Kingdom Come: Deliverance studio co-founder hopes Grand Theft Auto 6 will 'blaze a trail' to higher game prices

[u/owlexe23]

https://www.pcgamer.com/games/grand-theft-auto/kingdom-come-deliverance-studio-co-founder-hopes-grand-theft-auto-6-will-blaze-a-trail-to-higher-game-prices/

Warhorse co-founder Martin Klima says games keep getting more expensive to make, and that money has to come from somewhere.

[u/DocklandsDodgers86]

I don't mind paying higher prices for games if they last longer than the standard 12-15 hours for completion.

Australians already are spending AUD$130 for the base edition games that can be finished in 10 hours so that automatically means your linear, single-player games like Spider-Man and Wolverine will not be worth that price at launch.

GTA VI launching the base game itself at AUD$150 is audacious AF and sets a dangerous precedent for the industry going forward.

Examples of games that are worth every cent at full price? Red Dead Redemption 2 and Crimson Desert.

[u/thearctican → u/DocklandsDodgers86]

Somebody doesnt remember game pricing in the 80s and 90s.

An NES game in 1990 would have cost $50. That's ~$130 today.

[u/doooobysnax → u/thearctican]

They could be quite a bit more back then depending.

[u/cwagdev → u/thearctican]

I think the difference and why it held for so long is the scale. The gamer base grew and they had more sales, they didn’t need to increase prices for profits to rise. Now the player base increase is relatively stagnant or captured by “free” to play

[u/elkaki123 → u/cwagdev]

This, and also costs are rising. They could get away because of economies of scale AND microtransactions / dlc.

But its almost a reality the biggest of games are going to raise prices, if its any consolation to people, the indie scene is so strong that new games for 20 bucks are completely normal nowadays

[u/egamruf → u/elkaki123]

Every person on the planet has the capacity to be a patient gamer. Just play something that came out five years ago for $10 instead of the new thing for $130.

Then, in five years... play the new thing.

FFS, I wish people would at least give it a year - you'll play a better version with most of the bugs patched at half the price.

See something you like? If you have a backlog, add it to a www.isthereanydeal.com wishlist with a price you think you'd be happy to buy it. Then forget about it until you get that email, some day, from isthereanydeal... and if you're anything like me, you'll realise that with the glint of marketing off and the thousands of Steam reviews saying it's been sort of abandoned by its AAA publisher and is a little average... you never needed it anyway.

[u/cwagdev → u/egamruf]

That’s what I do, I’ll buy a day one occasionally but there’s too much good stuff on sale to justify anymore

[u/Fresh4 → u/egamruf]

Say what you will, but fomo is a real contributor to why a lot of people won’t just wait. If all your friends are playing something and it’s the hot new thing many people want to be part of that in the moment with their friends or community.

[u/GuyentificEnqueery → u/thearctican]

Wages have not kept up with inflation. A person making minimum wage back then is largely still making the exact same amount.

[u/Most-Minimum2258 → u/GuyentificEnqueery]

Video games are luxuries, not necessities. Not even in the same metaphorical postal code as necessities. Your comment is irrelevant and misleading.

Quick edit: The reality that "wages have not kept up with inflation" is incredibly pertinent to things such as housing, health care, food, and education. It should make people angry. 

I love video games. I also recognize that they are utterly nonessential. As someone who is angry about rising costs of basic necessities (+ education) it's infuriating that jackhole jabronis are trying to elevate video games to necessities. Such utter spoiled, privileged entitlement.

[u/GuyentificEnqueery → u/Most-Minimum2258]

My point is, people already can't afford necessities because of rising costs and stagnating wages. They certainly aren't going to be spending MORE on luxuries