After 7 years without a discount, the beloved building game Factorio is getting a price increase to help keep up with inflation.
"Next week, on Thursday, January 26 2023, we will increase the base price of Factorio from $30 to $35," the devs said in a tweet. "This is an adjustment to account for the level of inflation since the Steam release in 2016."
Factorio is unusual among modern video games in that it has never once gone on sale. It launched into Steam Early Access at $20 in 2016, the devs raised the price to $30 in 2018 in anticipation of the 1.0 launch, and the game has remained $30 ever since. Steam sales come and go, but Factorio's price remains a rock, and the game's store page eternally notes that the devs "don't have any plans to take part in a sale or to reduce the price for the foreseeable future."
The devs have explained the reasoning behind their 'no sale' policy numerous times over the years, perhaps most succinctly in a 2016 forum post: "It isn't about visibility or sales, it's about respecting the players who have already purchased the game. We don't want to reward the people who hold off on buying the game, the game is a price we find reasonable, and this is the deal. If you think it is priced too high, then it is your choice to not purchase, and we hope that with enough time, and extra development, we will be able to convince you of its value."
Inflation has already been affecting game prices, albeit in less direct ways. Steam recently refreshed its regional price guidelines, which many devs use to set their prices in worldwide markets. US prices remained largely the same, but European and Chinese pricing increased by around 20% - and those price changes went as high as 485% for regions heavily affected by economic upheaval.
Factorio recently hit Switch, bringing the PC hit to a whole new audience. At least Nintendo fans are used to games never going on sale.
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