The beginning of the current generation brought an unpleasant surprise for gamers as the biggest companies agreed and implemented an increase in the price of video games. The standard of $60 USD has risen to $70 USD, but it is feared that it won't last long and another increase will soon follow. Apparently, it's inevitable, as indicated by an executive from Saber Interactive.
$70 USD per game is not enough, says Saber Interactive CEO
During an interview with IGN, Matthew Karch, CEO of Saber Interactive, spoke about the current price of video games and warned that $70 USD per copy may not be enough. Regarding this, the executive considered that the increase in production costs will make it unsustainable to maintain the current price standard, especially considering how risky it is to invest large amounts in the development of a video game as there is no guarantee that good results will accompany the launch.
In that sense, the Saber Interactive CEO believes that a higher price of $70 USD could provide certainty to publishers and studios as there would be greater chances of recouping the investment and making profits: "I think as games become more expensive to make, the $70 USD price point will go the way of the dodo [extinct]. I just don't think it's sustainable. Do you remember the hype around Cyberpunk, it worked out well in the end, but when expectations are that high and so much money is being invested in a title, it's very risky for the company that's doing it then you ask, what if it fails? Do you remember what happened to Ubisoft a couple of years ago, when all their titles commercially tanked, and then suddenly, they were in a completely different position? It's hard to recover from that."
Finally, Matthew Karch mentioned that if there is no price increase in video games, the option will be to reduce production costs with the impact this could have on the final outcome, lowering investor and player expectations.
What do you think about it?
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