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When I was a kid, video games cost $40. Now they're $70, and analysts are discussing a potential $100 price tag for Grand Theft Auto 6. One Baldur's Gate 3 dev says companies hoping for this are "saying the quiet part out loud."
GTA 6 is one of the most-anticipated games in history. We're all going to buy it, that much is certain, the only question that remains is how much we'll pay for it. The $70 standard for triple-A games came into effect a few years ago, but in 2024, some of the best-selling games were around $40. Helldivers 2 and Palworld both did phenomenally well at those lower prices, but now analysts are wondering if GTA 6 will actually push video games to be even more expensive.
Michael Douse, a developer at Larian, writes in response to the news, "You’re not supposed to say this out loud!!!!" Obviously, companies would love to charge us more for games – more money means more profit for them. But, there is a limit to what people are willing, and able, to pay. Millions may pay $100 for GTA 6, but it's unlikely any other game could dare to charge that same price.
Douse continues: "A good company raises salaries in line with inflation so that their staff don’t die or something, but games prices haven’t risen with inflation. This isn’t the reason the industry is in the shit for now, but it is an uncomfortable truth. On the other hand, the responsibility for a game developer is to make sure that the game they show lives up to that promise, and that investment from the player."
You’re not supposed to say this out loud!!!! https://t.co/4EABCQJaDBJanuary 19, 2025
I doubt charging more for games would reduce the number of layoffs we've seen in the industry these last few years. Companies don't just want growth, they want exponential growth. A 5% profit this year has to be an 8% profit next year.
Hopefully Take-Two doesn't gouge us for GTA 6 and set a new precedent. GTA Online already makes billions of dollars through its shark cards, so, assuming there's another iteration of it for this sequel, and I can't see why the company would abandon that cash cow, it'll be content with the additional money it gets through that. It will also likely sell premium versions of the game that are above standard retail price that come with extras like more in-game money or an early access period ahead of the official launch, as has become more common recently.
Out of the ten most-played games on Steam right now, only four actually came out last year, so people are still buys clearing backlogs or playing older live-service games. Many of us wait for sales or just play cheaper, older, or already bought games instead of shelling out for new ones.
Hopefully, games don't get more expensive in 2025. Check out all the upcoming video game release dates to see if there are any you'd be willing to pay $100 for.
