Last July, Take-Two announced NBA 2K21 It will be the first game to charge $ 70 for the standard version of the “next pay generation” systems (i.e., PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series S / X). Last week, take-two CEO Strauss-Kahnlick doubled down on his decision, saying the market was ready to raise the gaming de facto price limit.
“We announced a price point of 70 NBA 2K21, Our view was that we were offering a range of phenomenal experiences, lots of reusable usability, and the last price increase in the US was 2005, 2006, so we think customers were ready for it, “said Zelnick Morgan Stanley Technologies. Media and Telecom Conference (written by Video Games Chronicle)
Given the source of the quotes, that’s not all that surprising. But we don’t have to take his word for it. Four months passed NBA 2K21 Launched on the new console, and six months have passed since the PS4 and Xbox One started at a low price of $ 60. There should be enough time to determine if most players were willing to spend the extra money on a big-name “next-gen” experience and whether the tech-tuna pricing experiment is worth repeating?
As it turns out, the answer to this question is not so simple at the moment.
Ask again later …
A big part of the problem in analyzing NBA 2K21The 70 price point is that the game was also available in the માં 100 “Mamba Forever Edition”. That special edition includes an upgrade to the latest version of the game and a new pay generation version, as well as lots of digital freebies.
“A lot of people who have bought the last-gen versions of the game are now upgrading the game to play on their new console. [through the Mamba Forever Edition]”Matt Pistella, an analyst at NPD Video Game Market, told Ars Technica.” However, the original sale is still allocated to the older-mass version. I don’t even report platform splits, tie ratio or attachment rates for this new console because these data points aren’t currently reliable. “
Another problem, says Piscatella, is the small sample size. Then NBA 2K11 Very publicly moved to 70, only a few other large franchises claim including Activision Call of Duty Black PS: Cold War And exclude a handful of first-party PlayStation 5. Most other major publishers stayed at પર 60 this holiday season, including the free new pay generation of many players who bought games on older consoles, making any comparison more complicated.
Yet it’s hard to judge any of those new titles against expectations, says Pistella, in part because the supply of the PS5 and Xbox Series X / S is extremely limited in the new year. “Given the small sample size and the challenges surrounding the upgraded version and controlled hardware supply, the data do not yet suggest a definitive answer,” Pistella said.
History lesson
The last time a significant cross-generational increase in console-game prices was seen had a more pronounced effect. In late 2005, he was asking for Activ 60, a gaming activation that broke the then 50’s ceiling. Call of duty 2 On that next-to-new Xbox 360. The increase was even more significant given that Activi has charged 50 for the PC version launched a month ago.
In contrast to today’s prices, however, the 2005 price increase was an immediate and uncontrollable success. In December, IGNA cited NPD data to show that most of the Xbox 360 owners bought 77 percent. Call of duty 2, Even at increased prices. With a strong performance like this, it’s not surprising that every other major publisher has had a favorable experience in a few months.
“Many copies of them were sold Call of duty 2 At $ 60 or so the rest of the industry was like, ‘Well, hell, if it’s 60 bucks, let’s go to 60 bucks,” Pistella told The Ringer.
Thanks to inflation, of course, the game of રમત 60 worth in late 2005 will be more than માં 78 in late 2020 (according to the $ BLS inflation calculator). But apart from inflation, there have been a number of changes in the industry that make it difficult to pinpoint higher prices that can be swallowed up these days.
“There’s still a lot [price] “East points pistol.” Compared to previous general projections, the board releases plenty of games at a variety of prices, all kinds of price points. [console] For generations, we will basically have 2 price points. “
Then there is the rise of subscriptions to consider. On Xbox One platforms, for example, Wadebush Morgan analyst Michael Patcher told Arsen that sales of new software software are generally low “because X percent of new Xbox owners subscribe to GamePass, and that 1 million subscriptions Is. ” It’s too early to say whether those subscription gamers will be significantly prepared to pick a bigger game on the issue of the price of game 70, Patcher said.
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. For 34.99 Centipede The 2600 looks cheaper on the balcony, but the 1983 price is about આજે 90 today.
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Check out premium prices for Zelda Titles above other NES games in the 1988 Sears catalog.
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If you wanted Streets of Rage 2 With an electronics boutique in 1993, you would be willing to pay more.
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The N70 was the general price of the N64 software and was in 1997 dollars!
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By 2008, top-end disc-based prices had stabilized at the current standard of $ 59.99.
Initial high starting price points can also make little sense for games that make a lot of money from post-launch microtransactions. Like a big-name game FIFA Could do more Early For example, revenue from a price point of $ 70, but it still hurts the EA if it “affects revenue from costs in the app,” Patcher said.
Looking to the future
The real proof of whether icing 70 is worth living here will come later this year. Until then, the current crop of market 70 games across the market will be able to digest how it will work against expectations in general. If they do well, you can expect to see a good number of copycats in the fall, Patcher said.
Even then, Patcher has seen the issue of being 70 more than a “game-by-game decision” compared to the new de facto standard for all big-budget games. “People will pay [$70] For some games, [but I’m] Not sure if they will do for every game. “He said.” Most publishers will see and see what TTs do and how it works. And Tick-Tuna Zelnik also said that the value of title 70 would be “title-by-title”.
Piscatella agreed that “price sensitivity is evolving” these days and that the big 70’s price point would not work for every big name title. “My idea is that the biggest franchise with the most demand should have no major barriers with a $ 70 base price point … and would also prefer higher priced versions with a lot of extra content,” Pistella said. In the end, though, “it’s all about personal play.”
