Summary
A high-rankingBaldur’s Gate 3developer recently weighed in on the discussion about game prices, stating that “almost all games” are undervalued these days, and that the upcomingGTA 6might introduce a drastic shift in how games are priced. The debate surrounding the retail value of video games has raged on for several years, with many believing that AAA games likeBaldur’s Gate 3(on console at least) are overpriced at $70.
The $60 price point for AAA games officially came into action at the outset of the Xbox 360/PS3 console generation. 14 years later, the launch of the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S saw AAA games take a hike to $70, a move that many gamers are still incensed about. Several studios and publishers cited the ballooning costs of game development as the biggest reason behind the price increase, with evenPlayStation’s then-CEO Jim Ryan backing $70 PS5 games. However, players argued that the advent of live-service games and microtransactions has made the games industry more profitable than ever, deterring the need for $70 titles.
This industry-wide price hike has led many gamers to scrutinize the intrinsic value of their purchases, consequently placing a greater emphasis on replay value and overall playtime.2023 Game of the Year winnerBaldur’s Gate 3launched at a $70 price point on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S, but it also offered 17,000 possible ending variations and hundreds of hours of gameplay. However, Larian Studios' Director of Publishing, Michael Douse, opined in arecent Twitter threadthat almost every game should “cost more at a base level” as development budgets are outpacing pricing trends, andGTA 6’s fall 2025 launch may change this.
Larian Exec Doesn’t See “Sense” in the $70 Standard Price Point
Douse maintains that games should be priced according to their “quality, breadth, and depth,” and that uniform pricing structures for games don’t “make sense” to him. The Larian exec expressed these views in response to the $130 price forStar Wars: Outlaws' Ultimate Edition, which he believes is inflated off the back of “vague content promises” to make the base $70 version look more appealing to consumers. Douse’s mention ofGTA 6potentially introducing a disturbance in current AAA pricing strategies is particularly interesting, though, as a rumor from last year claimed thatRockstar could charge $150 forGTA 6.
GTA 6is undoubtedly one of the most anticipated games in history and will likely shift an unprecedented amount of copies when it releases. However, the game has also been in development for a long time and reportedly has an enormous budget behind it, so Douse’s inkling ofGTA 6’s value possibly exceeding the current $70 standard may not be too unreasonable. Considering thehype aroundGTA 6is exceptionally high, publisher Take-Two Interactive might even get away with charging a higher retail price for the game, but only time will tell if these purported plans are true.
