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As GTA 6 fans fear the massive upcoming Rockstar blockbuster could cost $100, new research suggests that maintaining a standard $70 price would be way more beneficial for the devs, who they predict would actually lose money by pricing it too high.
This year, we've seen games jump to $80 for the first time, and some are worried that GTA 6 might go even further than that. One analyst previously stated that they expected a $100 price tag, and that the game "will likely generate $10 billion lifetime and another $500 million annually from GTA Online." Rockstar is yet to confirm one way or the other, but this new study from MIDiA Research offers some reassurance to anyone worried about GTA 6's impact on their bank balance.
“Our research suggests that GTA 6 will generate more revenue at a standard $69.99 price point than the much discussed $100," co-author of the report and MIDiA Research's head of data Perry Gresham says. "A $100 price point would actually leave money on the table.
"Below the optimum price, increasing price increases revenue, but prices above the optimum can result in loss of both unit sales and revenue. This is because the revenue increase from those who still purchase will be less than the lost revenue from those who do not."
In the study – which utilized both Gabor-Granger pricing analysis and survey results from over 2,000 US consumers – it was determined that 79% of participants who were interested in GTA 6 said they'd "definitely" or "probably" buy it if it costs $49.99. Somewhat unsurprisingly, only 16% felt the same if the game was priced at $149.99. Superfans of the series were about twice as likely to splash the cash, but the report notes that even this wouldn't be enough to offset the overall demand loss from pricing the game that high in the first place.
Obviously, it's worth noting that those results are based on fans' feelings towards a $150 GTA 6, not a $100 one, but even so, MIDiA suggests that giving Rockstar's upcoming game its "optimal price" – that being $69.99 – could lead to a whopping 8.6% of adults in the United States buying it, which would account for around 22.9 million copies sold. The researchers suggest this could rake in $1.6 billion of revenue.
"Our findings should serve as a caution to game developers looking to raise game prices in the future," concludes co-author and MIDiA games analyst Brandon Sutton.
If Rockstar has had any thoughts at all about pricing GTA 6 beyond $69.99, chances are, it's probably been weighing up these factors, too. This study offers no promises, of course, but hopefully, if Rockstar comes to the same conclusion that pricing too high could be actively detrimental, GTA 6 might not be too demanding on our wallets when it launches next year.
