Sonny Corinthos

The standard price for video games may be increasing to $70 for the PlayStation 5 and next-gen Xbox, ending 15 years of $60 games.

https://www.businessinsider.com/vide...box-ps5-2020-7

It looks like it's headed that way.

RichC2

Seems fair.

Michael Corvin

Seems fair to not buy many games and only buy during sales too. This might just be enough to bring GameStop back from life support.

Obi-Wanma

I don't buy many games before a price drop now. I have no plans to change that.

Barth

With the backlog I have I generally wait for a drop to 20 dollar or less used price. With the new pricing I’ll probably just have to wait a little longer than usual.

fujishig

Maybe the only good thing about a game with heavy in game purchases like NBA 2k is that they really, really want more people to spend in their ecosystem, so they are never shy about discounting their games.

Michael Corvin

Which makes the higher price even more weird. If a company is wanting to microtransaction consumers to death the game should be cheaper not more expensive. They want to get you coming and going.

fujishig

They know that the main audience of this game will look at a 10 dollar price increase and won't even blink, heck, they'll probably buy the mamba edition anyway. People spend money on VC to buy virtual shoes. I bet EA is kicking themselves for promising free upgrades in Madden.

dsa_shea

70 bucks means I will buy even less games.

Edit: This would be a prime opportunity for them to make digital copies 60 bucks. This could gain momentum in their push for digital while not going below what they are charging now.

The Questyen

I've been expecting the prices of games to go up for years now. The price of making AAA games has gone up by a huge amount yet the price has stayed at $60 for like 15 years. Videogames are pretty much my only hobby so I have no problem paying more money for games by the creators and companies I want to support.

fujishig

The price of making AAA games has gone up but somehow the companies are still raking in record profits (at least ones like Take Two), so I don't necessarily buy that they needed this price increase other than padding their bottom line.

The Questyen

They rake in record profits because they abuse their employees, understaff departments, and force them to work long hours for little to no extra pay.

fujishig

Sure, but the 10 dollar increase in price is not going to go to the employees or solve crunch, it'll go to the shareholders' pockets.

RichC2

Take Two doesn't pay a dividend. Neither does EA. Though to be entirely fair, people seem to actually like working at TTI, not so much for EA.

In the end prices probably do need to go up, they've been at the same price points off and on for decades and games are way more intensive these days. That said, it makes it way harder to justify Season Passes and Microtransactions (though I never really buy either). Similarly, game makers need to realize not every game is worth full price.

K&AJones

It's not...anyone with half-a-brain can look at the reason as to why NBA2K is the first to hit the $70 mark...it's got Kobe Bryant on the cover and they want to capitalize. This is pure 100% marketing....plus....

Last console totals in sales are around 109 Million for PS4 and 42 Million on Xbox One alone...that's a lot of players that are buying a lot of games. So that means volume in sales is going up. Nope...with NBA and some of these other Sport Games, they're having to payout more to use Player's Images/likeness and all...like these Player's need anymore money. There's a ton of Money involved; at the top and going into so-called "War Chests" of professional Sports. both EA and 2K have to pay out millions for both Pro and College Sports...then factor in Football, Basketball, Soccer.....this is a story from mid last year with just The NBA....not even NFL, College, Soccer....$70 will be the norm for Devs like EA and 2K due to the amount they have to dish out to both Pro and College while paying employees....they're not hurting for money; just spending and saying yes to whatever demands Sports are demanding to use their likeness and all...

Take Two Inks a $1 Billion Deal With NBA....April 2019
https://www.fool.com/investing/2019/...h-the-nba.aspx

Oh, as to EA Sports, they're swimming in money as well but need cash to continue to buyout other companies so good article on them and why they don't pay out a dividend.... https://www.fool.com/investing/2018/...pay-a-div.aspx

story

If it's a matter between whether the greed of a professional sports franchise or the greed of a video game company is what's driving up prices, yeah, I think it's likely the professional sports franchise, that's a good point. I think that will be the catalyst for other games going up in price and they won't know they're impacting the industry, nor care. Perhaps the industry will secretly be excited, we'll see.

Maxflier

Kobe isn't on the cover of the $70 versions.

Rob V

If games go to $70 at launch, I’ll patiently wait until they’re on sale... which shouldn’t take too long when they’re $70 to begin with.

DJariya

The forum is weird. $70 for next gen games that could be played over and over and over again is too expensive. Yet, many here spend hundreds if not thousands of dollars on BDs, DVDs and digital copies of movies that may only get watched once or never at all.

Wolf359

It's always greed this and greedy that but funny how no one thinks they themselves are greedy for wanting a raise. Everything is more expensive than it was 15 years ago , why should games be trapped in time.

Music

He did say 1/2 a brain...

story

That's actually not the worst point in the world, I can concede that. How long has it been $60 standard? I remember when Nintendo came out it was $50 a game but can't remember when it went to $60.

Music

360 / PS3 Generation

RichC2

Yep. There were quite a few $60+ cartridges in the NES - SNES era, upwards of $70 to $80 on the N64. All due to cartridge costs, and those were a steal compared to Neo Geo titles. But the regular price for NES was $39 - $49.99 and $49 - $59.99 for SNES unless it was hard to find, SMB3 for a while sold for $65+ because it was always sold out.

But $49 became the norm again with the disc media era until the PS3/Xbox 360 launched.

The Questyen

I remember Street Fighter II on the SNES costing more and all the rental places around me charged a couple extra bucks to rent it over the standard SNES game rental price.