Clues are leading to next-gen game prices to go up compared to PlayStation 4 and Xbox One titles, and this is something the industry is willing to support. At least, this is the opinion of God of War director Cory Barlog.
“Games need to go up in price,” Barlog said on Twitter, without fearing about his opinion growing unpopular among gamers. “I prefer an initial increase in price to the always on cash grab microtransaction filled hellscape that some games have become,” he added.
Of course, price increases are hardly meaning that microtransactions will disappear from gaming.
It’s a strong opinion, and it’s most likely the direction the industry is driving players through over the next few years, and signs of that were delivered by NBA 2K21, which is going to be sold at $69.99 on PS5 and Xbox Series X against PS4 and Xbox One’s $59.99.
Research firm IDG Consulting has also revealed that more publishers are considering the option and that this won’t be limited to 2K Games.
“IDG works with all major game publishers, and our channel checks indicate that other publishers are also exploring moving their next-gen pricing up on certain franchises, for the same reasons outlined above,” CEO Yoshio Osaki told GamesIndustry International.
“Not every game should garner the $69.99 price point on next-gen, but flagship AAAs such as NBA 2K merit this pricing more than others,” he added.
Osaki believes this should happen because the last raise in games’ prices has occurred at the beginning of Xbox 360 and PS3 generation in 2005, and in the meantime, costs to develop a game “have gone up.”
Differently from NBA 2K21, which is offering a bundle with both the PS4/Xbox One and PS5/Xbox Series X version at $99.99, most titles, such as FIFA 21, are opting for free next-gen upgrades.
