Video Games Prices Could Be Increasing To $69.99

[Cush]

Could be limited to XSX and PS5 titles, but it was only a matter of time.

Click to read more...

 

[Frankie Spankie]

I don't even remember the last game I paid $60 for, I doubt there will be many, if any, that I pay $70 for...

 

[The Mars Volchenkov]

I pretty much wait for a sale or for anything to come to Game Pass to play it, unless its a special game. This price increase felt inevitable, though.

 

[Osprey]

I don't even remember the last game I paid $60 for, I doubt there will be many, if any, that I pay $70 for...

I don't think that I've ever paid more than $45 for a game. If they cost more than that, I simply wait to buy them.

 

[Smelling Salt]

Price increased $10 to $79.99 CAD plus tax three years (?) ago. So if it goes up $10 again, $100 after tax now? Yikes.

 

[saluki]

Inflation-wise we'e finally catching up to the 80's and 90's.

I remember in a thread many years ago (probably around 2010) a person posted an actual ad for a 90's PC game. iirc it was Warcraft 2 and the price was $69.99.

I also remember reading that adjusted for inflation the NES was Nintendo's most expensive console.

What I absolutely concede is that back then, when you bought a game, you got the whole game. None of the micro-transaction/games as a service nightmare.

 

[Commander Clueless]

$69?

Nice.


In all seriousness, sure I guess. More waiting for sales.

 

[Jussi]

But since Microsoft is offering Smart Delivery for free, then I should buy the Xbox One version and upgrade that?

 

[JeffreyLFC]

It is normal to see price increasing over time. I am not shocked.

 

[aleshemsky83]

Inflation-wise we'e finally catching up to the 80's and 90's.

I remember in a thread many years ago (probably around 2010) a person posted an actual ad for a 90's PC game. iirc it was Warcraft 2 and the price was $69.99.

I also remember reading that adjusted for inflation the NES was Nintendo's most expensive console.

What I absolutely concede is that back then, when you bought a game, you got the whole game. None of the micro-transaction/games as a service nightmare.

Keep in mind, every cartridge had its own PCB and memory chip, and sometimes more (sound chip, extra processing power, etc) in a time when those were pretty expensive. Chrono Trigger and FF7 were released a couple years apart. One was $100 and one was $50.

A cartridge was extremely expensive to manufacture, discs cost less than a penny to print, digital distribution costs even less once it's up and running.

 

[Tonneau]

Keep in mind, every cartridge had its own PCB and memory chip, and sometimes more (sound chip, extra processing power, etc) in a time when those were pretty expensive. Chrono Trigger and FF7 were released a couple years apart. One was $100 and one was $50.

A cartridge was extremely expensive to manufacture, discs cost less than a penny to print, digital distribution costs even less once it's up and running.

Also, games weren't filled with "micro" transactions back then. These days, $60 is just the starter price.

 

[Tonneau]

But since Microsoft is offering Smart Delivery for free, then I should buy the Xbox One version and upgrade that?

Not every game will work with "Smart Delivery."

 

[542365]

Gladly would pay $70 if it meant we're all getting the full game. That ship has sailed though. They'll charge $10 more and then add the garbage microtransactions on top of it. I imagine Jim Sterling will have a great video about this pretty soon.

 

[Beau Knows]

Gladly would pay $70 if it meant we're all getting the full game. That ship has sailed though. They'll charge $10 more and then add the garbage microtransactions on top of it. I imagine Jim Sterling will have a great video about this pretty soon.

I do remember seeing people claim that the reason we have micro-transactions is because the price of games hasn't increased in a long time, so publishers need to add additional revenue streams to break even (even though these huge mtx games make record profits). Does anyone really believe that the amount or price of micro-transactions will actually decrease because of this? I highly doubt it.

 

[Pilky01]

Here in Canadia they already went up from 59.99 in previous gens to 79.99 for this current gen.

Its why i basically never buy new games anymore unless it is Red Dead, Spider-Man, or Zelda.

If they jump again up here by another $20 I have a hard time imagining any game that I would spend that much money on.

 

[Captain Controversy]

People will always pay for video games, no matter the price. During recessions. There are a few absolutes; entertainment, drinking, eating and Gambling.

 

[Commander Clueless]

Gladly would pay $70 if it meant we're all getting the full game. That ship has sailed though. They'll charge $10 more and then add the garbage microtransactions on top of it. I imagine Jim Sterling will have a great video about this pretty soon.

This is true.

Thing is, while the base price of $60 has remained the same for quite some time, the additional revenue streams of microtransactions (not for all games, mind you) combined with the cheaper costs of digital distribution have helped soften that blow, and then some. Game companies are more profitable than ever these days it seems.

Like others have said, I don't mind paying extra if what is delivered is actually a good, complete game without the obnoxious crap, but those are the exception rather than the rule. It's one of the big reasons I don't buy that many big games at launch anymore.

I think the idea of a standard price for a self-identified 'AAA' game is a bit strange of a concept to begin with, since they are all very different.

