The price of games, which has increased on PS5 and Xbox Series, is a subject that is debated among gamers and certain players in the video game industry. The publisher of GTA 6 also has a very strong opinion which will divide.
GTA 6 is finally about to show itself and this simple, long-awaited appointment has broken the Internet. Rockstar Games’ game hasn’t even been released yet and it already has a historic record under its belt. And for Strauss Zelnick, CEO of Take-Two Interactive, the parent company of R*, a production of this scale should come at a high price.
GTA 6 at €80? Not expensive enough, son
We don’t have a date, but it’s confirmed, GTA 6 will be revealed with a first trailer next December. With or without a gameplay phase, that’s the big question, but the studio will probably be on standby to further warm up fans’ minds for weeks on end. Unless there is another scoop from the illustrious Jason Schreier, or another reliable journalist/insider, GTA 6 will therefore remain discreet for a few more days. Quite the opposite of Strauss Zelnick, boss of Take-Two Interactive, who could once again attract the wrath of players.
During an interview with investors, the CEO gave his opinion on the current price of games. And for him, it is clearly not expensive enough despite the increase perceived since the arrival of the PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. According to the man, the value of the games is too low compared to what they can offer. “Our prices are still very, very low considering the many hours of commitment we offer” via Exputer. A GTA 6 sold at a high price because of the number of hours of play offered by titles of this ilk? We’re not there yet, but it seems to be a real subject for Strauss Zelnick. “This does not mean that the industry has pricing power or wants to have it. But there is a lot of value offered » he added to temper things a little.
When Red Dead Redemption was released, the CEO reacted to the controversy by stating that the port had excellent value for money. “This is what we believe to be the most commercially fair price. [ndlr : l’extension Undead Nightmare] was a great standalone game when it released. So we think it’s a great pack and value for money for consumers”.
Capcom and others have the same speech on the price of games
If GTA 6 should not cost more in its basic version, barring unpleasant surprises, perhaps Take-Two Interactive is currently considering releasing much more expensive editions. But this talk about prices being too low is not just a whim of Strauss Zelnick. Haruhiro Tsujimoto, the boss of Capcom, believes that the prices are low. Except that for Tsujimoto-san, the problem is the development costs which continue to increase. “ Development costs are about 100 times higher than in the Famicom (NES) era, but game prices haven’t increased that much “. And yet, the publisher did not specifically reflect this in the final consumer rating. More expensive Resident Evils in the future? This is not yet on the agenda, nor even for the firm’s other licenses.
On several occasions, Shawn Layden, former president of PlayStation, took part in the price of games and made the same observation. It hasn’t changed much even though budgets have exploded.