Are Video Game Prices Getting Too Expensive?
Remember when you only had to pay a quarter to play an arcade game? Those were the days. Since then, the video game industry has come a long way. In less than 50 years, the prices for video game consoles and the games themselves have steadily increased. Gaming isn’t just a pastime for the little kids and kids at heart anymore, it’s also a job and a source of income for others. This price hike understandably comes from the release of brand-new hardware and games that are of “better quality”. It’s easy to blame inflation as the main culprit for the steep price of $70 per game for the latest consoles (PS5, Xbox Series X) we’re now experiencing, but there might also be other factors to consider besides that. Perhaps greed has something to do with it?
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Next-Gen Games Means Next-Gen Prices
Things got worse for the next-gen game prices shortly after the consoles were released. Companies had to decide as they transition to new platforms began: raise the prices or keep them steady? Recent reports indicated that players got off lucky with the $10 price hike (from $60 to $70). According to Bloomberg, Sony discussed the idea of going even higher before setting the bar on $70. Industry insiders believed that this increase has been a long time coming, with Yoshio Osaki, the president for IDG Consulting, stating that costs for game production have risen by 200-300 percent, depending on the genre, IP, and studio. Other things have gone up as well; Netflix subscription prices gained a 100 percent increase, cable television packages have risen by 105 percent, even movie tickets took a hit. In contrast to that, video game prices have gone up just 17 percent–a mere percentage compared to the other media.
Gamers are irked by the steep $70 price tag of some next-gen titles, and to add to their disappointment, Sony announced that they will no longer offer free PS5 upgrades for first-party titles once they release Horizon Forbidden West. On the other hand, Xbox and Nintendo console owners don’t feel the blow all that much. Nintendo’s first-party titles were always expensive ever since; the family-friendly company would rarely discount their Legend of Zeldas, Super Marios, and Pokemon. Meanwhile, most Xbox players would just use their Game Pass to get access to a wide range of games and the latest releases.
PC Players Are Feeling the Heat Too
The Game Awards surprised Square Enix fans in the form of a release date for the fantasy adventure title Forspoken as well as a reveal that the Final Fantasy VII Remake is coming to PC. Both exciting stuff for sure, until you get to the topic of the price. Forspoken and the Final Fantasy VII Remake will be priced at $70 each, a reality that the PC community is yet to grapple on. Now, we already know that this price point is what console gamers were forced to be acquainted with during the transition to the new generation of devices, especially for those who are in the PlayStation camp. However, it’s a shock to gamers used to paying the same or even less than their controller-wielding counterparts. The Digital Deluxe versions of the game are even more expensive at $95 a pop.
Chatter on social media about the two titles is rife with the talk of the higher cost that PC gamers would have to deal with moving forward. Epic Games and Steam users are none too happy about the price hike–one look at Forspoken’s Community page should be enough evidence of that. The games look excellent at least, especially in its recent showing in The Game Awards.
Final Thoughts: Is it Worth Paying Top Dollar for Newly Released Games?
Even though most AAA games cost $60 to $70 (on consoles like the PS5 especially), that doesn’t mean they’re worth all that price. Games that are coming from big studios might sell for market price, but more often than not, many of those titles fail to live up to gamers’ expectations. Cyberpunk 2077, complete with a hefty price tag, is a perfect example of that. It can be argued that indie games offer more, packing meaningful and deep experience into your $20. If you’re the type of person who’s willing to wait, jumping into the huge sales of the platform of your choice is the way to go (Steam Winter/Autumn sales, Nintendo e-Shop sales, etc.). That way, you’ll at least be able to see lots of reviews about the game that you’re about to buy.
Not every gamer can afford to have the top tier hardware that some of these games require to play for best experience. But some gamers demand better and better graphics and that results in these cost increases to game. Even consoles have increased in price due to hardware demands by recent games. Then you have chip shortages, graphic card prices that defy logic and games that are reaching a hundred dollars or more. The mainstream gamer is being priced out of existence because who wants to spend a grand on graphics card and still not be at top tier level of performance.