For example, Witcher 3 at launch for $70? I'd be okay with that purchase. NBA 2K21 like in the example, which (going by past example) will likely also have obnoxious in your face microtransactions and lootbox style stuff? HARD pass.

Here in Canadia they already went up from 59.99 in previous gens to 79.99 for this current gen.

Its why i basically never buy new games anymore unless it is Red Dead, Spider-Man, or Zelda.

If they jump again up here by another $20 I have a hard time imagining any game that I would spend that much money on.

This is a big factor for those of us outside of the United States.

Games were hiked up to $80 here in Canada a while back, and could go to $90 or $100 with this jump (plus our lovely sales taxes, of course). While this isn't really the game industry's fault, it's a lot to ask of Canadian customers.

 

[Pilky01]

This is a big factor for those of us outside of the United States.

Games were hiked up to $80 here in Canada a while back, and could go to $90 or $100 with this jump (plus our lovely sales taxes, of course). While this isn't really the game industry's fault, it's a lot to ask of Canadian customers.

It does soften the blow however that were now at a point where games that are nearly a decade old still look and play tremendously.

I am looking forward to playing Rise of The Tomb Raider for "free" from PS Plus this month.

Still have AC: Odyssey, playing through Withcer 3, and tons more backlog to play through.

I think it has an affect on games media as well. They're increasingly more detached from the actual gaming consumer because its such an expensive habit and they always have to be covering the latest and most expensive stuff.

 

[Commander Clueless]

It does soften the blow however that were now at a point where games that are nearly a decade old still look and play tremendously.

I am looking forward to playing Rise of The Tomb Raider for "free" from PS Plus this month.

Still have AC: Odyssey, playing through Withcer 3, and tons more backlog to play through.

I think it has an affect on games media as well. They're increasingly more detached from the actual gaming consumer because its such an expensive habit and they always have to be covering the latest and most expensive stuff.

Absolutely, and this is how I enjoy most of my games now - either indie or at least with a good sale under its belt, with a few exceptions. Cyberpunk 2077 will be an exception for me this year (not including P5R, which I already bought ).

It's the best way to game, really...assuming you can avoid the crippling FOMO that the big publishers want to push on you.

 

[Pilky01]

It's the best way to game, really...assuming you can avoid the crippling FOMO that the big publishers want to push on you

Yeah thats basically what games media is now. Pushing FOMO on their impressionable audience.

I'll probably hold out on Cyberpunk, to be honest I don't fully understand the hype anyway, but if word of mouth is good enough, and I an jonesing for something new, I may end up breaking the bank for it.

 

[Big McLargehuge]

I mean...I remember paying $80 for SNES & N64 games, which is closer to $135 today...can't say I'm surprised.

The downside is that I know damn well that this isn't going to do anything to reduce the nickel and diming microtransactions that I despise infinitely more than an increase in initial price.

 

[Pilky01]

I mean...I remember paying $80 for SNES & N64 games, which is closer to $135 today...can't say I'm surprised.

The downside is that I know damn well that this isn't going to do anything to reduce the nickel and diming microtransactions that I despise infinitely more than an increase in initial price.

Yeah, the idea that increasing game prices means less microtransactions reminds me of the "a salary cap will reduce ticket prices" theories of a decade ago.

 

[Commander Clueless]

I mean...I remember paying $80 for SNES & N64 games, which is closer to $135 today...can't say I'm surprised.

Me too, although back then I could only afford like 3 games .

To be fair, creating an N64 cartridge was a lot more expensive then allowing digital downloads, which the customers never saw savings for (at least in launch prices - digital sales are certainly beneficial).

The downside is that I know damn well that this isn't going to do anything to reduce the nickel and diming microtransactions that I despise infinitely more than an increase in initial price.

Yeah, selling a game and also including intrusive monetization like that always feels like major double dipping to me.

I mean, if you want to throw a few in the background for a little extra money, sure....but so many are in your face.

 

[RandV]

Here in Canadia they already went up from 59.99 in previous gens to 79.99 for this current gen.

Its why i basically never buy new games anymore unless it is Red Dead, Spider-Man, or Zelda.

If they jump again up here by another $20 I have a hard time imagining any game that I would spend that much money on.

I'd think that specific price was more about the value of the loonie. For a few years there with oil prices booming the Canadian loonie was equal to the American dollar, so we had $60 games. Then the loonie fell back to it's normal and these prices went up accordingly. Of course though as they want to stick to the "9.99" price tag they have to use more of a rough conversion so to add $10 on the US price they need to either add an equal $10 on the Canadian or a significant overcharge at $20. I suspect they'll go with 89.99.

 

[JoVel]

I do remember seeing people claim that the reason we have micro-transactions is because the price of games hasn't increased in a long time, so publishers need to add additional revenue streams to break even (even though these huge mtx games make record profits). Does anyone really believe that the amount or price of micro-transactions will actually decrease because of this? I highly doubt it.

That seems like a statement EA would make.