The latest gaming generation has introduced a number of features, but with all the new and shiny things comes a higher price tag. Some AAA game publishers have used this new generation as a springboard to increase the prices of games from $60 to $70. One of the companies leading the charge is Take-Two, who released NBA 2K21 for $70 on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. During a conference call that took place earlier this week, Take-Two's CEO Strauss Zelnick reiterated the point of the price increase for major games going forward, saying, "our review was that we're offering an array of extraordinary experiences, lots of replayability, and the last time there was a frontline price increase in the US was 2005/2006, so we think consumers were ready for it."

While Take-Two seems to think that players are ready to accept the new MSRP for games, he also mentioned that the $70 price point won't apply to all future games published by the studio, as they plan to, "make announcements on a title-by-title basis" and that they "want to always deliver more value than what [they] charge."

Source: Morgan Stanley Technology Media & Telecom Conference (transcribed by VGC)

 

[playstays_shun]

I just scored loose Lets Go Pikachu and Pokemon Shield for $50

Even if either one of them are shit, or both, I'll re-coup just fine...

been refusing to pay more than this since I hear mixed things about em but the expectations wil[l be low

 

[TheGodMauro]

We'll see how this effects the gaming landscape, because Take Two can implement this whenever they want since they are one of the giants of the industry, and history shows that the rest will follow if the price increase translates into increased revenue. It will suck, but I'll not be surprised if 70$ becomes the new standard going forward.

 

[Justinde75]

EA licking their fingers looking at this.

70$ for the same game with slightly modified models every year.

 

[ertaboy356b]

I never really buy sports games because they get stupidly cheap in just 1 year.

 

[Mythical]

I'm still not ready for $60

 

[qqq1]

I would never buy sports games like that anyway but I'll just wait a year till they're 80% or so off on steam.

 

[feauxtiger]

Pssh. I think the future is stuff like GamePass. Let me pay you directly and have access to a large catalog. Would these $70 games be done so well that we wouldn't need updates? I'd hate to pay $70 for something they have to keep patching to make worth playing.

 

[the_randomizer]

Would be a real shame if people bought these full priced games used

 

[Julie_Pilgrim]

Would be a real shame if people bought these full priced games used

Would be an even bigger shame if someone were to pirate them

 

[the_randomizer]

Would be an even bigger shame if someone were to pirate them

Now that I'd love to see, a little schadenfreude never hurt anyone

 

[Pl4yst4tionRox]

I totally agree that 70 .00 for a sports game as absurd. What needs to happen is some one needs to hit Strauss Zelnick (CEO) over the head and when he comes to have him "Take-Two" advils if he thinks people are ready to spend that type of money alone for a game without any extras such as digital content. I would pay the extra 10 for a non sports AAA game. With the way that the world is today I just feel that people are just trying to take advantage of the situation.

 

[Bladexdsl]

Would be an even bigger shame if someone were to pirate them

no it wouldn't these greedy c***s deserve to be pirated. 2k is almost there at EAs level.

 

[ZeroFX]

— Said Take two, one of the most money hungry companies out there.

Yeah yeah, when milking gta v isn't enough and the profitability of their shitty basketball games is at risk...

 

[ZeroT21]

They'll probably go through with this, unlike the xbox live pricing fiasco, this only affects their own games for now

 

[Deleted member 534570]

"No, we're not."
- The Gamers (Whatever the fuck that means...)

 

[dude1]

As a Canadian I felt screwed when our $60 games became 80 (The exchange rates) i’ve seen some things occasionally go to 90 or 100
If the US adopts a $70 game then our average is going to be 100 to 120

All this does is encourage people to sail the high seas

it’s ridiculous, companies are slow to Match inflation when our dollar Is on par or Even worse when it was has been than the US dollar, but whenever it’s lower they are really quick at adjusting prices up, Sometimes beyond exchange rate.
Throw in that my province has a 13% tax, and I live right next-door to Montana with 0% sales tax, pre-pandemic I was buying everything down there not just games, sometimes it’s still cheaper for me to buy down there re-ship to myself from a forwarding company where I keep a mailbox.



the

 

[duwen]

Maybe the morons who pay full price for each yearly itteration of a sports title are *ready* for $70 games... but I for one am still resistant to the existing pricing model; I wait for price drops on most things, and the only items I pre-order anymore are physical releases of indie titles.

 

[Kadji]

70$ for a AAA Game that was many years in Development and shows dedication from the dev team? Ok, take my money.
Examples would be the GTA series, Red Dead Redemption, most games from Nintendo (especially Smash Ultimate comes to mind).

I am also fine with DLC if it is priced appropriately and is added at a later date (F*ck Day 1 DLC...)

But 70$ as the new baseline price? Suggested by greedy Take-Two? For their DLC filled Sport games?
F*CK OFF!

 

[BitMasterPlus]

And this is why pirating games is as big as it is.

 

[Foxi4]

I don't know that crunch is necessarily a symptom of bad development or contributor to high prices, quite the opposite in fact if staff costs are going to be a primary concern for your company. It is one of the many reasons I don't develop games for a living but basic big book of management says less time taken, less cost up until the point where you have to start paying them more (see Gantt charts and optimisation based on them).

That said yeah a bit of safe coding type methods combined with finding someone that knows about writing and developing characters/story and a bit of game theory... that would solve many a sales issue.

People who hate crunch time are not involved in any creative endeavours, or they're not very productive. You remove crunch, you get Duke Nukem Forever.