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)

 

[xdarkx]

It's $70 + microtransaction.

Also, Canada have to pay $80 for PC, PS4, Xbox One, and Switch big new titles already. Next gens games are like $90.

 

[andyhappypants]

Fuck no, Time to die 2K.

£70 for a game like Cyberpunk and its broken release... Not really value for money.

 

[Jayro]

So why do they have to make a new one at full price every single year? A game with a lot of replayability should last at least a couple of years, in my opinion...

They won't make any money selling a new rosterpack every year as a DLC... They make more updating the roster in the full game, and re-releasing it as a new game, probably with some 3D engine tweaks and what-not.

 

[Bladexdsl]

what do you mean are we ready to pay $70 for a game?

 

[Mollycule]

What a time to be alive a pirate!

 

[Bladexdsl]

It's $70 + microtransaction.

Also, Canada have to pay $80 for PC, PS4, Xbox One, and Switch big new titles already. Next gens games are like $90.

that's nuffin

 

[Veho]

what do you mean are we ready to pay $70 for a game?

Yes but that's technically three games and you're lucky Nintendo doesn't charge $180 for it.

 

[Deleted User]

yup, this gamer that only gets paid $500cad/month is definitely ready for $70usd games, i don't need food or anything when the pandemic is making everything else that's more important to survival more expensive, nope

 

[xdarkx]

that's nuffin

Ya, gaming in Australia is ridiculous (large part due to having to import all the games over from other countries).

 

[Taleweaver]

I feel kind of weird. See, nowadays I'm both browsing video game forums and board game forums. The difference is perception is kind of remarkable...

Video games CEO: "erm, guys? We're gonna very slightly follow inflation and due to increased production cost we're adding 10 bucks to the initial asking pr..."
Reaction: "BOOOOH!!! GO HOME!!! YOUR GAMES SUCK!!! AT THAT PRICE I WON'T EVEN PIRATE IT!!!!"

Board game designer: "...and on the extended-extended tier of the kickstarter (that's over 120 bucks), you'll get two extra quest pages, 5 extra plastic figurines, shiney glitter on everything and the knowledge that the plebs will never be able to buy your stuff anywhere."
Reaction: "OMG TAKE MY MONEY NOW!!!

Granted, the latter one gives you something tangible whereas the first one is just a virtual reiteration that barely changed since the previous version. But still...

 

[Wolfy]

$70 for a game that I'm guessing will also have micro-transactions, and they think that we're "ready" for that?

Hell no, and I wanna smack the person who wrote that if it was actually their opinion to wake them up from the delusion.

 

[Deleted User]

I feel kind of weird. See, nowadays I'm both browsing video game forums and board game forums. The difference is perception is kind of remarkable...

Video games CEO: "erm, guys? We're gonna very slightly follow inflation and due to increased production cost we're adding 10 bucks to the initial asking pr..."
Reaction: "BOOOOH!!! GO HOME!!! YOUR GAMES SUCK!!! AT THAT PRICE I WON'T EVEN PIRATE IT!!!!"

Board game designer: "...and on the extended-extended tier of the kickstarter (that's over 120 bucks), you'll get two extra quest pages, 5 extra plastic figurines, shiney glitter on everything and the knowledge that the plebs will never be able to buy your stuff anywhere."
Reaction: "OMG TAKE MY MONEY NOW!!!

Granted, the latter one gives you something tangible whereas the first one is just a virtual reiteration that barely changed since the previous version. But still...

not only is it a barely minor change over the previous release, they're also all infested with gambling and microtransactions

 

[Louse]

fuck take-two

 

[SonicMC]

Let's not forget the awful in-game advertising.... https://www.polygon.com/2020/10/19/...-advertising-2k-sports-nba-2k-pc-ps4-xbox-one

This company really is the worst! I bought one NBA2k game just to try it out very much on sale. Once I hit in-game advertising it was game over for me and that game.. . I will not pay this company another cent.

Game Companies Evil List:

• In-game adverting
• Microtransactions
• DLC (Should just be part of the game 99% of the time)
• Loot Boxes/Gambling

Add these and I will not be buying.

Making the game 10$ more won't help either. But I'm usually willing to wait a while for a game to go on sale. So I also won't be on the list of gamers ready to pay 70$ a game... noting that I won't pay the 60$ they want either. So might not be target audience.

 

[RichardTheKing]

Go kill yourself, Take-Two. You're not human, so I feel fine advocating 'suicide' in this case.

 

[CMDreamer]

$70 USD for remakes more of the same on every "new" generations? Yeah sure!

 

[ChibiMofo]

How many of you were adults when the average price was raised to $50? Because the comments I see here are just like those left in forums in 2005. And you know what? Your predecessors simply paid the higher price despite the whining, btching and moaning.

Just as you will. And if they cut the price to $1? Some of you would still find an excuse to pirate it.

Some things never change.

 

[Xzi]

If by that they mean I'm ready to continue ignoring just about everything Take-Two releases, then yes. People were already avoiding the $60 price tag for new games like it was the plague, so unless the minimum wage goes up (along with everybody else's wages), this is only going to lead to more piracy and more people waiting for half-off sales.

 

[djpannda]

"Gamers are "ready" for downloaded games"
There I fixed it for Gbatemp

 

[Glyptofane]

lol I don't buy Full Price game anymore unless is something I really really want and that hasn't happened since MGSV. Now I wait for games to be $10 or less It doesn't matter how much time I have to wait.

Similar here, but probably still a little less discerning. Sometimes $60 if I want it bad enough. Otherwise it's $45-50 for first party Nintendo, $40 for others I wanted, and $20 or less for ones I might have had a passing interest in. There are exceptions like if it's something that seems like it might have a short print run. I almost always wait on sales for digital exclusives and the pricing is all over the place there anyway. $70 basically means no more preorders or day one purchases for me. It's not like these games will stay $70 for very long, that is until Nintendo starts doing it.