Earlier this month, video game fans were not happy to discover that the next-gen version of NBA 2K21 will retail for $ 70, as opposed to the price of $ 60 on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. In an interview with The Washington Post, Xbox boss Phil Spencer intervened in the controversy, revealing his thoughts on software pricing for Next Generation. Microsoft has yet to reveal whether its first-party games will also sell for $ 70, but Spencer seems confident that the market will dictate where prices will finally be set. In the end, the consumer will decide what is fair.
“As an industry, we can price whatever we want, and the customer will decide what the right price is for them,” Spencer told The Washington Post. “I’m not negative on people setting a new price for games because I know that everyone will make their own decisions based on their own business needs. But players have more options today than ever. In the end, I know that the customer has the control of the price you pay, and I trust that system. “
Spencer is definitely right that players have more options now than at any other time in the history of the industry. The explosion of independent games has provided players with a wealth of options at different prices. It’s incredibly easy to search any of the digital storefronts to find great games for just a few dollars; That concept would have been unthinkable even just a decade ago. Players will now even have the option to purchase older gen versions of games like NBA 2K21 and I still play them on next generation systems like Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5.
It will be interesting to see if gamers are willing to pay $ 70 for next-gen games. While some may reject the price, the reality is that the cost of video game development continues to rise, yet the average retail price of video games has remained stable for the past two decades. In fact, over the past 30 years, the average game price has actually decreased, and that doesn’t even represent inflation. Some analysts have argued that modern video games are too long and that shorter games may offer a fairer compromise. Whatever the answer, only time will tell whether or not players will accept that figure, or whether the $ 60 standard will remain in place.
What do you think of a possible next-generation price increase? Are you willing to pay $ 70? Let us know in the comments or share directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp to discuss everything related to gaming!
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