Make no mistake about it, video gaming can be an expensive “hobby” if you’re not careful. Even in the earliest days of the industry, games and their consoles could cost a pretty penny, which was part of why many people thought it was a “niche thing” instead of something that would dominate the world in many respects. Recently, certain companies have been “pushing limits” with the price of their games, and fans have been fighting back every time. That, naturally, brings us to GTA 6, which has been the source of much debate about how much the game will actually cost.
If you recall, last week, a former rival of Rockstar Games admitted that he felt the game SHOULD be $100 because “not all games are created equal.” The $100 price point rumor has been going around for quite some time, and it has many fans on edge. That includes fans on the GTA 6 Reddit, who have made it clear that they are NOT for this happening in any way. To be fair, some are saying they don’t think Rockstar Games will do this in any meaningful way, but others made it known that if this happens, it could doom the game industry in certain ways.
How so? Well, many see this as a way of getting “permission” to hike up prices. The most recent trend over the last five years was taking games from $60 to $70, and a few times this year, it’s gone from $70 to $80! Yes, there has been backlash, but it still happened, and that’s the important thing. If Rockstar Games does break the $100 threshold, other companies might feel they’re “entitled” to do the same thing.
Sure, not every company will do it, but some will absolutely try because they feel that “their games are worth the price point,” and they’ll focus on the “potential profits” of it versus how accessible it would reasonably be for gamers.
And that’s what really has people worried. If the average video game costs between $80-$100, that means fewer games are likely to be sold because many simply can’t afford them, especially in the economy that many nations, including the United States, are in right now. Greed has been driving many developers and publishers recently, and gamers are fed up with it, especially when the quality isn’t worthy of the price point.
All this is to say that Rockstar Games and Take-Two Interactive better be smart about what they charge for their upcoming title…or else.
