Insomniac Games faced a massive data leak recently and the public got an insider view of private matters. Some documents have been discovered by them stating an increase in game prices up to $100 mark by 2027. An increase in prices in gaming had been noticeable after the release of PlayStation 5, which caused debates among consumers.
Generational increases in game prices have been a topic of discussion among gamers for a long time. Compared to PS2 generation games, modern title costs almost $30-40 more due to technical upgrades. Raising a huge debate among the community on how publishers are overcharging consumers for modern games.
This increase in prices for PlayStation games can be blamed on the global market inflation. For instance, games in 2001 cost about $50 which seems cheaper compared to now at first sight. If studied in depth, $50 in the 2000s is equivalent to nearly $90 according to current market standards. Thus games costing about $70 now, prove the fact that games are cheaper in the current market.
Looking at the average annual earning data of US citizens, there has been an increase in wages by 17% (according to Statista), while games have seen a decrease in valuation by 22%, according to current market standards. In the eyes of common folk, the hobby appears to be getting more expensive in the coming years. But in reality, that is not the case as it is only a result of market changes.
This price increase projection from PlayStation has gotten netizens talking and Sony faced major backlashes. Consumers have started to raise the question of who will pay $100 for just games. Some even claim that gaming has always been an expensive hobby, to begin with.
Publishers have always received flak for raising game prices just like PlayStation is facing now
Every time publishers increase the pricing of games, it has always seen public disapproval globally. For instance, Activision faced heavy backlash from fans for its pricing of various editions of Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3. Back in 2013, Rockstar faced a similar predicament for releasing GTA 5 at $60 pricing for PlayStation 3.
When PlayStation announced the increase of game prices by $10 for the PS5 console, fans got furious about it. Earlier the company used to sell its games at the $60 mark till the release of next-generation hardware. The inflated pricing applied towards PS Plus as well, which was implemented without any announcements.
According to a report made by a Japanese media house, Nikkei, Capcom president Haruhiro Tsujimoto said game development costs have gone up a lot since the 2000s. Tsujimoto-san also stated the following:
There is also a need to raise wages. Considering the fact that wages are rising in the industry as a whole, I think raising unit prices is a healthy option for business.
This statement caused a lot of debate among the gaming community as Capcom managed to pull in massive profits over the years. So gamers raised the question of whether it is market inflation that is causing a rise in the prices of games.
Comment
byu/DetroitTabaxiFan from discussion
inGames
Leaving the backlashes aside, market inflation has caused a lot of trouble to common people, professionals, and artists in general. Game developers face these issues and work hard to see an increase in their pay grade. Companies are trying hard to support their workers and continue running their businesses. So, increased game prices aren’t that big of a surprise in a recession period like this.
