Should video games cost more than they do currently? A seniorBaldur’s Gate 3developer thinks so.
According to the developer, “almost all games” cost less these days than they should. He believesRockstar Games’ upcomingGTA 6willchange how games are priced when it launches.
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This perspective comes from Michael Douse, known as Cromwelp on X/Twitter, who serves as the director of publishing atLarian Studios. The conversation began in a Twitter thread where Douse argued that games should charge customers more “at a base level” due to rising development costs.
He added that video games should be priced according to their“quality, breadth, and depth,”and that squeezing every game into certain price brackets doesn’t make sense to him.
The reason for this discussion was thebase $70 price tagofStar Wars: Outlaws, which has a$130 asking pricefor its Ultimate Edition. Douse maintained that such high prices are often justified by companies with vague promises about content, making the $70 price tag seem more reasonable.
The Video Game Pricing Dilemma
Douse went further, suggesting that Rockstar Games’GTA 6, one of the most anticipated games of our time, will have a major impact on how video games are priced when it finally releases.
Due to the enormous hype surrounding it, GTA 6could very well become thebest-selling entertainment product of all time. Given Rockstar Games’ track record and the quality their products typically offer, many are likely willing to pay a premium.
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But this could set a dangerous precedent for the industry. If the base game is priced at an exorbitant amount, as many expect, it might force other developers to follow suit.
However, gamers are not easily fooled. If they don’t believe a game is worth the asking price, they won’t buy it. Even the now-standard $70 price tag remains acontentious issue for many gamers today. Add to that the frustration overmicrotransactionsandlive-service models, and it’s clear the gaming community is fed up with increasing costs.
The gaming communityoftenresistscompanies' attemptsto raise prices for their games or services. It remains to be seen how the industry will react toGTA 6’s pricing and what it might mean for the future of video game pricing.
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Baldur’s Gate 3
WHERE TO PLAY
23 years on from the release of the seminal RPG, Baldur’s Gate 2, the third game in the series has been developed by Larian Studios (of Divinity: Original Sin fame). Set over 120 years after the events of the last game, Baldur’s Gate 3 tasks you and your party of heroes to fight off a mind flayer invasion of Faerun, while seeking a way to remove the tadpole in your brain that’s slowly turning you into the enemy…
