The Inevitable $70 Video Game Price is More Justified Than it May Seem

Just recently, NBA 2K21 was revealed to launch on both next-generation consoles, which will release later in 2020. However, this news came with a bombshell for those in need of some extra cash. The game will have an increased debut price of $69.99, a price that will likely extend to other games for the next-generation consoles. Although this is only a $10 increase from the original price of $59.99, it can still wreak havoc on players' wallets over time, and many are unhappy about this change. Fortunately, there's a bit more of an explanation for this change, rather than Microsoft and Sony getting greedy.

In basic terms, video games are often priced based on the content or length of the game. Shorter games, such as Beyond Blue or others that take less than 10 hours to complete, will be priced lower, around $20. But for a $60 game, most players will take at least 15-20 hours to complete the main story; 20 hours being the average length of a AAA game. This price increase is intended to give gamers a fair price for the quality of game, while also paying the game staff fair wages. However, considering the graphical improvements, expansive open worlds and the common-place multiplayer modes, gamers have been receiving games at an amazing price for years.
 

 

The cost to create a AAA game has been consistently rising over the years due to the advanced game engines and technology. According to Yoshio Osaki, CEO and President of IDG Consulting, EA spent between $25 and $35 million dollar in 2005 in order to create their Madden game, which was rated a top-10 title. In 2020, the same quality of game (Top 10 rating) would cost between $75 $100 million. (Polygon Exclusive Interview). However, the selling price for these games has remained constant, save the digital deluxe or collector's editions.

Consider also the graphical improvements that both the PlayStation 5 and the Xbox One X are offering, including faster load times and more fluid character movements. Additionally, the recent outbreak of COVID-19 has increased the demand for games, due to more citizens staying inside. Concerning the outbreak's impact on gaming, Osaki said: "Because of COVID--and the impact of COVID and post-COVID--the anti-social stigma attached to gaming is getting erased before our very eyes. COVID has accelerated a lot of the trends that we were foreseeing a few years ago, and even after people can go back outside again...I think gaming overall has become a much more acceptable mainstream behavior within society."

Although raising the price of AAA quality games to $69.99 is making console gamers unsure about moving forward with these next-generation systems, some reports are advertising a lower-priced PlayStation 5, though an official launch price has yet to be confirmed. Whenever the newest systems launch around the holiday season of 2020, the quality of the system and the games themselves will undoubtedly be worth their price.
 

Kieran Mouritsen
Editor, NoobFeed