Summary
It’s no secret that gaming can be an expensive hobby. Between the hardware, accessories,monthly or yearly subscriptionsand, of course, the games themselves, things can add up quickly. Already, gamershave seen an increase in subscription pricesas well asgames going from a $59.99 price point to a $69.99 point.
Now, it looks like publishers are gearing up for another price hike. That price could take games well beyond the $69.99 MSRP into uncharted territory. When that hike will happen, or what game will be the first to implement it remains to be seen.
Inan interview with GamesIndustry.biz, Embracer Group’s CEO Lars Wingefors revealed that his conglomerate has been discussing how to price its titles in the future. That pricing strategy might come down to what the game is and what it’s offering to consumers. In other words, it’s not as simple as a blanket increase across all titles.
“I’m not saying you’re able to’t increase the price,” Wingefors said. “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.”
While it is a consideration, Wingefors says thatEmbracerwill continue to price its games like the rest of the industry.
“It’s something we have been discussing, but we are currently sticking to the practice of the industry,” he added. “Would it be that one [company] one day that tries to increase pricing? That remains to be seen.”
A Gaming Price Hike Has Been In Discussion Recently
This wouldn’t be the first time that a potential change in price has been brought up. A little over a week ago,Take-Two’s CEO Strauss Zelnick discussed the possibility of charging more for its offerings.
“Look, there’s more content constantly being made available, and we really aim to deliver great value at any given time,” Zelnick said. “We’re so focused on delivering more value than what we charge. And that’s sort of the rubric.”
As part of an earnings call, Zelnick alluded toGrand Theft Auto 6costing more than other games. If that were to happen, though, Zelnick said that Take-Two would ensure that “it’s good news for the consumer.” That good news would be because the title would “vastly overdeliver in the context of the cost,” according to Zelnick.
Whenever a price hike does happen, the ramifications on the gaming industry will likely be massive. And even if a change in pricing isn’t imminent, it’s becoming more and more apparent that studios are discussing it internally. It just remains to be seen which of them will be the first to take the plunge.
