want to have the coolest cars and best apartments so his allowance will be Shark Cards and GTA "Passes"(think battle passes)

You really should start preparing yourselves for it. There's no freaking way Rockstar will release this game for *only* $69. LMAO

Bookmark this post for posterity.

GTA VI is going to be one of the games that comfortably earns a profit at $70. I would be surprised if they decided to risk criticism that can hurt their opening sales with a blatant cash grab like that. They can release at whatever price they like, but it's been over a decade since the last game. I can certainly wait for a discount if they decide to price gouge. There are plenty of other games to play.

 

[Sleepwalker]

Embrace deez nuts

 

[ShadyAcshuns]

You are not paying extra for the most part as it’s the 20%+ VAT that gets prices that high. US prices don’t include taxes.

So yeah, expect prices ti go up, so €90 or even €100.

 

[Swagballs717]

Calling it now, Grand Theft Auto VI is gonna retail for at least $80

 

[Fbh]

Every publisher is probably thinking about how to extract more money from their games.
The real question is if increasing the price will actually give them more money or if it won't make a difference as they'll just sell fewer copies for a higher price and make the same amount in the end (or maybe even less).
For companies like Embracer who struggle to sell their games at $60-70 it probably won't work out, but as others have pointed out a company like Rockstar could probably increase the price to $80 and still sell tens of millions of copies

 

[Generic]

Subscription services were supposed to give games at lower prices but most consumers refused them on the basis that "they devalue games"

Now I can expect game prices to rise even futher.

 

[Evil Calvin]

People are already paying over $70 (Canada for instance) but deluxe editions, collectors editions and early access editions (where you can play 3+ days early) all going for $80 and even up to $150+. They would do better to lower the price of the standard game ($65?) and add more deluxe editions for those who want it. Lower price will get more people to buy and profits would be higher than the fewer people who would buy an $80 game.

 

[R6Rider]

People are already paying over $70 (Canada for instance) but deluxe editions, collectors editions and early access editions (where you can play 3+ days early) all going for $80 and even up to $150+. They would do better to lower the price of the standard game ($65?) and add more deluxe editions for those who want it. Lower price will get more people to buy and profits would be higher than the fewer people who would buy an $80 game.

Canadians pay roughly the same based on conversion rates.

 

[Dorfdad]

You’ll probably have to decrease your expectations



They clearly say it’s a hypothetical, if the game in question is a 100+ hour, super polished game.

I wouldn’t pay 89.99 for a masterpiece like BG3 I’ll simply wait for the patches and cdkeys

 

[Wildebeest]

Pouring cold water on those "but inflation" pictures of SNES games. Compared to the 90s, the middle classes in the US are simply less wealthy, less disposable income in the largest market. Game cartridges were more expensive because they were harder to manufacture, distribute, and so on, with higher costs per unit and people taking a cut every step of the chain. Now you are not even mostly buying a physical game at all, but a "digital licence" to play a game that can be withdrawn or shut down at any time. And then you don't get the full thing unless you pay more. Sometimes the game isn't really even finished and if the community don't pay more the game never gets finished.

 

[DAHGAMING]

I cant argue against it to be fair, they have realy been putting out some amazing games, along with shutting studios, canceling games including a Deus Ex game. So yea what a company, increase the price you fucking donkeys.

 

[Kadve]

Note that he was specifically asked the question. Also they are not doing it unless other publishers start doing it. Here is the full part of the interview

Embracer's Lars Wingefors on the "brutal truth" of the AAA market

Embracer Group's latest financials showed the stark contract between two of the firm's biggest releases from its past f…

www.gamesindustry.biz

His mention of pricing brings to mind the $70 debate, with publishers facing backlash towards the start of the current console generation for bringing the standard price up from $60, where it had stayed for well over a decade. Does this mean it's impossible to raise the price tag any further?

"I'm not saying you can't increase the price," Wingefors says. "But the reality is no one has tried it. If you create an enormous RPG, for example, with 100 or 150 hours of gameplay, very polished and a unique experience, would the consumer be willing to pay more? If they would, they would have more products potentially coming to market. But no one tried it.

"It's something we have been discussing, but we are currently sticking to the practice of the industry. Would it be that one [company] one day that tries to increase pricing? That remains to be seen."

 

[FeralEcho]

I don't even pay 60$ anymore for the garbage devs release these days let alone over 70$ lol

But greed wins in the end for these cunts,just don't expect me as a customer to give a shit when you go bankrupt. I'll be sure to be there to dance on your grave and buy the shit you released on sales. Bring on the crash!

 

[Northeastmonk]

Not all video game creators will want to sell their game for some jacked up price. Pick your poison/console.

 

[TheGrat1]

Subscription services were supposed to give games at lower prices but most consumers refused them on the basis that "they devalue games"

Now I can expect game prices to rise even futher.

Not just consumers. Activision did not put their new games on subscription services because it was value destructive, stated by Bobby Kotick himself.

Answer me this: If the money brought in from selling games decreased do you think that the quality of the games being made would increase, decrease or stay the same?

 

[ShadyAcshuns]

I don't even pay 60$ anymore for the garbage devs release these days let alone over 70$ lol

But greed wins in the end for these cunts,just don't expect me as a customer to give a shit when you go bankrupt. I'll be sure to be there to dance on your grave and buy the shit you released on sales. Bring on the crash!

Pretty much. Some of us have been collecting games and systems with just that in mind: a crash brought about by greed and a lack of knowledge of what your base audience really wants.

Feel sorry for those who didn't prepare for a disaster though, they'll have to pay crazy prices just to play old systems and games I guess. Winter is coming.

 

[Cyberpunkd]

They clearly say it’s a hypothetical, if the game in question is a 100+ hour, super polished game.

Wouldn’t that mean more people want to buy said game, thus increasing profits at the same price point?

The thing is gaming companies believe the market has reached its saturation user-wise, thus in order to increase profits you need to extract more value from your existing user base.

Regardless - everyone will wait for GTA 6 to do it, then it will be the new norm.

 

[mitch1971]

tell him that they already cost more than that


never seen a single person "cry foul" when a game is not on gamepass at day one.

 

[Generic]

Not just consumers. Activision did not put their new games on subscription services because it was value destructive, stated by Bobby Kotick himself.

Answer me this: If the money brought in from selling games decreased do you think that the quality of the games being made would increase, decrease or stay the same?

Stay the same, since most of these super-budget AAA games suck.

 

[Švejk]

It was already inevitable... But having to announce it, makes it sound even worse and douchey.

 

[MikeM]

If anything, discount at launch to acknowledge the patches required to fix the beta product. This whole idea of paying the highest cost for the most broken version of the product astounds me.

Its why I just recently bought GT7. Now it has proper non-vrr and vrr 120fps modes. And I got it at a $40 CAD discount.

 

[tmlDan]

how to go bankrupt 101, if you make games of low quality like Embracer you cannot justify a price increase

If anything, discount at launch to acknowledge the patches required to fix the beta product. This whole idea of paying the highest cost for the most broken version of the product astounds me.

Its why I just recently bought GT7. Now it has proper non-vrr and vrr 120fps modes. And I got it at a $40 CAD discount.

You're a smart consumer, so many people complain about price but they can just wait. Games go on sale so fast compared to any other industry

 

[Denton]

The problem with talking to journalists and being honest is that even if you say logical things that everyone else is thinking, you will still get shit for it from people who only read headlines or not use brain, and that's if the journalist themselves does not fuck you over, which happens regularly.

So, Wingefors does not say anything particularly outrageous, but he should still stfu for his own good.

 

[Disco Dave]

The same cheeky bastards that released Gollum for £50.