Video game prices have been an ongoing discussion for years, reaching a fever pitch when Nintendo priced Mario Kart World at $79.99. Nintendo of America VP of product and player experience Bill Trinen said it’s a question of content and value, and there are plenty of Switch 2 titles still priced at $60 to $70.
Others feel a price increase is inevitable for the industry, especially with titles like Grand Theft Auto 6. Add Shuhei Yoshida, former SIE Worldwide Studios president, to the list. At Gamescom Latam, he told Critical Hit Games (transcription via GamesRadar), “When you look at life in general, other products in price have increased, you know, way more than the game price. So, I think it was almost too late for the video game companies to start looking at the pricing structure.”
“I don’t believe that every game has to be priced the same. Each game has a different value or budget. I totally believe it’s up to the publisher – or developers self-publishing – to price their product to the value they believe they are bringing in.” He previously praised Sandfall Interactive’s Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 for this approach, noting its excellent quality despite the smaller team.
“In terms of the actual price of $70 or $80 for really great games, I think it will still be a steal in terms of the amount of entertainment that the top games – the top quality games – bring to people compared to other forms of entertainment. As long as people choose carefully how they spend their money, I don’t think they should be complaining.”
Of course, there’s plenty to say about titles demanding $70 to $80 and not providing a quality experience. You also have the likes of Call of Duty, which are chock-full of microtransactions, but still seemingly embracing the new $80 price point, at least per recent reports.
Sony hasn’t confirmed whether it will begin pricing future titles for the same. Two of its biggest PS5 exclusives, Death Stranding 2: On the Beach and Ghost of Yōtei, still adhere to the $70 pricing. However, the console’s price could see an increase following tariffs.
